LGBT News

The Boston Globe reports: Governor Charlie Baker’s speech to LGBT executives and activists Wednesday night was met with a cascade of boos after he refused to voice support for a bill to prevent bias against transgender people in public spaces. Baker’s reluctance to take a stand on the bill prompted many in the crowd at the Marriott hotel to boo …

“Sadly, once again, the civil rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people have been trampled on with the recent passage of HB2 in North Carolina. Me and my team at the True Colors Fund have been closely monitoring the situation in North Carolina and support the efforts of the Human Rights Campaign, Equality North Carolina, and others to repeal …

MSNBC today published the below video report on Harlem’s bankrupt hate church, which will back on court on April 21st when a new auction date might be set. Interviewed for the piece was Ali Forney Center founder Carl Siciliano, who tells us that he’ll be at the hearing with his attorneys. Ali Forney Center has raised $330,000 towards a down …

Last weekend Ted Cruz boldly lied about Pastor Kevin Swanson’s call to execute gays, saying that he’d denounced Swanson’s words as soon he heard them. In fact, for months Cruz refused so much as comment about Swanson despite many questions from the media. Then, earlier today, Right Wing Watch reported that Glenn Beck yesterday told his audience that he’s never …

“I applaud Governor John Edwards for continuing our party’s strong tradition of equality and protecting all Americans from discrimination. His executive order protecting state workers and contractors from anti-LGBT discrimination will help ensure that LGBT Louisianans have the equal protection under the law they deserve. “Governor Edwards’ leadership stands in stark contrast to the disingenuous arguments that we’ve heard from …

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Gov. Nathan Deal said the uproar in North Carolina and Mississippi over new laws that critics say curb gay rights should give supporters of the “religious liberty” measure in Georgia second thoughts, and warned that he’s willing to pull out the veto pen again next year if similar legislation lands on his desk. In his first …

But it’s not dead yet. The Kansas City Star reports: Late into the night Tuesday, supporters and opponents of a proposed “religious freedom” amendment sparred over its potential impact.  On one side, religious leaders and Republican elected officials implored the House Emerging Issues Committee to approve the amendment as is and place it on the ballot for Missouri voters to …

Via press release from New York City Pride:  Heritage of Pride announced today three Grand Marshals for the 47th NYC Pride March. – Jazz Jennings is the 15-year-old honorary co-founder of the Transkids Purple Rainbow Foundation and the youngest Grand Marshal in NYC Pride history. Since her first appearance with her family at age 6 on 20/20, Jazz has become …

The Raleigh News & Observer has produced a great video in which transgender residents speak out against North Carolina’s HB 2. Watch below as these people express shock, confusion, regret, and dismay over being stereotyped as sexual predators. Huge props to the paper for doing this.

The Guardian reports: A Chinese judge has rejected a gay couple’s attempt to secure the right to marry in the country’s first same-sex marriage case. Sun Wenlin, 27, from the central province of Hunan, had sued the civil affairs bureau in the city of Changsha for the right to marry his 37-year-old partner Hu Mingliang, a security guard. Sun decided …

From the New York-Mississippi Society: We, the founders of the Mississippi Picnic in Central Park and the New York-Mississippi Society, are officially canceling this year’s picnic in its 37th year. As a result of the unfortunate adoption of House Bill 1523, we have been informed that several concerned groups in New York City intend to demonstrate in protest of the …

Via Science Daily: Around half of all heterosexual men and women potentially carry so-called homosexuality genes that are passed on from one generation to the next. This has helped homosexuality to be present among humans throughout history and in all cultures, even though homosexual men normally do not have many descendants who can directly inherit their genes. This idea is …

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory did some damage control today, announcing that he has signed an executive order protecting LGBT state employees from discrimination. In the clip below, McCrory also declares that he will pursue amending House Bill 2 to reinstate the right to sue for discrimination in state courts. Today’s action does NOT, however, reinstate local LGBT protections nor …

You’ll like this. From Durham’s ABC affiliate: A group of North Carolina craft breweries is teaming up to make a special beer that will be sold to raise money to fight the state’s new House Bill 2 law. The News and Observer reports more than 30 breweries are taking part. They’re calling the project the Don’t Be Mean to People: …

The New York Times reports: The sentencing of Elliot Morales, who was convicted last month of murder as a hate crime after shooting a gay man in the West Village, was delayed on Monday, as the defense requested additional time to review a series of issues surrounding the case. The delay comes as the defense prepares for the prosecution to …

The Kansas City Star reports: Businesses from around Missouri announced the formation a coalition Tuesday designed to stop a “religious freedom” amendment to the state’s constitution currently making its way through the Missouri Legislature. Members of the coalition, called Missouri Competes, have agreed to sign a pledge stating that the proposed amendment “does not represent our values as Missourians, and …

Media Matters writes: North Carolina is the first state in the country to pass a law aimed at broadly controlling transgender people’s access to public restrooms. Proponents of the law claim it’s needed to prevent sexual predators from sneaking into women’s bathrooms by dressing up as women and pretending to be transgender. That “bathroom predator” talking point is a myth. …

Reuters reports: Deutsche Bank is freezing plans to create 250 new jobs at its Cary, North Carolina, location after the state passed a controversial law targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) citizens. “We take our commitment to building inclusive work environments seriously,” John Cryan, the chief executive of Germany’s largest lender, said in a statement on Tuesday. North Carolina …

The Associated Press reports: Colorado is not joining at least six states that ban or limit psychotherapy which seeks to change the sexual orientation of minors. The Republican majority on a state Senate panel voted against a bill Monday to limit so-called gay conversion therapy. The bill would have banned its use on people under 18. Research shows conversion therapy …

Variety reports: It’s hard to imagine a more simpatico creative pairing than Cyndi Lauper and Harvey Fierstein. Lauper, the award-winning (Grammy, Emmy and Tony) pop icon whose rainbow-colored hair and anthemic “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” single made her a hero among fiery female teens in the 1980s, has long established herself as a staunch humanitarian and leading advocate for …