Tag Archives: civil rights

Walmart Stays Mum On Transgender Policy

From the New York Daily News: Walmart, the country’s biggest retailer, is staying silent about its transgender bathroom policies. The Arkansas-based corporation repeatedly refused to reveal its stance about transgender bathroom use for its shoppers and employees, despite requests by the Daily News every day for the past week. Inquiries to Walmart’s media relations team were first sent last Tuesday, …

Read More »

US House Rep. Zoe Lofgren Calls Out Transphobic Witness: Lady, You Are An Ignorant Bigot [VIDEO]

This is what an ally looks like. From Talking Points Memo: During a House Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) railed against a witness who testified against the Obama administration’s recent guidance for schools on how to accommodate transgender students. Lofgren read aloud part of the testimony from Gail Heriot, a member of the United States Commission on …

Read More »

AFA Radio Shrieker Sandy Rios: Trans Rights Will Mainstream Pedophilia And Create Chaos [VIDEO]

Brian Tashman recaps Sandy Rios’ latest radio rant for Right Wing Watch: “What a hypocrite Obama and his evil cronies are at the Department of Education and Justice that they would take lunch money from children,” she said, before alleging that the number of transgender people in the population has been significantly exaggerated. Rios claimed that the push for transgender …

Read More »

San Francisco 49ers Call For “Discriminatory” HB2 Repeal, Donate $75K To Equality North Carolina

Charlotte’s WBTV reports: The San Francisco 49ers are calling for a repeal of House Bill 2. The team’s CEO, Jed York, made the announcement, along with a “gift” of $75,000 to the Equality North Carolina Foundation to “further their work.” York met with advocates and transgender North Carolinians to learn more about how the bill has impacted them. York is …

Read More »

Charlotte Chamber Of Commerce: North Carolina’s Hate Law Has Already Cost Mecklenburg County $285 Million

Whoa. From the Charlotte Observer: Mecklenburg County has suffered an economic blow of $285 million and a loss of as many as 1,300 jobs as a result of House Bill 2, a new Charlotte Chamber report says. The report also says inquiries about new economic development are down 58 percent since lawmakers passed the bill in March, and client visits …

Read More »

AUSTRALIA: Premier Of Victoria State Apologizes To Men Convicted Under Anti-Homosexuality Laws [VIDEO]

Amazing. The Age reports: Peter McEwan was just 17 when the police caught him caressing another man behind some bushes on Brighton beach in 1967. It was enough for him to receive a criminal conviction while he was still finishing year 12. He said police had written a confession for him and he agreed to sign it. “I was an …

Read More »

Glenn Beck On Hershey Park’s Pro-Trans Policy: The Next Step Is Normalization Of Pedophilia [VIDEO]

Kyle Mantyla at Right Wing Watch has Glenn Beck’s reaction to Hershey Park’s announcement: “If you don’t stand up now,” Beck declared, “I guarantee you the next thing that will be mainstreamed” will be pedophilia. The push for transgender equality is “not normal,” Beck insisted, unlike the fight for gay marriage, which was something he claimed that the American public …

Read More »

American Family Association: Don’t Let Target’s Arrogance Fool You, We’ve Cost Them Billions In Stock

Via press release from the American Family Association: On a media call last, week Target CEO Brian Cornell was asked if the boycott had an effect on their sales or stock price. He responded by saying “To date we have not seen a material or measurable impact on our business. Just a handful of stores across the country have seen …

Read More »

CHARLOTTE: City Council Considers Rescinding LGBT Rights Law In Deal For Amending Of State’s HB2

The Charlotte Observer reports: As the Charlotte City Council prepares for a possible vote Monday on repealing its own nondiscrimination ordinance, the Human Rights Campaign has mounted an intense lobbying effort to keep it in place and has accused the Charlotte Chamber of being an “anti-LGBT bully.” The Washington-based HRC, a gay rights group that helped the city write the …

Read More »

BALTIMORE: Cop Found Not Guilty On All Charges In Freddie Gray Case That Spurred Civil Unrest

CBS Baltimore reports: Freddie Gray arresting officer Edward Nero was found not guilty on all counts by Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Barry Williams Monday morning. Nero faced second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and two counts of misconduct in office. Nero waived his right to a trial by jury. His bench trial began May 12 and final arguments were heard Thursday. …

Read More »

20 Years Ago Today: Romer V Evans

Lambda Legal’s Jon Davidson put it in context for what’s happening today: To quote late New York Yankee baseball great Yogi Berra, “it’s déjà vu all over again.” Today marks the 20th anniversary of the groundbreaking U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Romer v. Evans, Lambda Legal’s successful challenge, in partnership with the ACLU and some of Colorado’s top lawyers, to …

Read More »

ALABAMA: Drag Queen Ambrosia Starling Mulls 2018 Gubernatorial Bid Against Chief Justice Roy Moore

Most expect currently suspended Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore to run for governor in 2018 if the SPLC’s ethics complaint results in his being booted from the bench for a second time. Moore’s archenemy, local drag star Ambrosia Starling, yesterday revealed that she just might challenge him for the governor’s mansion. From the Huffington Post: Starling, who publicly …

Read More »

Maroon 5 Goes Springsteen On North Carolina

From the band’s website: We have announced that we will be canceling our upcoming shows in Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina because of the recent passage of the HB2 legislation. This was a difficult decision for us to make as a band. We don’t want to penalize our fans in North Carolina by not performing for them, but in the …

Read More »

NORTH CAROLINA: Ironman Competition Allows 200 Athletes To Bail On Triathlons Over Anti-LGBT Hate Law

From the Charlotte Observer: About 200 people who had registered to run Ironman triathalons in North Carolina this year have transferred to races in other states after the sport said they could make the switch due to North Carolina’s controversial LGBT law, organizers said. Ironman, the Tampa, Fla.-based sports organization, had given registrants until May 9 to request a transfer …

Read More »

ARKANSAS: Gov. Asa Hutchinson Holds Off Bill That Would Make “Incorrect” Restroom Use A Sex Crime

NPR reports: Gov. Asa Hutchinson says he’s worked with fellow Republicans to keep a transgender bathroom bill off the agenda of a special session he called to address highway funding. Instead, Hutchinson plans to work with lawmakers on legislation for next year’s lengthier, regular legislative session. During a press conference, Hutchinson said adding the item to the special session has …

Read More »

OKLAHOMA: Legislature Makes Performing Abortions A Felony, Bill Heads To Desk Of GOP Governor

Reuters reports: An Oklahoma bill that could send any doctor who performs an abortion to jail headed to the governor on Thursday, with opponents saying the measure is unconstitutional and promising a legal battle against the cash-strapped state if it is approved. The bill to make abortion a felony punishable by up to three years in prison was approved by …

Read More »

DC Grocery Store Security Guard Charged With Assaulting Trans Woman In Restroom [VIDEO]

NBC Washington reports: D.C. police have charged a security guard at a Giant grocery store with simple assault after a transgender woman said the guard forced her out of the women’s restroom. Ebony Belcher, 32, said she went to the Giant in northeast D.C. with a friend to pick up a delivery from the Western Union. While at the Giant, …

Read More »

NORTH CAROLINA: HRC Retains Prop 8 Champion Ted Olson For Amicus Brief In Challenge Of Anti-LGBT Law

Via press release: Today, the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBT civil rights organization, announced that Theodore B. Olson of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP will author an amicus brief on behalf of leading businesses in support of the Department of Justice’s lawsuit challenging North Carolina’s hateful HB2 law. “HB2 discriminates against fellow citizens because of who they are,” …

Read More »

DO NO HARM: House Democrats Seek To “Correct” Federal RFRA Law With Amendment Banning Discrimination On Religious Grounds

Via press release: Joined by leaders from the civil rights, social justice and faith communities, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Congressman Joe Kennedy III (MA-04) today introduced legislation to amend the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). The Do No Harm Act would clarify that no one can seek religious exemption …

Read More »

Itzhak Perlman Goes Springsteen On North Carolina

From the Raleigh News & Observer: Itzhak Perlman is the latest artist to cancel a North Carolina performance over the state’s controversial House Bill 2. One of the world’s greatest concert violinists, the 70-year-old Perlman was scheduled to play Raleigh’s Meymandi Concert Hall Wednesday night with the NC Symphony. But he called off the show on Tuesday, releasing the statement …

Read More »