Tag Archives: employment

Mississippi state Sen. Jenifer Branning has taken down her campaign Facebook page after last night’s passage of a sweeping anti-LGBT “license to discriminate” bill that some are calling even worse than the one just enacted in North Carolina. Branning spent hours at the Senate podium defending the bill to angry Democrats, one of whom introduced an amendment that would have …

In response to near-universal criticism of North Carolina’s hate bill from the media, from big business, and from major political figures nationwide, the state’s Republican Senatorial Committee has launched a “Stand With McCrory” website so that haters can send messages of support to the governor. And of course, there’s a money beg link. The site features the above image of …

Moments ago the Mississippi Senate voted 31-17 along party lines to approve a sweeping bill that legalizes anti-LGBT discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations. The bill’s chief Senate sponsor, Sen. Jenifer Branning [photo], faced some tough questioning, most of all from black Democrats, but the haters once again simply outnumbered the good guys. The bill now goes back to …

The vote is starting. Dominic Holden reports at Buzzfeed: Mississippi lawmakers are scheduled to take a final vote Wednesday on what critics believe is the most sweeping anti-LGBT legislation in the United States. The bill passed in the state House in February, and opponents are hoping to kill it in the Senate by delaying a possible vote until after a …

The New York Times reports: The onslaught of criticism, economic sanctions and a lawsuit being leveled at Gov. Pat McCrory of North Carolina grew on Tuesday, as the largest corporation in his state joined the fight against a new law that eliminated anti-discrimination protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Bank of America, which has its headquarters in Charlotte, …

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory this afternoon posted a ranting clip in which he claims his state has been “demonized for political gain” and wrongly “been made the target of a vicious nationwide smear campaign.” Watch below. According to McCrory, the avalanche of criticism comes from those are “promoting conflict to advance their political agenda.” Below are some tweeted reactions …

In April 2013, Orange County elementary school teacher Rebecca Friedrichs sued the California Teachers Association, arguing that her mandatory union fees meant that she had been unwillingly forced into financially supporting the union’s advertising campaign against the passage of Proposition 8. Friedrich’s suit was joined by the Christian Educators Association International. Which brings us to today. Via The Atlantic: The …

North Carolina’s High Point Market Week bills itself as the world’s largest home furnishings industry trade show and mere days after the state’s anti-LGBT bill was signed into law, the show’s organizers say they are being deluged with attendee cancellations for next month’s convention, which delivers an estimated $5.4B to the local economy with its spring and fall events. Via …

Add New York state to New York City, San Francisco, and Seattle. From Gov. Cuomo’s edict: Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today signed an executive order banning all non-essential state travel to North Carolina. The order requires all New York State agencies, departments, boards and commissions to immediately review all requests for state funded or state sponsored travel to the state …

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory is a very unhappy with the lawsuit filed yesterday. From a statement issued by his office: “The governor respects the right of any legal challenges; however, he does not respect the continued distortion of the facts by the groups challenging this law and by many members of the state and national media,” said Graham Wilson, …

Yesterday a press conference was held at which the plaintiffs in the federal lawsuit against North Carolina appeared. Watch below. The Associated Press reports: The plaintiffs are two transgender people, a lesbian law professor, the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina and Equality North Carolina. Defendants include McCrory and the University of North Carolina system, where two of the …

Early this morning North Carolina was sued in federal court over the recently signed law which overturns LGBT rights statewide and bans transgender citizens from using public facilities that align with their gender identity. The suit was filed on behalf of three individuals and two LGBT rights groups. Buzzfeed News has details: “By singling out LGBT people for disfavored treatment …

“San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee says he is banning all city employees from job-related travel to North Carolina in protest of the action NC Gov. Pat McCrory and the General Assembly just took to preserve basic privacy and protect its citizens from perverts and sexual predators. Can you believe it? I think Mayor Lee needs to focus on the problems …

From NPR’s Asheville affiliate: The American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina is preparing litigation against the state over a recent bill blocking towns and cities from passing anti-discrimination measures. Governor Pat McCrory signed House Bill 2 late Wednesday night, several hours after the legislature gave final approval during a one-day special session lawmakers called to address the issue. Response …

After facing near universal condemnation from the media, from big business, and from civil rights groups, North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory has issued a nine-point “Myths Vs Facts” press release about his state’s anti-LGBT law. I’ve screen-capped the full message below and as you’ll see, McCrory doesn’t tell the full story.There are so many obfuscations in this list, it’s hard …

The Associated Press reports: San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee has banned city workers from non-essential travel to North Carolina after that state approved legislation preventing anti-discrimination protections for gay, lesbian and transgender people. Lee said in a statement Friday that residents in the city with a large gay and lesbian population “will not subsidize legally sanctioned discrimination.” He says the …

Blue Ridge Now reports: State Sen. Tom Apodaca (R-Henderson) has asked his staff to look and see how the General Assembly can charge Charlotte to cover the costs of Wednesday’s special session, including the possibility of withholding the city’s sales tax revenues. Lawmakers met Wednesday and passed a law invalidating a measure the Charlotte City Council passed last month to …

Sports Illustrated reports: Recent anti-LGBT legislation in North Carolina could impact the NBA’s ability to host the 2017 All-Star game in Charlotte, the league announced Thursday. “The NBA is dedicated to creating an inclusive environment for all who attend our games and events,” the statement reads. “We are deeply concerned that this discriminatory law runs counter to our guiding principles …

Yesterday major corporations took to social media or released statements to denounce North Carolina’s new anti-LGBT law. See some of their messages below. Perhaps most prominent among them is IBM, the state’s largest private employer. Fortune reports: Big Blue, North Carolina’s largest employer, posted a statement on Thursday that expressed disappointment with the new law, which LBGT rights supporters widely …

From the editorial board of the New York Times: By promoting the ludicrous idea that transgender women are inherently dangerous, the law endangers citizens who are already disproportionately vulnerable to violence and stigmatization. Transgender men go largely unmentioned in bathroom bill debates, but that could change. James Parker Sheffield, a transgender man with a beard, exposed the foolishness of the …