Tag Archives: LGBT rights

Via press release from the State Department: The United States government is deeply concerned over escalating attacks and legislative actions by the Government of Tanzania that violate civil liberties and human rights, creating an atmosphere of violence, intimidation, and discrimination. We are troubled by the continued arrests and harassment of marginalized persons, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, and …

Just called. Click On Detroit reports: Democrat Dana Nessel beat Republican Tom Leonard in the race for Michigan Attorney General. Leonard conceded the race to Nessel on Wednesday morning. Dana Nessel is best known for successfully fighting to overturn Michigan’s ban on gay marriage. Nessel, 49, has been a Detroit-area prosecutor and defense attorney but made headlines as co-counsel in …

Via press release from the ACLU: “By winning the first statewide popular vote on transgender rights, Massachusetts voters reaffirmed our Commonwealth as a place that fiercely defends our basic values of dignity and respect for everyone. When Massachusetts leads on equality, the nation watches – and often, it follows. Tonight, we sent a message not just to transgender people and …

The Boston Globe reports: If the word Masshole is good enough for the dictionary, it’s surely good enough for a political ad. But this still appears to be a first. A local group is using the colloquialism in an attempt to persuade Massachusetts residents to vote yes on Question 3, the referendum on the state’s transgender anti-discrimination law. “We’re Massholes, …

The Hill reports: The State Department is warning U.S. citizens in Tanzania of a crackdown against gay people in the East African country. The State Department said in a notice on its website that citizens should “employ sound security practices” and review their “internet footprint and social media profiles.” “Remove or protect images and language that may run afoul of …

The Guardian reports: A Tanzanian official said he has received thousands of messages after ordering the public to report the name of any person suspected of being gay. Paul Makonda, regional commissioner for Dar es Salaam, made the request on Monday, pledging that a special team would “get their hands on them” next week. By Tuesday, he said he had …

From the site Business For Trans Equality: We, the undersigned businesses, stand with the millions of people in America who identify as transgender, gender non-binary, or intersex, and call for all such people to be treated with the respect and dignity everyone deserves. We oppose any administrative and legislative efforts to erase transgender protections through reinterpretation of existing laws and …

Politico reports: U.S. diplomats may soon be prohibited from using the phrases “sexual and reproductive health” and “comprehensive sexuality education” under a proposal being floated to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, four people familiar with the issue said. The proposal is being pushed by a handful of conservative political appointees at the State Department and other agencies, including Mari Stull, …

Agence France-Presse reports: The governor of Tanzania’s economic capital Dar es Salaam on Monday launched an anti-gay crackdown, threatening to arrest people suspected of being homosexuals. “I have information about the presence of many homosexuals in our province,” Paul Makonda told reporters on Monday, calling on citizens to begin reporting homosexuals for round-ups to begin next week. “Give me their …

From Pat Robertson’s CBN News: With midterm elections quickly approaching, House Democrats are making promises to the LGBTQ community. Officials say they will prioritize anti-discrimination legislation that would establish widespread equal rights protections for LGBTQ individuals. Minority leader Nancy Pelosi said she would introduce the “Equality Act” as one of her first orders of business. Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill told …

Expats.cz reports: The lower house of the Czech Parliament is set to debate the legalization of same-sex marriage. On Wednesday, October 31, marriage equality is for the first time in history guaranteed to be on the agenda of the 20th meeting of the Chamber of Deputies. The opening of this debate item will take place as part of the Chamber …

The Moscow Times reports: State Duma deputy and notorious anti-gay crusader Vitaly Milonov reportedly attempted to shut down Russia’s only LGBT film festival on its opening night. The St. Petersburg-based Fontanka news website reported that the deputy, accompanied by six men, physically blocked the entrance to the “Side by Side” film festival. In footage posted online, the lawmaker is heard …

CBS Los Angeles reports: During do-or-die World Series Game 5 at Dodger Stadium, fans unfurled a large banner reading “Trans People Deserve To Live.” The statement was emblazoned on the Transgender Pride Flag, colored blue, pink and white. The website Into reports the protest was planned by members of the [email protected] Coalition, a Los Angeles-based activist organization that advocates for …

The Guardian reports: Jair Bolsonaro has been elected as the next president of Brazil, winning 55.1% of the vote in the second-round vote between himself and PT candidate Fernando Haddad. The far-right candidate was leading in the polls after he fell just short of achieving a majority in the first round of voting three weeks ago. His win on Sunday …

From Caitlyn Jenner’s op-ed for the Washington Post: I believed I could work within the party and the Trump administration to shift the minds of those who most needed shifting. I made many trips to Washington to lobby and educate members of Congress, other Washington policymakers and powerful influencers. These meetings were generally positive and almost always led to encouraging …

Bloomberg Law reports: The Justice Department today told the U.S. Supreme Court that businesses can discriminate against workers based on their gender identity without violating federal law. Solicitor General Noel Francisco told the high court that a civil rights law banning sex discrimination on the job doesn’t cover transgender bias. That approach already has created a rift within the Trump …

The Malay Mail reports: Opposition leader Ahmad Zahid Hamidi expressed concerns about efforts needed to stem lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activities in the country, saying a recent earthquake in Indonesia was caused by such behaviour. Speaking at the Dewan Rakyat today during Question Time, Ahmad Zahid said he was worried that Malaysia might similarly incur the wrath of …

Teen Vogue reports: In a bizarre and objectively hypocritical turn of events, Trump’s official website is still selling a pro-LGBTQ T-shirt in its online store. The “Trump Pride Tee” is a basic white crewneck shirt emblazoned with watercolor stripes of the colors of the rainbow, over which the words “LGBTQ for TRUMP” are printed. “Show your pride and your support …

CTV News reports: The man who petitioned the government of a small village in New Brunswick to raise a ‘straight pride’ flag says he’s disappointed the flag was later taken down. “Why should I not be allowed to fly my flag?” Glenn Bishop told CTV Atlantic. “That’s disgraceful. This is discrimination against straight people.” The flag was raised Sunday, next …

Via press release from hate group leader Tony Perkins: This isn’t exactly the age of responsible journalism — so this weekend’s New York Times probably doesn’t surprise anyone. But for every American sick of fake news (and according to polls, that’s everyone), Sunday’s headline was one for the record books. “‘Transgender’ Could Be Defined out of Existence under Trump Administration,” …