Tag Archives: LGBT rights

Dem Resolution Seeks US Apology For “Hundreds Of Thousands” Of LGBT Federal Workers Fired For Sexuality

NBC News reports: LGBTQ civil servants and service members were systematically fired or forced to resign due to their sexual orientation or gender identity over the past seven decades, and a proposed bill is seeking to have the federal government issue an official apology acknowledging its past discriminatory policies. The bill, introduced Thursday by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., says the …

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DOJ Joins ACLU Suits Against Anti-Transgender Laws

Law & Crime reports: The U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday filed court documents to support two separate lawsuits filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) which argue that recently passed anti-transgender laws in West Virginia and Arkansas violate the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The filing aligned with a memo put out by the DOJ’s Division …

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EU To Investigate Hungary Over Latest Anti-LGBT Law

Euronews reports: Hungary is being investigated by the European Commission over a new law that bans the sharing of content that portrays homosexuality or sex reassignment with people under the age of 18. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, confirmed on Wednesday that the bill would be investigated by the European Union. It is the latest …

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LGBT Groups Call Today’s Supreme Court Ruling A Win

From the National Center for Lesbian Rights: “Properly understood, today’s decision is a significant victory for LGBTQ people,” said Shannon Minter, NCLR Legal Director. “The Court ruled in favor of Catholic Social Services, but on the narrowest possible ground, based on language in the City of Philadelphia’s contract that authorized individualized exemptions for any provider. “The Court did not change …

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Hungarian Parliament Approves New Anti-LGBT Bill

The Associated Press reports: Lawmakers in Hungary approved legislation Tuesday that prohibits sharing with minors any content portraying homosexuality or sex reassignment, something supporters said would help fight pedophilia but which human rights groups denounced as anti-LGBT discrimination. Fidesz, the conservative ruling party of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, introduced the legislation, which is the latest effort to curtail the …

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Walton Family Sets Up $1M Fund For AR LGBT Groups

The Associated Press reports: Family members of Walmart founder Sam Walton on Thursday launched a $1 million fund for groups assisting LGBT people in the retail giant’s home state of Arkansas, which has enacted measures restricting transgender people’s rights. The new fund is being established with support from the Alice L. Walton Foundation and from Olivia and Tom Walton through …

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DOJ To Defend Anti-LGBT Religious Schools In Lawsuit

The Washington Post reports: The Justice Department in a court filing Tuesday said it can “vigorously” defend a religious exemption from federal civil rights law that allows federally funded religious schools to discriminate against LGBTQ students, a move that surprised some LGBTQ advocates who said the wording went further than just an obligation to defend an existing law. In the …

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Gallup: Support For Same-Sex Marriage At Record 70%

Gallup reports: U.S. support for legal same-sex marriage continues to trend upward, now at 70% — a new high in Gallup’s trend since 1996. This latest figure marks an increase of 10 percentage points since 2015, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that all states must recognize same-sex marriages. Republicans, who have consistently been the party group least in favor …

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Victim In Anti-Gay Hotel Pool Incident Speaks Out

Sacramento’s CBS News affiliate reports: A relaxing day at the pool took an ugly turn. A heated argument caught on camera started when two women claim they were harassed for kissing each other at the Kimpton Sawyer pool. Domonique Veasley tells me the encounter took her by surprise. She believes if she were straight, this wouldn’t have happened. “This is …

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President Biden Issues 2021 Pride Month Proclamation

Just in via press release from the White House: Today, President Biden issued a proclamation affirming June 2021 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) Pride Month, marking a time a time of hope, progress, and promise for LGBTQ+ Americans across the country. After four years of relentless attacks on LGBTQ+ rights, the Biden-Harris Administration has taken historic actions …

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Namibia To Consider Legalizing Homosexuality

Reuters reports: Namibia could soon scrap a colonial-era law that criminalises gay sex between men, the justice minister said on Friday, calling the legislation “outdated and discriminatory”. The law is rarely enforced in the Southern African country and is among several dozen laws that the government will consider abolishing following recommendations by a reform commission. “The LGBTQI community are human …

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Japan Won’t Honor Olympic Charter On LGBT Rights

The Guardian reports: Japan’s ruling party has been accused of violating the Olympic charter after it failed to approve a bill to protect the rights of the LGBT community, during discussions marred by homophobic outbursts from conservative MPs. Closed meetings held this month to discuss a bill, proposed by opposition parties, stating that discrimination against LGBT people “must not be …

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Germany To Compensate Soldiers Fired For Being Gay

Reuters reports: German lawmakers voted for legislation on Thursday to rehabilitate soldiers who for decades faced discrimination, discharge or convictions on the basis of their sexual orientation. Until the year 2000, Germany’s military considered that homosexuals posed a threat to the discipline of the troops and were not suitable as superior officers. Gay soldiers could be denied promotions, discharged from …

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Cuban Govt Flies Rainbow Flag Against Homophobia

Reuters reports: Cuba draped its health ministry with a giant rainbow flag on Monday to mark International Day against Homophobia, in a key year for LGBT+ rights as the Caribbean country decides on a new family code that could approve same-sex marriage. Cuba, which sent gays to correctional labor camps in the early years after its 1959 leftist revolution, made …

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Haters Likely To Force Vote On Mesa’s LGBT Rights Law

The Arizona Republic reports: A petition to undo Mesa’s newly minted nondiscrimination ordinance has enough voter signatures to head to the ballot. However, the referendum could still face challenges to knock it off the ballot. City and Maricopa County officials each reviewed the submitted signatures for the referendum effort and found there to be more than the roughly 9,100 needed …

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Montana Gov Signs Anti-LGBT “Religious Freedom” Bill

The Montana Standard reports: Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte on Thursday signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, bolstering religious beliefs as a claim or defense in court. Democrats and other opponents have decried the new law, arguing it would empower people to freely discriminate against LGBTQ people with beliefs that they are immune in the courts. Democratic lawmakers in both chambers …

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Blinken Ends Trump Ban On Pride Flags At Embassies

Foreign Policy reports: Secretary of State Antony Blinken has issued a blanket authorization for U.S. diplomatic outposts around the world to fly the Pride flag on the same flagpole as the U.S. flag at their embassy or consulate showcasing support for LGBTQ rights. The directive marks a departure from how the Trump administration handled the matter while the State Department …

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Scottsdale Becomes 8th AZ City With LGBTQ Protections

The Associated Press reports: The city of Scottsdale has voted to approve a non-discrimination ordinance, becoming the eighth city in Arizona to provide protections to members of the LGBTQ community and other groups. The Scottsdale City Council unanimously passed the ordinance on Tuesday protecting residents from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, public places and housing. …

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POLL: Two-Thirds Of Americans Oppose Anti-Trans Bills

PBS reports: The rights of transgender Americans has been a growing topic of debate on sports fields, in state capitols and in Congress. The Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ advocacy organization, says more than 30 state legislatures have proposed more than 115 bills that would limit transgender rights, from participation on sports teams to access to medical care. But two-thirds …

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NEW NO PROMO HOMO: Arizona Hate Group Advances Bill Requiring Parents To Opt-In For LGBTQ Education

The Associated Press reports: Two years after Arizona lawmakers repealed a ban on any HIV/AIDS instruction that “promotes a homosexual lifestyle” as they faced a lawsuit, they have approved revamping the state’s sex education laws to make them some of the strictest in the nation when it comes to teaching about LGBTQ issues. The measure pushed by a powerful social …

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