Tag Archives: trans issues

From the Raleigh News & Observer: American Airlines, Microsoft and Marriott are among 68 companies that signed an amicus brief in the lawsuit challenging North Carolina’s House Bill 2. Former U.S. Solicitor General Ted Olson authored the brief on behalf of Human Rights Campaign, the LGBT advocacy group that is leading opposition to the law. The brief will be filed …

The Olympian reports: An effort to ask Washington voters about restricting which bathrooms and locker rooms transgender people can use has fallen short. Supporters of Initiative 1515 did not collect the 246,372 registered voters’ signatures it needed to qualify for the election. I-1515 would have asked voters statewide to allow public and private entities to bar people from choosing a …

From Raleigh’s NBC affiliate: Raleigh could lose as much as $40 million in convention business from the state’s controversial law on transgender rights. Statistics from the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau show that 16 trade associations or corporate groups have canceled gatherings in Raleigh because of House Bill 2, causing an estimated economic loss of $5.6 million. Raleigh is …

Back in April, Donald Trump surprised everybody on the right and the left when he denounced North Carolina’s HB2. His quote from that day: “North Carolina did something that was very strong and they’re paying a big price. And there’s a lot of problems. Leave it the way it is. North Carolina, what they’re going through, with all of the …

Last month hate group leader, failed social media entrepreneur, and failed politician Janet Porter failed yet again when her “nationwide” protests of all Target outlets yielded only a handful of screaming nutters at three locations. Porter followed that fail with an announcement of a future fail to be held in the same style during back-to-school season in early August. Today …

After the NBA and LGBT activists objected to a “fix” to North Carolina’s anti-LGBT laws that many said was worse than the original, the clock ran out last night with only a minor change. The Charolotte Observer reports: The North Carolina legislature adjourned for the year late Friday after lawmakers gave final approval to the state budget, hammered out or …

The Associated Press reports: North Carolina lawmakers took steps Thursday to set aside a half-million dollars for the legal defense of a law limiting protections for LGBT people as a judge sought to streamline a cluster of lawsuits it has inspired. Republican lawmakers were mapping out the end of the session, including possible changes to the law known as House …

Via press release from hate group leader Tony Perkins: Just two days removed from the second major terror attack in two weeks, the Pentagon has an announcement. No, it isn’t about the United States’ new plans to fight ISIS in the wake of Orlando and Istanbul. Nor is to reassure the American people that their military is stepping up its …

Earlier this week LGBT activists denounced the attempt by North Carolina Republicans to “refine” the anti-transgender section of HB2. This afternoon the NBA and the Charlotte Hornets joined in. Their message: “We have been engaged in dialogue with numerous groups at the city and state levels, but we do not endorse the version of the bill that we understand is …

Via press release from OutServe-SLDN: Today Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced the recommendations from the working group formed last summer on the lifting of the ban on open transgender service. This announcement includes recommendations, plans and timeline to when transgender service members will fully be able to serve openly and authentically. OutServe-SLDN Executive Director Matt Thorn issued the following …

“Oh we have a new transgender update for you as well. Oh no new transgender news for all of you who are bathroom-goers and public — you use public restrooms? I think a lot of people are going to be walking around with just Depends on from now on. They’re just not going to use the bathroom. Adult diapers, diapers …

The Salt Lake Tribune reports: Utah voters picked a historic, and largely unknown, Democratic candidate to challenge Sen. Mike Lee this November. Misty K. Snow is the first transgender nominee from a major party to run for a U.S. Senate seat and she shares the distinction of being the first transgender person to run for Congress. Misty Plowright, a transgender woman, …

From the Charlotte Observer: New legislation drafted by leadership in the N.C. House of Representatives seeks to walk back portions of a controversial bill passed during a special session this spring restricting the rights of transgender individuals to use the bathroom of their gender identity. Among the draft bill’s biggest changes is the creation of an official document that would …

USA Today reports: The Pentagon plans to announce the repeal of its ban on transgender service members July 1, a controversial decision that would end nearly a year of internal wrangling among the services on how to allow those troops to serve openly, according to Defense officials. Top personnel officials plan to meet as early as Monday to finalize details …

Morning Call reports: The governing body of Philadelphia public schools has adopted a new policy that would allow transgender students to use restrooms and join groups — including athletic teams — that correspond with their gender identity. The Philadelphia School Reform Commission adopted the new policy Thursday night. It also allows students to be referred to by a pronoun of …

From the Desert Sun: Richard Grenell, a Palm Springs resident, Trump delegate and Fox News contributor, is behind a series of ads this week targeting Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s gun-control measure that’s expected to land on the November ballot. The ads were created by a new group calling itself the Coalition for Civil Liberties and are unique in who they …

A three-judge panel from the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals just denied the stay motion filed Wednesday by Virginia’s Gloucester County School Board, which seeks to thwart the federal mandate on transgender student rights. That filing two days ago had triggered an automatic stay on the pro-trans April order while the Court considered their demand. The vote today was 2-1. …

Chicago’s WGN-TV reports: A small bomb exploded in the women’s bathroom at a Target store in Evanston on Wednesday, and officials are investigating whether it’s connected to the company’s policy allowing transgender people to use the bathroom of their choice. Commander Joe Dugan says no one was inside the bathroom when the small explosion happened a little after 4 o’clock. …

The White House today issued a lengthy recounting of the many, many advances in LGBT rights seen during the Obama administration. The “fact sheet” – which I’ve posted in its entirety below – serves both as a very well-earned bragging point and as a stark reminder of how tenuous many of these advances remain with the specter of a Republican …

ABC News reports on the ads: New York City launched a new campaign on Monday, affirming every New Yorkers’ right to use the bathroom consistent with their gender identity. “No one deserves to be denied access to bathrooms or discriminated against for being who they are. Every New Yorker has the legal right to use the bathroom consistent with their …