LGBT Pride

Despite the recent good news from the Capitol in Washington about the new hate crimes law, bad news continues to come out of Washington as hate crimes against the local LGBT community have been increasing at an alarming rate. Advocates have been alarmed by the continued changes and undermining of the city’s award-winning Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit of the Metropolitan Police Department by the chief of police — including significant reduction in staff, elimination of a dedicated manager for the GLLU, and a reduction in overtime hours available to the reduced personnel. Chief Cathy Lanier has now called for input from the community ... Read Full Story

This post comes from Joey Gaskins, of HRC’s diversity department. The issues facing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students on Historically Black College and University campuses are many. Discrimination motivated by homophobia and intolerance is rampant, and LGBT students are suffering because of it. Meanwhile, losses we have faced at the ballot box have illustrated the LGBT movement’s need to reach into communities it has failed to touch and the need for its leadership to reflect the inherent diversity of our community. For seven years the Human Rights Campaign’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities Program has worked to combat homophobia on HBCU campuses, build ... Read Full Story

This Saturday night is the 2009 Legends Gala to be held at the Waterside Marriott in Downtown Norfolk. The event is a fundraiser for Equality Virginia - Virginia's only statewide LGBT organization - and the event promises to be a good time as always. This is the fourth year that I have been on the event committee - I co-chaired it last year - and have found my involvement to be wonderful, even if demanding at times. I have made a number of wonderful friends and the involvement has helped me rebuild the social circle that I loss when I came out and became ... Read Full Story

On May 15-17, 2009 in Dallas, Texas twenty-four thinkers, activists, and donors gathered to discuss the immediate need for full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender people in the United States. Collectively they prepared The Dallas Principles. The following eight guiding principles underlie our call to action. In order to achieve full civil rights now, we avow: 1.Full civil rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals must be enacted now. Delay and excuses are no longer acceptable. 2.We will not leave any part of our community behind. 3.Separate is never equal. 4.Religious beliefs are not a basis upon which to affirm or deny ... Read Full Story

THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary ___________________________________________________________ For Immediate Release June 1, 2009 LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER PRIDE MONTH, 2009 - - - - - - - BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION Forty years ago, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn in New York City resisted police harassment that had become all too common for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Out of this resistance, the LGBT rights movement in America was born. During LGBT Pride Month, we commemorate the events of June 1969 and commit to achieving equal justice ... Read Full Story