Last month, as you may recall, advocates for equality in Nevada accomplished something very few people thought they could. They generated the grasstops and grassroots support needed to flip two votes in the state Assembly and two in the state Senate (all Republicans) to override Governor Jim Gibbons’ veto of the Domestic Partnership bill – making Nevada the 15th state (or district in the case of Washington, D.C.) to offer some form of same-sex relationship recognition.
During that battle and... Read Full Story
Ed. Note: This post by Wesley Combs is part of a regular column from HRC’s Business Council spotlighting LGBT workplace news.
On Monday of this week, I was fortunate to be one of 250 guests invited to the White House for President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama’s reception honoring the 40th anniversary of Stonewall. Like many of my fellow attendees, I was anxious to hear what the President had to say about how he planned to honor his campaign commitments to the LGBT community. He reite... Read Full Story
We learned today of a decision by the U.S. Department of Justice not to appeal an earlier court decision in Schroer v. Billington, in which a federal district court concluded that Library of Congress officials violated federal sex discrimination law when they withdrew a job offer from Diane Schroer – a transgender woman – because she was transitioning. Said HRC President Joe Solmonese:
“The Administration made the right decision in standing by the court’s ruling that the Library o... Read Full Story
In this blog series, HRC attorneys discuss news and break down legal theories relevant to a U.S. Supreme Court nomination and the recent retirement of Justice David Souter.
On Monday, June 29, the Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal of a group of high school students who claimed their free speech rights were violated when a school district refused to give official recognition to their Christian student organization. The group, Truth, required its voting members and officers to sign a “... Read Full Story
The radical right in this country certainly does like to scapegoat LGBT parents whenever some sort of controversy comes up. Case in point, a story out of Durham, North Carolina where a very, very troubled individual, Frank Lombard, was arrested for inviting another man to travel to North Carolina in order to molest his adopted 5-year-old son. Change.org’s excellent Human Trafficking blogger, Amanda Kloer, has more on the case here.
The right-wing in this country, led by Christian Ne... Read Full Story
Strike another victory for LGBT rights in 2009. The Delhi High Court in India has overturned the country’s very backwards Section 377 law, which since the days of the British empire has criminalized homosexuality in the second most populous country in the world. Earlier this week we wrote about the potential of this happening, and today the decision is final.
Anjali Gopalan, leader of the Naz Foundation (which was one of the organizations that led the lawsuit challenging the ban on ho... Read Full Story
Yesterday the mother of hate crime victim Sean Kennedy was notified via a recorded message on her voicemail that the man responsible for her son’s death was being released from prison immediately – a week earlier than expected. It’s the latest heart wrenching development in a story devoid of justice for Sean and his family. Stephen Andrew Moller was only convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Sean’s death and sentenced to five years in prison, suspended to three ye... Read Full Story
The Human Rights Campaign has launched a national action campaign encouraging the public to submit comments on why the draconian ban on HIV-positive visitors and immigrants should be lifted. Our action alert follows:
It’s one of the ugliest remnants of discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS – hurtful, obsolete, and wrong.
A decades-old policy BANS nearly every foreign person with HIV from setting foot on U.S. soil.
But that could change very soon. President Obama’s Departmen... Read Full Story
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has launched a cool new project that’s ripe for the digital age: it’s a campaign to combat homophobia in virtual communities. From Facebook to XBox message boards, homophobia won’t have any hiding grounds. Here’s a quote from Rashad Robinson, GLAAD’s Senior Director of Media Programs:
As more and more people turn to virtual communities to connect with each other and for entertainment, we need to ensure th... Read Full Story
Madrid’s vibrant Chueca neighbourhood will retain its annual Gay Pride festivities, despite complaints from residents over noise and security concerns, Spanish media reported Thursday.
The festival kicked off overnight, with writer Boris Izaguirre and Eurovision singer Soraya Arnelas inaugurating a week-long extravaganza of parades, costumes, music and dance.
Attended by 2 million people in 2008, the festival has spread over the boundaries of Chueca, with drag queens and other colourful... Read Full Story
