April, 2016 News (112 Articles with 345,229 total views)
On the cover of the print edition for April, 2016 Working on some hot moves at the Flaming Hearts Dance Mar. 13 held by Mercyhurst LGBTQIA. Photo: Mike Mahler
This began publication in December 2002 after a hiatus
Category for this issueCalendar & Upcoming Events
Calendar of Local GLBT Events |
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Local and Regional News
Deadline for May 2016 print edition (issue # 246) of Erie Gay News is Friday, April 15
For the next print edition of Erie Gay News (issue # 246, cover dated for May, 2016), please send in calendar events, news items, and other info for late April 2016 and beyond by Friday, April 15. We expect that the next print edition will come out on Tuesday, April 26.
DNC Chair Statement on Mississippi's Anti-LGBT Law
WASHINGTON - April 5, 2016 – Upon news that Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant has signed the discriminatory House Bill 1523 into law, DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz issued the following statement:
Drenched Fur 12 Helps You Get Tested
During this year's Drenched Fur bear run in Erie, PA, attendees and local guys can signup to get tested for STIs and HIV. Stop in to get some testing done and know your status. You can sign up on line to help assure a spot in the Noon to 4pm timeframe on Saturday April 9th. Use this link with the password 'DF12' to get your spot today! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/df12-saturday-std-testing-tickets-24019294356?ref=elink
GEAE Erie Otters Hockey Night
On Saturday, February 27, 2016, Greater Erie Alliance for Equality (GEAE) held a very enjoyable Erie Otters Hockey Night at the Erie Insurance Arena, 809 French St, Erie PA. There was a delicious buffet and a fun game.
Comedy Dynamics Comes Out Against Georgia's New 'Religious Liberty' Law
LOS ANGELES, March 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Comedy Dynamics has issued a statement addressing House Bill 757, which was passed by The Georgia Legislature on March 16. The bill would give protection to people who discriminate against same-sex marriage and gay rights.
A la carte events at Drenched Fur 12 Weekend
The Drenched Fur weekend package is sold out, but there are several individual events available. For information about these events visit www.drenchedfur.com Contact: Gary Snyder. (814) 446-2327. info@drenchedfur.com Note: Drenched Fur events are for adult males 21 and older.
Painting with Pride
On March 9th, 2016, NW PA Pride Alliance partnered with Dramashop for their first-ever Painting with Pride fundraiser. They are looking forward to another Painting With Pride event this fall. Dramashop is located at Renaissance Centre, 2nd Fl., 1001 State Street, Erie PA 16501
LGBT Roundtable meets
Members of the LGBT Roundtable met Thursday, March 10, 2016 at the Maennerchor Club, 1607 State St, Erie PA. A major goal of the Roundtable is to unite the various organizations serving different members of our LGBT community in order to provide a platform for communication and collaboration. The Roundtable will be meeting later this year.
Intersections of Equality Symposium
We are pleased to invite you to Greater Erie Alliance for Equality's Second Biennial "Intersections of Equality" Symposium co-sponsored by Penn State Behrend.
Southern Tier Trans Network to Suspend Operations
The Southern Tier Trans Network regrets to announce that regular support meetings and other activities will be suspended for the time being due to health issues. We will still provide one on one peer support when it is requested.
Outlaws: 9th Annual Penn State Behrend Gender Conference On March 24 & 25
On Thursday, March 24 and Friday, March 25, Penn State Behrend will present their 8th Annual Gender Conference. A wide variety of sessions will be presented on various topics.
Erie Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31
International Transgender Day of Visibility is an annual holiday occurring on March 31 dedicated to celebrating transgender people and raising awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide. Please join us at the Mental Health Association of NW PA, 1101 Peach St, Erie PA (PLEASE NOTE! Location changed because of weather reports predicting thurnderstorms!) on March 31 at 6:30 PM for this year's theme of #MoreThanVisibility. Visibility is important and it is not enough. We must take action to ensure that all transgender people can live fair, dignified lives. Come with your poems, your stories of discrimination, and any other experiences you want to share with the group as we #ShineALightOn discrimination towards our community. Also, if you're comfortable, come visible with TRANSPRIDE signs, stickers, posters, whatever!
Erie LGBTQIA Groups Join Together for March for Babies
On Sunday May 1st, several Erie-based organizations that serve the LGBTQIA community are joining together to help another organization, March of Dimes. The team, which will consist of members from NWPA Pride Alliance, Greater Erie Alliance for Equality, LBT Women of Erie, Erie Brothers and Sisters, The Table, and TransFamily of Erie are excited to help March of Dimes, which helps improve the health of babies. Everyone is encouraged to wear either their organization’s shirts or rainbow colors.
Entertainment and Travel
Logo Announces 2016 Groundbreaking Documentary Slate Featuring LGBT Heroes
April 4, 2016 – Logo today announced a series of new documentary films that showcase topical social issues and illuminate untold stories of LGBT individuals overcoming incredible odds. The upcoming slate from Logo Documentary Films includes stories of a professional athlete who battles and overcomes mental illness, soldiers who fall in love before seeing their romance ripped apart by war, and a group of female inmates who give real-life context to "Orange is the New Black." Last month, Logo Documentary Films earned its first Emmy nomination for "Matt Shepard is A Friend of Mine," which premiered last year and is nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in the Outstanding Special Class Special category.
Buffalo United Artists proudly presents a reading of Hoarding Hope on March 29
Hoarding Hope is a story based on actual events that occurred in the early days of the fight against AIDS, through the eyes of a nurse and caregiver that worked on the front lines. Fae, a woman who bore witness to the most compassionate and also most atrocious events of this time, shares her story. Hoarding Hope is a part of a series of new plays by local playwrights, addressing LGBT issues. The series will continue on April 11th with Open and Shut by Donna Hoke. It will conclude on April 25th with Emile and Benny by James Marzo. The one night reading is being presented by Buffalo United Artists and stars Kerrykate Abel-Smith and Timothy Patrick Finegan and will be presented at the Alleyway Theatre's Main Street Cabaret at 672 Main St, Buffalo NYon Monday, March 29 at 7 PM. Admission is free. For any questions, call (716) 886-9239.
Absolute Disco Annual Fundraiser and Auction for Dreams of Hope on Apr 2
Pittsburgh, PA - Pittsburgh's only arts-focused LGBTQIA youth organization, Dreams of Hope, will host their annual fundraiser, Absolute Disco, on Saturday, April 2, 2016, 7:00 p.m. – VIP Pre-party at 6:00. Join us for an evening of food, libations, music, live performance, and dance – while we honor Bruce Kraus, President, Pittsburgh City Council, with the Dreams of Hope Champion Award. Be serenaded by Etta Cox and Friends, enjoy performances by the theatriQ Youth Ensemble, and join in both live and silent auctions – Michael Bartley serving as auctioneer.
Playwright Terrence McNally to Visit Buffalo
Terrence McNally, four-time Tony Award-winning playwright, will visit Buffalo on April 1 and 2, 2016 as a guest of Buffalo United Artists (BUA), the Dramatists Guild Fund, the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Historic Site, and Just Buffalo Literary Center. During his stay, the celebrated author will participate in two events to support theater in Western New York: a fundraising reading for BUA at the Theodore Roosevelt Site on Friday, April 1, 2016, at 6 p.m.; and a free master class supported by the Dramatists Guild Fund at Buffalo State College on Saturday, April 2, 2016 at 11 a.m.
Local Faces and Photos
Mercyhurst LGBTQIA Flaming Hearts Dance
On Sunday, March 13, 2016, the Mercyhurst LGBTQIA club had a fun Flaming Hearts Dance in the Student Union at Mercyhurst University, 501 E 38th St, Erie PA.
March G2H2 at Bourbon Barrel
On Friday, March 4, 2016, there was another enjoyable G2H2 at the Bourbon Barrel, 1213 State St, Erie PA. The group meets the first Friday of the month from 6 to 8. The location will be moving around to different locations each month starting in May.
Political, Activism and Legal
Equality Pennsylvania comments on Gov. Wolf Executive Orders
HARRISBURG - April 6, 2016 – Below is a statement from Ted Martin, Executive Director of Equality Pennsylvania on Governor Tom Wolf's two executive orders on non-discrimination:
Trans United Fund Launches First Political Advocacy Org Exclusively Focused on Issues of Transgender Communities
Washington, D.C.…….April, 4, 2016…..In a historic first, a diverse group of transgender and allied individuals today announces the launch of the Trans United Fund, the first ever political advocacy organization committed to building the political power of transgender communities and allies to advocate for full equality for transgender people.
Oral Arguments Heard in Partanen v. Gallagher, Case Addressing Legal Relationship of Children and Non-Biological Mother
April 5, 2016 - Oral arguments were heard today by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) in Partanen v. Gallagher, a case involving legal parentage for a non-birth mother who, with her former partner, mutually agreed to have children by means of assisted reproduction and then raised the children together. GLAD and co-counsel represent Karen Partanen, the non-birth mother. Julie Gallagher, Karen's former partner, has opposed Karen's efforts to be recognized as a legal parent of the children they brought into the world and raised together until they separated.
Civil and Human Rights Coalition Condemns Mississippi Discrimination Law
WASHINGTON - April 5, 2016 – Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement after Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant signed a bill that to allow discrimination against LGBT people on religious grounds. The Leadership Conference Education Fund recently issued a report called "Striking A Balance: Advancing Civil and Human Rights While Preserving Religious Liberty" that documents how religious arguments are used to deny civil and human rights to people of color, women, people with disabilities, immigrants, and LGBT people:
GLSEN Condemns Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant for Signing HB 1523
NEW YORK (April 5, 2016) - GLSEN's Director of Public Policy, Nathan Smith, condemned Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant for signing HB 1523, the first law in the nation that explicitly allows businesses and individuals to discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people based on religious beliefs.
NCTE and Legal Groups Inform NC School Districts of Obligations Under Federal Law
On Friday, the National Center for Transgender Equality, along with allied organizations, sent a letter to the head of every school district in North Carolina detailing school officials' obligations to transgender students and employees under federal laws that conflict with House Bill 2, which was signed into law on March 23. The letter makes clear that violating federal law could have serious legal and financial consequences for public schools and school districts. The American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina, the national American Civil Liberties Union, GLBTQ Advocates and Defenders, Lambda Legal, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and the Transgender Law Center also signed on to the letter.
LGBT Military Families Under Attack in North Carolina and Mississippi
WASHINGTON - April 5, 2016 -- Today, the American Military Partner Association, the nation's largest organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) military spouses and their families, expressed serious concern over the legislative assaults on LGBT people in North Carolina and Mississippi. The governors of both states have shamefully signed legislation into law attacking LGBT people and their families.
SPLC: Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant’s Signage of HB 1523 Unconscionable; Same Rationale Used to Justify Slavery, Jim Crow
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - April 5, 2016 – The following statement regarding the passage of Mississippi bill HB 1523, the "Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act,” into law by Gov. Phil Bryant is by Jody E. Owens, managing attorney in Mississippi at the Southern Poverty Law Center:
Equality PA Endorses Hillary Clinton for President
Harrisburg-With sharp divides between presidential candidates in the historic 2016 election, the stakes couldn’t be higher for LGBT people in Pennsylvania and across the country. Faced with the historic gains made toward equality under the Obama administration, it is crucial that the next president protect and advance the fight for equality across all areas of government. With proposals across the country to roll back hard-won protections, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Pennsylvanians need champions fighting for them at the state and federal level. Today, Equality PA is proud to announce its full-fledged support for Hillary Clinton for President of the United States.
ACLU of Mississippi Responds to Governor Signing Anti-LGBT Discrimination Into Law
Jackson, Miss.April 5, 2016 - -Governor Phil Bryant has signed HB 1523 into law after rapid movement on the bill by the state House of Representatives. The law, which is set to go into effect in July, sanctions discrimination by individuals, businesses, religiously-affiliated organizations - including hospitals, schools, shelters and others -against LGBT people, single mothers, and vulnerable young people in Mississippi. While no other state has passed a law like this, Mississippi also has the dubious distinction of being the first state to codify discrimination based on a religious belief or moral conviction that members of the LGBTQ community do not matter. Jennifer Riley-Collins, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi, had the following reaction:
Equality Pennsylvania calls out Anti-LGBT Extremists for Bringing Discrimination from NC to PA
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (April 4th, 2016) - Anti-LGBT attacks by the Pennsylvania Family Institute were leveled this weekend to spread disinformation about the Pennsylvania Fairness Act-a bill that would bring jobs to Pennsylvania and expand economic opportunity for all Pennsylvanians. Equality PA and fair-minded people across the state had this to say:
Sanders Campaign Rejects Attempts to Discriminate Against LGBTQ People
BURLINGTON, Vt. - March 29, 2016– Sarah Scanlon, director of LGBTQ outreach for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign, issued the following statement on Friday about state-based, legislative efforts to discriminate against LGBTQ people:
KY Senate Unanimously Approves One Marriage License Form
(Frankfort, KY - April 1, 2016) This afternoon the Kentucky Senate unanimously approved a single marriage license form, a move in stark contrast to a divisive vote on the same issue several weeks ago. The Senate had previously approved Senate Bill 5, a measure introduced by Senator Stephen West (R-Paris) that would have created separate marriage license forms for gay and straight couples in Kentucky. Senator Morgan McGarvey (D-Louisville) originally proposed an amendment to Senate Bill 5, which would have created a single form, but was rejected after heated debate 23-15.
SPLC: Mississippi’s HB 1523 is an Outrage; Gov. Phil Bryant Should Veto Toxic Bill
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The following statement regarding Mississippi bill HB 1523, the "Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act” in the Mississippi Legislature is by Jody E. Owens, managing attorney in Mississippi at the Southern Poverty Law Center:
Tennessee Clergy Speak Out Against HB1840
Nashville, TN - April 1, 2016 - This week, clergy from across the state added their voice to the growing outcry over Tennessee House Bill 1840, also known as Hate Bill 1840. Hate Bill 1840 would permit counselors to deny services and refer clients based on the provider's "strongly held religious beliefs." Not only is the proposed legislation discriminatory in nature, but it is also an unnecessary government intrusion that could result in costly unintended consequences for the state of Tennessee.
Equality PA, coalition partners #ShineALightOn Discrimination for the Transgender Day of Visibility
Harrisburg, PA. (March 31st, 2016) - In honor of the International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) on March 31st, community members came together across Pennsylvania to raise awareness about the discrimination transgender people face. The TDOV was started in 2009 as a way to acknowledge and celebrate transgender people by Rachel Crandall, a transgender advocate in Michigan. Since then, it has been observed in a number of states and countries worldwide.
Civil and Human Rights Coalition Urges Veto of Mississippi Religious Discrimination Bill
WASHINGTON – Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement in advance of Mississippi's anticipated passage of HB 1523, a bill that would allow discrimination against LGBT people on religious grounds. This week, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal and Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe vetoed similar religious refusal bills. The Leadership Conference Education Fund recently issued a report called "Striking A Balance: Advancing Civil and Human Rights While Preserving Religious Liberty" that documents how religious arguments are used to deny civil and human rights to people of color, women, people with disabilities, immigrants, and LGBT people:
With House Set to Act, Tennessee Voices Speak Out against Costly Unintended Consequences of Discriminatory Counseling Bi
Nashville, Tennessee - March 30, 2016 - Today, the American Counseling Association (ACA), Tennessee Equality Project, the Counselor Education Program, the Tennessee Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, and other outraged Tennesseans gathered on a press call to discuss the various unintended consequences of Tennessee House Bill 1840, which would permit Counselors to deny services and refer clients based on the provider's "strongly held religious beliefs." The proposed legislation is an unnecessary government intrusion into a counseling profession that already adheres to a strict code of ethics, as well as a "solution" in search of a problem.
Equality PA Endorses Shapiro for Attorney General, McGinty for Senate
Harrisburg - March 30, 2016 - With proposals across the country to roll back hard-won protections, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Pennsylvanians need champions fighting for them at the state and federal level. Today, Equality PA is proud to announce its support for two important champions for equality: Josh Shapiro for Pennsylvania Attorney General and Katie McGinty for United States Senate. Both candidates have a strong track record of fighting for LGBT Pennsylvanians in the past, and both of them will be much-needed advocates in the state and national Capitols in the future.
With Proposed Discriminatory Anti-LGBT Bills, Tennessee Risking its Reputation as Welcoming State for Business
In a number of states throughout the country during the past year, so-called "religious freedom" bills have targeted state LGBT residents. In the process, as the Washington Post described today, states such as Indiana, North Carolina, and Georgia have seen their contentious debates negatively affect their state's reputation and damaged or endangered their state businesses, tourism, and convention industries.
More than 80 Major CEOs and Business Leaders Demand NC Repeal Discriminatory & Radical New Anti-LGBT Law
WASHINGTON, March 29, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, and Equality NC, the state organization working to secure equal rights and justice for LGBT North Carolinians, released a letter from more than 80 leading CEOs and business leaders calling on Governor Pat McCrory and the North Carolina General Assembly to repeal the radical provisions in the deeply discriminatory House Bill 2 that was rammed through the legislature last week.
Civil and Human Rights Coalition Applauds Governor Deal's Veto of Discrimination Bill
WASHINGTON - March 29, 2016 – Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement applauding Governor Deal's vetoing of HB 757, legislation that would allow organizations to discriminate under the pretense of religious beliefs. Earlier this year The Leadership Conference Education Fund held an event highlighting this bill in Atlanta and releasing a report called "Striking A Balance: Advancing Civil and Human Rights While Preserving Religious Liberty" which documented the historical context of how religious arguments have been used to fight equality and civil rights for women, people of color, and many more communities:
GLSEN Atlanta Applauds Governor Nathan Deal for Vetoing HB 757
NEW YORK (March 29, 2016) - GLSEN Atlanta applauds Gov. Nathan Deal for vetoing HB 757, which was passed by the Georgia General Assembly earlier this month and would have allowed businesses and individuals to withhold their services from gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Georgians on so-called religious liberty grounds. GLSEN Atlanta Chair, Patrick Faerber, said:
Equality Advocates Respond to Attorney General's Announcement on HB 2
RALEIGH - March 29, 2016 – North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper said today that his office "will not defend the constitutionality of the discrimination in House Bill 2, " the sweeping anti-LGBT law the North Carolina General Assembly passed and Governor Pat McCrory signed last week.
Advocacy Groups File Federal Lawsuit Challenging NC's Sweeping Anti-LGBT Law
RALEIGH - March 28, 2016 - Today, the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of North Carolina, Lambda Legal, and Equality North Carolina filed a lawsuit challenging North Carolina's sweeping anti-LGBT law, HB 2. The case, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina against North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory, Attorney General Roy Cooper, and the University of North Carolina, is on behalf of two transgender North Carolinians, Joaquín Carcaño, a UNC-Chapel Hill employee, and Payton McGarry, a UNC-Greensboro student, and Angela Gilmore, a lesbian and North Carolina Central University law professor.
Winston-Salem (NC) City Council Votes to Examine HB2
WINSTON-SALEM, NC - March 28, 2016 - At the request of local organizers, the Winston-Salem City Council voted tonight to entertain a resolution at an upcoming council meeting to examine the legal and moral authority of HB2 -- the bill passed by the North Carolina General Assembly last week that has come under fire from across the state and across the country -- and to consider urging the General Assembly to repeal the bill during the next legislative session.
New Federal Guidance: Prisons and Jails Cannot House Transgender Prisoners by Anatomy
The National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) and Just Detention International (JDI) applaud new federal guidance on housing transgender prisoners under the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). The new guidance, posted online today by the National PREA Resource Center, sends the clearest message yet that current housing practices in prisons and jails are in violation of PREA and put transgender people at risk for sexual abuse.
Pride at Work Condemns Anti-LGBTQ Legislation
WASHINGTON, DC - March 24, 2016 - Less than three months into the new year, nearly 200 anti-LGBTQ bills have been filed in statehouses around the country. In the past week, two of those bills - in North Carolina and Kansas - have passed into law and another - in Georgia - is pending the governor's signature.
New law makes North Carolina first state to pass anti-transgender legislation
March 24, 2016 - Yesterday, in a rushed special session that cost taxpayers over $40,000, North Carolina legislators hurriedly enacted a sweeping new law targeting LGBT people on an unprecedented scale. Within less than 24 hours of introducing the bill yesterday morning and giving many legislators who had not seen the bill just five minutes to review, legislators passed the anti-LGBT and anti-worker bill through the House and Senate, and Governor Pat McCrory signed it into law. The law forces transgender students to use restrooms and other facilities inconsistent with the gender they live as every day, putting student lives and billions of dollars in federal funding under Title IX at risk. The law also eliminates existing and prohibits future local non-discrimination protections for LGBT people and any local regulation relating to compensation, such as increasing the minimum wage or providing sick leave.
Groundbreaking Research Provides Insight into Lives of Transgender People Living with HIV/AIDS
Atlanta, GA - March 24, 2016 – Today, Transgender Law Center released the first report of findings from the Positively Trans survey, a first-of-its-kind community-led project focused on the lives and experiences of transgender people in the U.S. living with HIV/AIDS.
North Carolina's Shocking Anti-Trans Bill Means We're Fighting Harder
"Yesterday, North Carolina's government spent just half a day jamming through a dangerous anti-trans bill. They overturned the LGBT protections that Charlotte's city council just passed a month ago.
GLSEN Responds to North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory's Signing of Harmful HB 2
NEW YORK (March 24, 2016) – GLSEN Executive Director Dr. Eliza Byard expressed outrage over North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory's signing of HB 2 last night, which was passed by the North Carolina General Assembly in a special session yesterday. The sweepingly discriminatory law overrides local nondiscrimination ordinances statewide, including one recently passed in Charlotte, and prevents local labor laws from setting minimum wages, employee benefits and certain work conditions, making it the most extreme legislation of its kind in the country.
NC Gov. Signed into Law the Worst Anti-LGBTQ Legislation in the Country
Equality Federation denounces North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory for signing into law the most extreme, anti-LGBTQ legislation in the country. House Bill 2 repeals Charlotte's nondiscrimination ordinance, prevents other towns from passing their own nondiscrimination ordinances, prevents transgender people from being able to use the restroom that matches the gender they live every day, and even prevents cities from adopting living wage ordinances.
ACLU-NC Denounces Passage of Most Extreme Anti-LGBT Bill in the Nation
RALEIGH - March 23, 2016 – The North Carolina General Assembly today convened a $42,000 special session to introduce and pass House Bill 2, an unprecedented bill that overrides a recently passed LGBT nondiscrimination ordinance in Charlotte, prevents local governments from enacting a range of nondiscrimination and employment policies, and jeopardizes billions of dollars in federal funds that North Carolina schools receive through Title IX.
North Carolina Legislature Targets Trans Students and Hijacks Local Control with Extreme, Hasty Anti-LGBT Bill
Washington, D.C. - March 23, 2016 – Today, the North Carolina General Assembly went into a special legislative session for just one day to hurriedly pass a bill that attacks trans people and overrides local control in multiple public policy areas. Legislators originally proposed today's session to reverse the addition of LGBT protections to Charlotte's municipal nondiscrimination ordinance. However, the bill that they ended up passing does far more than that.
LGBTQ Statewide Steering Committee Meeting in Harrisburg
On Saturday, March 19, people representing organizations from across Pennsylvania to discuss ways that local and regional groups can work together, both within their own areas, and across the state. The meeting took place at Alder Health Services, 100 North Cameron Street, Harrisburg PA.
GLAD Applauds New Hampshire House Passage of Ban on Conversion Therapy
March 23, 2016 - GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) today applauded the New Hampshire House of Representatives for passing a bill banning conversion therapy, specifically prohibiting persons licensed to provide professional counseling from engaging in the discredited and harmful practice of seeking to change a minor's sexual orientation or gender identity.
LGBTQ Organizations Call on Big Business in NC to Oppose Legislature's Attempt to Repeal Charlotte LGBTQ Nondiscrim
Charlotte, NC - A coalition of LGBTQ organizations led by Equality North Carolina, Campus Pride, and One Million Kids For Equality is calling on Bank of America, BB&T (Branch Bank & Trust), Burt's Bees, and it's parent company Clorox to oppose the North Carolina legislature's attempt to repeal Charlotte's recently passed city ordinance that aims to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people from discrimination.
World's Largest Psychiatric Association Condemns Conversion Therapy
(San Francisco, CA, March 23, 2016)—Today, the world's largest organization of mental health professionals-representing more than 200,000 people in 118 countries-called for an end to the discredited practice of "conversion therapy," which is linked to serious harms, including depression, substance abuse, and suicide.
Equality PA Endorses State Legislative Candidates
Harrisburg - Equality PA is proud to announce the endorsement of 15 outstanding candidates for the Pennsylvania State Assembly. Each endorsed candidate has a strong record of supporting the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community and will fight for equal rights for gay and transgender people from seats in the state legislature.
GLSEN Middle Tennessee Applauds House Education Administration and Planning Committee for Halting HB 2414
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 22, 2015) – GLSEN Middle Tennessee thanked members of Tennessee's House Education Administration and Planning Committee who voted unanimously to send HB 2414 to summer study, effectively ending the chances of the bill passing and becoming law this session. The bill would have required transgender students in both K-12 schools and colleges and universities to use the restroom and locker rooms that correspond with their sex assigned at birth instead of their gender identity and would have restricted the ability of schools to work with students to devise solutions that best serve them. GLSEN Middle Tennessee's Co-Chair, Justin Sweatman-Weaver, said:
North Carolina Legislature to Enter Costly, Unnecessary Special Session for Anti-LGBT Bill
Washington, D.C. - March 22, 2016 - North Carolina's General Assembly will go into special session tomorrow to override the LGBT protections that were added to Charlotte's nondiscrimination ordinance last month. The ordinance is set to take effect on April 1.
ORAM Statement on European Union - Turkey Asylum Deal
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - March 22, 2016 -- Over the weekend, the European Union (EU) and Turkey reached a deal, in which Turkey has agreed to accept all asylum seekers landing in Greece in exchange for monetary compensation. In exchange, it will be easier for Turkish citizens to receive a European visa, and the EU will more highly consider Turkey's entrance into the EU. However, many oppose the move since Turkey has not fully agreed to the Geneva Convention, which protects refugees and asylum seekers and gives them basic rights based on a set of criteria.
Experts and Advocates Condemn Discrimination Disguised as Religious Freedom
WASHINGTON - March 21, 2016 – Earlier today, experts, civil rights leaders and a member of Congress hosted a press call to condemn the "religious freedom" arguments used to justify discrimination in state-based legislation and in the upcoming Supreme Court arguments in Zubik v. Burwell.
Voters Guide
Candidates for US Senate, US Congress PA-3 and PA-5, PA State Senate and PA State House were asked about their positions on GLBT issues. Their responses appear below. All candidates in a race are asked the same questions. Responses are entered as received, without any changes, including correction for typographical errors. Pertinent information that does not come directly from the candidate will use reliable and verifiable sources.
PA Dept of Education sets up Bullying Helpline
HARRISBURG Feb 29, 2016—Secretary of Education Pedro A. Rivera today announced a partnership with the Highmark Foundation and the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention to operate the Department of Education's Bullying Prevention Consultation helpline.
New Federal Report Shows Increasing Support of Same-Sex Adoptions
(San Francisco, CA, March 17, 2016)—A new report released today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services shows increasing national support for adoptions by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender parents.
Rep. Brian Sims hails bipartisan support for redistricting reform
HARRISBURG, March 16 – State Rep. Brian Sims, D-Phila., a strong advocate for redistricting reform, hailed today's bipartisan show of support at the Capitol for changing how state legislative and congressional district lines are drawn in Pennsylvania.
Campus Pride, Soulforce Respond to NCAA Refusal to Divest from Discriminating Member Schools
March 17, 2016, Charlotte, NC……In a March 9, 2016 letter to the NCAA President, Executive Team and Board of Governors, Campus Pride and Soulforce formally asked the organization to divest from all religious campuses that have requested discriminatory Title IX waivers toward LGBTQ youth. Yesterday, a response was sent from the NCAA highlighting the following:
Petition on Banning Conversion Therapy to Governor Wolf's Offices
On March 24, representatives from the Pennsylvania Equality Project (PEP) will deliver copies of signed petitions that call on the Pennsylvania Legislature to ban the practice of conversion or "ex-gay " therapy. David Moore, President and Founder of PEP, will be delivering over 7,000 signatures to the Governor's representatives to ban what he refers to as a "barbaric practice. " The petition is in support of Pennsylvania House Bill 935 and Senate Bill 45 which were introduced in 2015. In its May 2000 report, the American Psychiatric Association opposed the practice saying it is, "based upon the assumption that homosexuality per se is a mental disorder or based upon the a priori assumption that a patient should change his/her sexual homosexual orientation. "
Sims votes for Pa. medical marijuana bill
HARRISBURG, March 16 – State Rep. Brian Sims, D-Phila., today voted for the medical marijuana bill (S.B. 3) that passed the House.
NCLR Response to U.S. Supreme Court Nomination
March 16, 2017 - Statement of NCLR Executive Director Kate Kendell in response to President Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland to the United States Supreme Court.
'License to Discriminate' Passes KY Senate 22-16
(Frankfort, KY - March 15, 2016) Though both Senate Democrats and Republicans spoke against Kentucky's "License to Discriminate," Senate Bill 180, the measure passed the full chamber with a 22-16 vote. Five Senate Republicans joined all 11 Senate Democrats in opposing the bill, which seeks to subvert LGBT discrimination protections in eight Kentucky cities. Republican Senators voting in opposition include Senator Carroll Gibson, Senator Alice Forgy Kerr, Senator Christian McDaniel, Senator Julie Raque Adams, and Senator Wil Schroder.
NCTE Applauds Appointment of White House LGBT Liaison Raffi Freedman-Gurspan
Washington, D.C. - March 15, 2016 – The National Center for Transgender Equality congratulates our former colleague Raffi Freedman-Gurspan on her appointment to the position of Outreach & Recruitment Director for Presidential Personnel and Associate Director for Public Engagement at the White House. In this role, Freedman-Gurspan will serve as the primary point of contact for LGBT organizations interacting with the White House. NCTE commends President Barack Obama for appointing Freedman-Gurspan to be the first out transgender White House LGBT Liaison.
Victory Institute Statement on Eric Fanning
March 10, 2016 - Statement from Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and Institute on the Senate Armed Services Committee Vote To Advance the Nomination of Eric Fanning as Army Secretary:
Senate Armed Services Committee forwards Eric Fanning nomination to full Senate
(Washington, DC - March 10, 2016) – This morning the United States Senate Armed Services Committee backed the nomination of Eric Fanning to be Secretary of the Army on Thursday and forwarded the recommendation to the full Senate for a final vote.
Senate Panel Confirms Eric Fanning As Secretary of the Army
Washington, DC - March 10, 2016 – Today, the American Military Partner Association (AMPA), the nation's largest organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) military families, praised the news that the Senate Armed Services Committee has confirmed the first openly gay secretary of one of the U.S. military services -- Eric Fanning. President Obama's historic nomination of Fanning to serve as Secretary of the Army now heads to the full Senate for a final vote.
Campus Pride hosts #LGBTQCollege411 National Online College Fair on Thurs, March 17 highlighting LGBTQ-friendly colleges
Charlotte, NC, March 10, 2016 - Campus Pride hosts national online college fair on Thurs, March 17 from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. EST featuring live chats with 50+ college reps, G+ hangout and Twitter Q&A at #LGBTQCollege411. The fair is free to youth and families highlighting LGBTQ-friendly colleges, scholarships and college prep resources. Fair attendees may win up to $5000 in prizes. Register online at CampusPride.org/CollegeFair
Equality California Joins Amicus Brief Urging Supreme Court to Restore Immigration Programs
WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 9, 2016 - Equality California has joined a diverse coalition of 326 immigration, civil rights, labor, and social service groups that filed an amicus (friend-of-the-court) brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in United States v. Texas. The brief urges the court to lift an injunction that blocks executive actions on immigration that President Obama announced in November 2014.
After 39-Hour Filibuster Missouri's Anti-LGBTQ Bill Moves to House
Equality Federation extends our deepest gratitude to the eight courageous Senators in Missouri who filibustered for a historic 39 hours to prevent a discriminatory religious exemption bill from moving forward in the legislature. SJ39 is a dangerous bill that would ask the voters of Missouri to amend their constitution to allow religious organizations and individuals to use their faith to legally justify refusing services and benefits to LGBTQ people. Unfortunately, the Senate forced a vote, and the bill passed in a 23-9 vote. It now heads to the House.
ACLU Statement Regarding Pro-Discrimination Legislation Forced Out of the Missouri Senate After Record-Breaking Filibust
March 9, 2016 - Jeffrey Mittman, Executive Director of ACLU of Missouri, issued the following statement regarding pro-discrimination legislation being forced out of the Missouri Senate:
Campus Pride, Soulforce #GivebackIX Campaign
Charlotte, NC, March 9, 2016 - Led by Campus Pride and Soulforce, a coalition of over 80 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ), sports, religious and youth advocacy groups signed on to a letter issued publicly today calling on NCAA to divest from all religious-based institutions who have made Title IX requests to discriminate against LGBTQ youth. The NCAA has long held as core values a commitment to diversity and inclusion of all people regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Australian Government dumps gay refugee couple on Nauru - where being gay can be punished with 14 years of hard labour
MELBOURNE - March 8th - Two gay men fleeing persecution in Iran have been sent to detention in Nauru, where they have been violently attacked for being together. Both were seeking asylum in Australia, but the Australian Government's punitive refugee policies have left them languishing on a tiny island where being gay is a crime. Afraid to leave their house for fear of further attacks, the couple have become virtual prisoners. Now 17 thousand people from around the world are calling on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to grant them asylum in Australia and halt the country's cruel detention system.
HUD Publishes Resources for LGBT Individuals and Families and Service Providers
HUD has published a package of technical assistance materials on the LGBT Homelessness page. Creating inclusive and welcoming communities is a fundamental part of HUD's mission as America's housing agency. The materials aid providers in implementing the best practices highlighted in Notice CPD-15-02: Appropriate Placement for Transgender Persons in Single-Sex Emergency Shelters and Other Facilities and requirements in the Equal Access Rule, including staff training and changes to program design.
U.S. Supreme Court Reverses Alabama's Refusal to Recognize a Same-Sex Parent Adoption from Georgia
(Washington, DC, March 7, 2016)-Today, the United States Supreme Court reversed an Alabama Supreme Court decision refusing to recognize a lesbian mother's prior adoption of her three children in Georgia. Today's summary reversal restores V.L. full rights as an adoptive parent.
Health
ACA Calls on Speaker Harwell and TN State Senators to Do the Right Thing and Reject Hate Bill 1840
April 6, 2016 - Today, the Tennessee General Assembly voted to pass House Bill 1840, also known as Hate Bill 1840, which will permit counselors to deny services and refer clients based on the provider's "strongly held religious beliefs." The bill now returns to the Tennessee Senate for a vote. The American Counseling Association calls on Speaker Harwell and the Tennessee state Senators to do the right thing and reject Hate Bill 1840.
Ahead of House Vote, State Legislators Joined ACA and TN Equality Project to Denounce Discriminatory HB1840
Nashville, TN—As the House prepares to vote tomorrow on HB1840, state legislators joined the American Counseling Association and the Tennessee Equality Project at a press conference today to discuss the negative effects of House Bill 1840. HB 1840, also known as Hate Bill 1840, would permit counselors to deny services and refer clients based on the provider's "strongly held religious beliefs." Not only is the proposed legislation discriminatory in nature, but it is also an unnecessary government intrusion that could result in costly unintended consequences for the state of Tennessee– for the hundreds of thousands of state residents whose reliance on accessible and professional counseling services could be harmed; for the state's eligibility for federal healthcare funding that could be jeopardized by the discriminatory nature of this legislation; and for the bottom line of Tennessee small businesses and the state's tourism and convention industries, which could be negatively affected if Tennessee becomes "the next" state to enter into the contentious national debate surrounding LGBTQ rights and religious freedom legislation
Austin, Indiana One Year Later: AHF Collaboration, Quick Response to HIV Outbreak Continues to Save Live
AUSTIN, INDIANA (March 31, 2016) When news of an unprecedented HIV outbreak in Austin made national headlines last spring, former Mayor Douglas Campbell reached out to AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) for help in identifying and treating newly infected patients in the rural town of 4,200 residents, most of whom contracted the virus after sharing contaminated needles during intravenous drug use. AHF responded by immediately sending a mobile testing unit (MTU) to Austin to provide free HIV testing, opening the doors of an HIV/AIDS clinic at Foundations Family Medicine on March 31st and subsequently announced on May 7th a partnership with Mayor Campbell, Dr. William Cooke, State Representative Terry Goodin and other state and local officials to address the health crisis. Since April 2015, AHF has tested 600 people in the city of Austin for HIV through its MTU and connected over 100 residents who tested positive for HIV and/or Hepatitis C to medical care and treatment services, of which 64 are virally suppressed, well above the national average of 30%.
ACA Targets Speaker Harwell & Other State Legislators in Statewide Paid Media Campaign Against HB 1840
March 30, 2016 – In anticipation of legislative action this week on HB 1840, today the American Counseling Association (ACA) launched a statewide paid media campaign targeting Speaker Harwell and other State Legislators across Tennessee including:
AHF Questions Wisdom, Ethics of App to Deliver Prescriptions for PrEP without any Direct Contact with a Medical Provider
LOS ANGELES (March 29, 2016) Advocates from AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) expressed concern today over news of a Bay Area start up company that has developed an app that allows individuals to order medical prescriptions online for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV infection without any direct contact with a medical provider or physician.
AHF: Measure B Condom Requirement is now '…Settled Law,' after L.A. County, Porn Industry Reach Legal Settlement
LOS ANGELES (March 29, 2016) AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the proponent and principal funder of Measure B, the "County of Los Angeles Safer Sex in the Adult Film Industry Act," that requires actors in pornographic films to wear condoms, issued the following statement from AHF President Michael Weinstein regarding settlement of a lawsuit earlier today against L.A. County by several porn industry producers who sought to block implementation of the law.
AHF Honors Patty Duke as 'Heroic Advocate' Who Spoke Out Against Prop. 64, Lyndon LaRouche & CA AIDS Quarantine Ballot M
LOS ANGELES (March 29, 2016) AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) the largest global AIDS organization, today mourns the passing of Academy Award-winning actress Patty Duke, remembering her as an early and forceful advocate against discrimination toward people living with HIV/AIDS. Duke was among the first public figures to speak out-and show up-to protests against California's Prop 64, a divisive 1986 ballot measure instigated by political activist and gadfly Lyndon LaRouche that could have required California to quarantine people with AIDS. California voters soundly defeated the ballot measure by a margin of 71% to 29% in November 1986.
AHF: Gilead Says it 'Had No Duty to Develop …' Less Harmful AIDS Drug in Legal Motion on Patent Lawsuit
LOS ANGELES (March 25, 2016) In a motion to dismiss the federal lawsuit filed by AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) against Gilead Sciences Inc. seeking to invalidate patents on key AIDS drugs held by the Bay Area drug maker, lawyers for Gilead wrote that the company, "… had no duty to develop …" a less harmful HIV/AIDS drug.
AHF: Cal/OSHA to Consider New Petition to Amend Adult Film Worker Safety Regulations in California
OAKLAND (March 17, 2016) California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) Standards Board has pledged to revisit the issue of safety for workers in the adult film industry within the next six months. In February, the Standards Board narrowly rejected a proposed amendment to its Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (Title 8, Section 5193.1) to "clarify required protections for workers in the adult film industry." The updated regulations were intended to protect adult film workers against HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases by clarifying and strengthening Cal/OSHA's requirement that adult performers use condoms on set and producers pay for vaccines and medical visits. The Standards Board voted 3-2 in favor of the proposed amendment, but needed four "yes" votes from the seven-member board for the updated regulations to pass.
Will the Global HIV Response Fail Gay Men and Other Men who Have Sex with Men?
(March 17th, 2016--Oakland CA)--One of the key global HIV advocacy opportunities of this year, if not of many years to come, will occur at the United Nations High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS (HLM), to be held at the United Nations in New York City from June 8-10, 2016. At the HLM, diplomatic missions representing governments from across the world will meet and issue a “political declaration” on the HIV global response. This political declaration will, in turn, have significant influence for years to come in the setting of global HIV policy priorities, including those of national governments and major international donors.
Discrimination Linked to Increased Stress, Poorer Health, American Psychological Association Survey Finds
WASHINGTON, March 10, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Nearly half of U.S. adults report they have experienced a major form of unfair treatment or discrimination, including being unfairly questioned or threatened by police, being fired or passed over for promotion or treated unfairly when receiving health care. These acts of discrimination are associated with higher reported stress levels and poorer reported health, according to the survey Stress in America™: The Impact of Discrimination released today by the American Psychological Association (APA).
AHF Lauds Cal/OSHA for Citing & Fining Porn's James Deen $78K for Condom & Safety Violations
LOS ANGELES (March 9, 2016) AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) today praised Cal/OSHA for citing and fining adult film's James Deen Productions' Third Rock Enterprises Inc. nearly $78,000 for, "…for multiple violations of state condom and other safety laws which exposed performers to sexually transmitted infections and illnesses." Cal/OSHA opened an investigation of Deen and his production company on December 8, 2015 after several rape accusations were lodged against the performer—including several by other performers he had worked with—and after workplace safety complaints were filed with OSHA by AHF over Deen's lack of condom use in his productions. The OSHA citations and fines came about as a direct result of AHF's safety complaint.
CDC Statement: Viral hepatitis driving liver cancer increase in the U.S.
March 9, 2016- The nation's annual report on cancer, released today, shows that while we are making substantial progress against cancer overall, a rapidly increasing number of Americans are developing and dying from liver cancer, despite the fact that viral hepatitis – a primary cause of liver cancer – is preventable and treatable.
Letters, Columnists and Opinion
Moving forward, looking back
Jason and I went to a heterosexual wedding last weekend. (I wonder if heterosexuals say, "I went to a gay wedding last weekend"?) Anyway, it was the first one we've been to since our own wedding. We were honored to be asked to be a part of the ceremony itself; we got the opportunity to watch the faces of our friends, Jesse and Mark, as they went through a monumental change in their lives.
The Amazon Trail: Cheeseburger Pie
The threat of atomic war overshadowed my generation. On May 8, 1945, Winston Churchill announced VE Day, the end of World War II in Europe. On September 2, 1945, after horrendous destruction, Japan formally surrendered, ending the war throughout the rest of the world. I was born September 9, 1945 into a world free of war and ready for freedom and prosperity.
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