November, 2017 News (93 Articles with 305,360 total views)
On the cover of the print edition for November, 2017 LGBT Walking Unit at EUP Homecoming Parade - Members of Identity, Edinboro University's LGBTQIA+ student group prepare for take-off in Edinboro University's annual Homecoming Parade on October 14. The theme was Superheroes. They were joined by NW PA Pride Alliance board members. Photo by Michael Mahler
This began publication in December 2002 after a hiatus
Category for this issueCalendar & Upcoming Events
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Local and Regional News
Erie Gay News distributor updates
We are updating our list of distributors. If you are currently a distributor, we ask that you email us at info@eriegaynews.com or call us at (814) 456-9833 to let us know that we are getting you the correct number of copies before Friday, November 10 If you are not currently a distributor, but would like to be, please email or call us by November 10. . The distributors of our monthly print edition are listed at www.eriegaynews.com/printedition/placestoget.php. We are happy to list those who carry EGN!
Meadville Halloween Parade Unit
Crawford Area LGBT+ will be participating in Meadville's Halloween parade on Oct. 28th as a "walking" float. The parade's theme this year is Safari. The group is partnering with Allegheny College's GSA group. Anyone interested in participating with us and walking the parade would be much appreciated – strength in numbers as we take this bold step in the rural community that proved so "controversial" when the non-discrimination ordinance was proposed. The parade starts at 6:30 pm and all floats must be lined up in the 'line-up' area before then. I will have our line-up 'float' number and more specific times once they provide that Info: Randy Herbert-Weed, at crawfordarealgbt@gmail.com FB at Crawford Area LGBT+
Zone Breast Cancer Awareness Weekend raises $3,892
The 12th Annual Breast Cancer Weekend was held October 13-15 at the Zone Dance Club, 133 W 18th St, Erie PA The event was organized by Michelle Michaels. The beneficiary was again the StringsforaCURE charity. The event directly raised total over weekend $2,112.00, grant money $1,500 and check donations of $280.00 for a grand total of $3,802.00. There was a record number of 32 baskets donated for a Chinese auction. Basket donors included Chris Temple, Grace Watson, Sandy Hodas, Brenda Dugan, Elaine Crandall, Denise Kubiak, Brenda Crolli, Denise Kubiak, Dale Allgeier, Robert Eckendorf, Anelle Dugan, Jessica DeVita, Nancy Krumpe, Erie Gay News, Matthew Blake Steger, Glenn David Meyer, Sean Weary, NW PA Pride Alliance, Smiths family, Rose Palombi, and Schafer family. Financial donors included Pat & Tom Matson, Little Dance Studio, and Chris and Stacy G. (Also thanks for James Sayers for getting the grant from Sam's Club.) Thanks also to Zone owners Bob & Lou.
LGBT Walking Unit in Edinboro Homecoming Parade
On Saturday, October 14, 2017, board members of NW PA Pride Alliance marched with members of Identity, Edinboro University's LGBTQIA+ student group in Edinboro University's annual Homecoming Parade. The theme was Superheroes.
LGBT Network Applauds First Openly Gay Judge Sworn into New York's Highest Court
(ALBANY, NY) Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2017 - The New York LGBT Network praised and applauded Justice Paul G. Feinman, the first openly gay judge to be sworn into the New York Court of Appeals - the state's highest court.
General McLane High School and Great Lakes partner for iPad Storage Solutions
EDINBORO, PA (October 12, 2017) – When General McLane School District began planning for its elementary iPad rollout, technology supervisor Jeremy Dylewski searched for the best storage solution on a budget.
Navy Participates in STEM Event at Rio Grande Valley Campus
EDINBURG, Texas, Oct. 6, 2017 - Sailors and support personnel of Navy Recruiting District San Antonio, Navy City Outreach Southwest Region and the Navy's diversity office participated Oct. 3 and 4 in Student Leadership Day and Latina Day during this week's observance of Hispanic Engineering, Science and Technology Week on the campus of the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley.
NY LGBT Network Blasts Trump For Killing Proposed Rule That Provided Protection To LGBT Seniors
(Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017 – Woodbury, NY) - The New York LGBT Network today blasted the U.S. Health and Human Services that is eliminating a proposed rule to assure same sex spouces equal treatment in long term care faccilities that recieve Medicare and Medicaid fund.
General McLane Alumn makes name in extreme running scene
Edinboro, PA ( October 5, 2017) - When Morgan Elliott graduated from General McLane High School in 2010, he left as an all-region and all-district performer in cross-country.
Deadline for November 2017 print edition (issue # 264) of Erie Gay News is Sunday, October 15
For the next print edition of Erie Gay News (issue # 264, cover dated for November 2017), please send in calendar events, news items, and other info for late October 2017 and beyond by Sunday, October 15. We expect that the next print edition will come out on Tuesday, October 24.
Entertainment and Travel
Returning Queens Reignite Their Engines For Season Three of "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars"
NEW YORK, NY – October 20, 2017 – Following an Emmy® Award-winning ninth season of "RuPaul's Drag Race," Mama Ru is back with season three of "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars," featuring some of the most sickening queens to ever take the "Drag Race" runway. RuPaul revealed the nine returning queens during an hour-long televised pre-season episode, which also included a special interview with the iconic, Chaka Khan. Michelle Visage, Carson Kressley and Ross Mathews will return to the judging panel alongside RuPaul for a season tucked to the edges with more tea, more shade, and more twist-filled challenges than ever before. The highly anticipated new season will kick off this winter on VH1.
RuPaul Reveals Season Three 'All Stars' Queens in Special Pre-Season Episode - Friday, 10/20
NEW YORK, NY – October 13, 2017 – Following his second consecutive Emmy® Award win for Outstanding Host for a Reality-Competition Program, RuPaul is jump-starting the third season of "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars" with an hour-long televised eleganza extravaganza on Friday, October 20th at 8:00 PM ET/PT on VH1. The drag-tastic special will reveal the queens who are set to make the ultimate clapback, and comeback, in this fierce season of "All Stars." Additionally, the iconic Chaka Kahn will join RuPaul for an exclusive interview as he reveals the new cast.
Buffalo United Artists proudly presents "STRAIGHT" as part of its 25th anniversary season
Straight is a provocative new play that deals with fidelity, sexuality, and identity in "post-Equality" America. Funny, sad, sexy, and surprising, this three-character play takes a hard look at the moral complex of a generation that prides itself on the pretense of acceptance. Straight is written by Scott Elmegreen and Drew Fornarola (*). The play is directed by Javier Bustillos and stars Michael Seitz, Adam Hayes, Cassie Gorniewicz. It runs at Buffalo United Starts at Alleyway Theatre - Main Stage, One Curtain Up Alley, Buffalo NY from October 13 to November 4 on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM. Tickets are $25.00 general admission, $23.00 for seniors, $20.00 for members, $15.00 for students. For more info, call the box office at (716) 886-9239 or visit Buffalo United Arts online at www.buffalobua.org.
Political, Activism and Legal
Transgender Law Center files amicus brief to the Supreme Court in Masterpiece case
(Oakland, CA - October 31, 2017) – Yesterday, Transgender Law Center joined organizations across the country in filing a friend-of-the-court brief urging the Supreme Court to reject discrimination as it considers Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. The brief, submitted by Transgender Law Center and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP on behalf of Transgender Law Center, Southerners on New Ground (SONG), GSA Network, and TransLatina Network, details the harm that a ruling sanctioning discrimination would cause transgender and gender non-conforming people of color and highlights the resilience of the transgender and gender non-conforming community. The brief also outlines why the U.S. Supreme Court should follow well established legal precedent that has consistently not allowed the creation of exceptions to an otherwise valid and necessary civil rights protection based on freedom of speech or religious objections.
Nine Civil Rights Organizations File Amicus Brief In SCOTUS Case Regarding Discrimination In Public Accommodations
WASHINGTON, D.C. - October 30, 2017 – A broad coalition of civil rights organizations led by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law filed an amicus curiae or "friend of the court" brief Monday for the upcoming U.S. Supreme Court case, Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, in which the justices will decide whether discrimination by businesses is lawful in our country.
Russia and Egypt Attack Sexual Orientation Protections in Olympic Truce at the UN
October 30, 2017 - Over the next two weeks, a decision will be made at the United Nations (UN) on whether governments globally will accept discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation at the 2018 Olympics in South Korea. While the UN General Assembly cannot remove the ban on discrimination from Principle 6 of the Olympic Charter itself, Egypt and Russia are leading a stealth attack on the Olympics at the UN General Assembly that is laden with meaning and must be stopped.
ACLU Comment on Court Order Halting Trump's Transgender Military Ban
WASHINGTON - October 30, 2017- A federal court in Washington today blocked the Trump administration from implementing the president's directive banning transgender service members from continuing to serve in the military.
Federal District Court Blocks Trump's Transgender Military Ban
WASHINGTON, DC - October 30, 2017 - Today, the American Military Partner Association (AMPA), the nation's largest organization of LGBT military spouses and their families, responded to a federal district court's decision in the case of Doe v. Trump blocking part of President Trump's transgender military ban. The judge states, "The effect of the Court's Order is to revert to the status quo with regard to accession and retention that existed before the issuance of the Presidential Memorandum-that is, the retention and accession policies established in the June 30, 2016 Directive-type Memorandum as modified by Secretary of Defense James Mattis on June 30, 2017." The full court order can be found here.
Business, Civil Rights, and Legal Voices File Briefs in Supreme Court, Defending Rights of Same-Sex Couple
WASHINGTON - October 30, 2017 - Individuals and institutions from across the country representing a diverse cross-section of interests, perspectives, and concerns filed friend-of-court briefs today with the Supreme Court in support of Charlie Craig and David Mullins, a same-sex couple refused service by a Colorado bakery that claimed that selling them a wedding cake would violate the owner's religious beliefs and artistic freedom.
Report Release: Defending the United Nations Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
The IE SOGI mandate was created through UN Human Rights Council resolution A/HRC/RES/32/2 in June of last year and was confirmed through six separate votes over the UNGA session in 2016. Despite this comprehensive process of approval, some UN Member States insist on opposing any decision that links sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics to international human rights protection. Just last week, a delegate from Egypt addressed a committee of the UNGA claiming to speak on behalf of Belarus, Russia, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) States, minus Albania, and stated: "Our position on the matter is clear, that we do not recognize the mandate of the independent expert and therefore are not in a position to engage, interact or cooperate with the mandate holder. While reiterating our firm commitment to combat different forms of violence and discrimination, we believe that the resolution establishing the mandate adopted by a margin vote is highly divisive. Moreover the introduction and imposition of controversial notions outside the internationally agreed human rights legal framework contradicts the fundamental universality and would lead to polarization."
Anti-LGBTQ KY Judge Mitchell Nance Resigns
(Louisville, KY, October 26, 2017) - Yesterday Kentucky Family Court Judge W. Mitchell Nance notified Governor Matthew G. Bevin and the Commonwealth of Kentucky Judicial Conduct Commission of his resignation. In May, Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Kentucky, Kentucky's Fairness Campaign, and University of Louisville Law Professor Sam Marcosson filed a complaint against Judge Nance for violating Kentucky's Code of Judicial Conduct by recusing himself from any adoption proceedings involving lesbian, gay, and bisexual people.
Pennsylvania Senate Advances Troubling Anti-Transgender Amendment on CHIP Reauthorization Bill
WASHINGTON - October 25, 2017 -- Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization reacted to the Pennsylvania State Senate's dangerous vote to advance discriminatory anti-transgender amendment to the reauthorization of the state Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Introduced by State Senator Don White, the amendment would cut transition-related surgical services for transgender youth out of the program. HB1338 passed the Senate by a 37-13 vote and now heads to the House Rules committee for final amendments.
ACLU of Pennsylvania Denounces State Senate Ploy to Harm Transgender Youth in CHIP Renewal Bill
HARRISBURG, Pa. - October 25, 2017 - A bill to renew the Children's Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, through 2019 has drawn scorn from civil rights advocates after a committee of the Pennsylvania Senate amended it last week to also prohibit insurance coverage of healthcare related to gender transition for transgender people in the program.
Transgender Law Center celebrates 15th anniversary with new video
(San Francisco, CA - October 24, 2017) – Last week, over 350 people came out to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Transgender Law Center (TLC) at SPARK!, the organization's annual event in San Francisco. TLC, the largest national trans-led organization advocating self-determination for all people, premiered a video at the event looking ahead to the future of trans movement-building.
NCLR, GLAD, and Equality California Slam the Government’s Response in Stockman v. Trump
Los Angeles, CA - October 23, 2017 – Today, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a motion to dismiss and a motion opposing emergency relief in Stockman v. Trump, the transgender military ban suit filed on behalf of Equality California (EQCA) members and seven individual plaintiffs being harmed by the ban. EQCA along with the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), co-counsel in the case and the LGBT legal organizations leading the fight against the ban, slammed the government's response for ignoring the harms this dangerous policy is inflicting on our nation's service members and transgender individuals who want to enlist but can't.
ACLU Files Supreme Court Brief Arguing That Public Businesses Cannot Discriminate Against Customers Based on Who They Ar
WASHINGTON - October 23, 2017 - The American Civil Liberties Union filed its brief today in the Supreme Court in a case in which a Colorado bakery refused service to a same-sex couple seeking a cake for their wedding reception.
ACLU Takes Legal Action Defending Rights of Maryland Transgender Students
BALTIMORE - October 20, 2017 - The American Civil Liberties Union filed a motion today to defend a Maryland school board's policies that prevent discrimination, harassment, and stigmatization of transgender and gender nonconforming students in the school system. The policies ensure that transgender students can, among other things, use school facilities in accordance with their gender identity.
Ten Montanans Join ACLU of Montana Lawsuit Challenging Anti-LGBTQ I-183 as Unconstitutional
HELENA, MT - October 19, 2017 - The American Civil Liberties Union of Montana announced a lawsuit Tuesday challenging the constitutionality of the anti-LGBTQ I-183. The ballot initiative seeks to prevent transgender and gender-nonconforming Montanans from using public facilities that correspond with their gender identity by restricting access to public facilities in public spaces, such as libraries, parks, and schools. I-183 would bar trans Montanans from full and equal participation in public life and nullify many of their constitutional rights.
State of LGBTQ Equality in 10 Pennsylvania Cities Detailed in HRC's 6th Edition of the Municipal Equality Index
WASHINGTON - October 19, 2017 -- Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, in partnership with the Equality Federation Institute, released its sixth annual Municipal Equality Index (MEI), assessing LGBTQ equality in 506 cities across the nation, including 10 in Pennsylvania.
HRC Releases Critical Measure of Municipal LGBTQ Inclusivity and Key Corporate Tool for Expansions and Relocations
WASHINGTON - October 19, 2017 -- Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, in partnership with the Equality Federation Institute, released its sixth annual Municipal Equality Index (MEI), the only nationwide rating system of LGBTQ inclusion in municipal law, policy and services.
Civil and Human Rights Coalition Rebukes Attorney General Sessions' Oversight Hearing Testimony
WASHINGTON - October 18, 2017 – Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement following Attorney General Jeff Sessions' appearance before a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing: "President Trump has emboldened and enabled hate and division in our country – and Attorney General Sessions is a powerful leader of his divisive agenda. From restricting voting rights, to putting immigrant youth at risk, to issuing a license to discriminate against LGBTQ people, Sessions is at the forefront of this administration's actions to roll back important civil and human rights protections.
ACLU and Lambda Legal Announce Proposed Settlement With North Carolina in Lawsuit Challenging Anti-LGBT Law
RALEIGH, N.C. - October 18, 2017 - Transgender people in North Carolina will not be barred from using public restrooms and other facilities that match their gender identity under a consent decree proposed today by Gov. Roy Cooper, Attorney General Josh Stein, the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina, and LGBT North Carolinians who are challenging state anti-LGBT laws H.B. 2 and H.B. 142 in a federal lawsuit. The judge in the case must agree to the terms of the proposed consent decree before it takes effect.
TLC wins BIA (Board of Immigration Appeal) appeal for release of trans immigrant in detention
(Virginia - October 18, 2017) – Late last week, Transgender Law Center (TLC), the largest national trans-led organization advocating self-determination for all people, won an appeal of the U.S. government's order of removal for Marianna, a transgender woman who emigrated from Mexico almost 20 years ago. In the appeal, TLC argued that the government violated Marianna's due process, guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, by failing to inform her of her right to apply for asylum after she told an immigration judge she feared for her life should she be forced to return to Mexico.
Lambda Legal: Senators Criticize Sessions for Urging Courts to Immunize Discrimination Against LGBT People
Washington, DC - October 18, 2017 – Today, Lambda Legal blasted Attorney General Jeff Sessions' testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, where Senators challenged Sessions' efforts to roll back the civil rights of the most vulnerable Americans, including a number of policies, statements, and actions directly targeting LGBT people, women, people of color, religious minorities, and immigrants. Sessions' testimony comes just weeks after a series of high-profile attacks by DOJ against LGBT people, including its efforts to convince courts that federal laws prohibiting sex discrimination do not cover claims of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, its support of anti-LGBT groups' efforts to shield businesses that want to deny service to LGBT people from the application of state and local non-discrimination laws (as outlined in a brief filed with the Supreme Court in September), and its directive to federal agencies to create broad licenses to discriminate on the basis of religion.
Equality Caucus: Shame on Pa. senators for putting transgender kids at risk
HARRISBURG, Oct. 18 – Leaders of the legislature's LGBT Equality Caucus said the state senators who voted today to deny health care to transgender young people should be ashamed of themselves.
Civil and Human Rights Coalition Raises Serious Concerns About Attorney General Sessions' Job Performance
WASHINGTON - October 17, 2017 – Today, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee on the eve of the oversight hearing of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, raising serious concerns about the Justice Department's record on issues that are critically important to the civil and human rights community. The hearing marks the first appearance by Attorney General Sessions before that committee.
Equality California's 2017 Legislative Wrap-Up: Seven Sponsored Bills Signed by Governor
Sacramento - October 17, 2017 - With his signature on Sunday of Senate Bill (SB) 179, authored by Sen. Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) and Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), and SB 310 (Atkins), California Governor Jerry Brown has signed seven Equality California-sponsored bills, ending the 2017 legislative session and bringing the total number of resolutions and bills successfully sponsored by Equality California over the organization's history to 127. In addition, lawmakers this session approved two resolutions sponsored by Equality California
New report on religious exemptions as license to discriminate
Denver, CO, October 17, 2017 - Today, the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) released a new report, Tipping the Scales: The Coordinated Attack on LGBT People, Women, Parents, Children, and Health Care, detailing the alarming and widespread push to pass a variety of religious exemptions laws that would give businesses, government agencies and individuals a right to discriminate on religious or moral grounds.
GLAD & NCLR Call Out Trump Administration For Attempting to "Paper Over the Wreckage" Caused by Transgender Military Ban
(WASHINGTON, D.C., October 16, 2017)-Today, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) hit back at the Trump administration's defense of its transgender service ban in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. NCLR and GLAD filed a brief refuting last week's Trump Administration claims that no harms have resulted from the ban. In their brief, NCLR and GLAD demonstrate to the court why Interim Guidance issued by the military does not protect transgender troops from the irreparable harms the ban has been inflicting on them since it was announced in July. NCLR and GLAD urge the court to stop the ban now, before it takes full effect in March 2018.
Lambda Legal Leads 35 LGBT Groups Demanding President Trump Withdraw Jeff Mateer's Nomination to Federal Bench
Washington, DC - October 16, 2017 – Today, Lambda Legal and 35 other national, state, and local LGBT advocacy groups sent a letter to members of the United States Senate strongly urging them to demand that President Trump immediately withdraw his nomination of Jeff Mateer to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, declaring that "his brazen contempt for LGBT people renders him wholly unfit for a lifetime appointment to the federal bench."
Groundbreaking Legislation to Honor Dignity of Transgender People in Prison Is Signed Into Law by Governor Brown
(Sacramento, CA, October 16, 2017) – Last night, for the first time in California history, legislation written by currently and formerly incarcerated transgender people was signed into law. Senate Bill 310 (the Name and Dignity Act), authored by Senator Toni Atkins of San Diego and co-authored by Senator Beall, Senator Wiener, Assemblymember Chiu, Assemblymember Garcia, Assemblymember Gloria, and Assemblymember Stone, makes it possible for transgender people currently in custody to petition the superior court for a legal name and gender marker change. This legislation allows transgender people to have their chosen names respected while incarcerated and eases the re-entry process for transgender people by ensuring that they have legal documents that match their gender presentation upon release. This breaks down barriers in accessing housing, employment and healthcare.
CA Gov. Brown Signs Nonbinary Identification Option & Other LGBTQ Equality Bills
October 16, 2017 - California Governor Jerry Brown has signed several bills into law that will ensure fairness and equality for LGBTQ Californians including a bill that will allow for a nonbinary gender marker on state issued IDs, a bill of rights protecting LGBTQ seniors, and an update to the state's HIV criminalization laws.
Bipartisan Legislation Introduced to Protect Trans Service Members From President Trump
WASHINGTON, DC - October 13, 2017 - Today, the American Military Partner Association (AMPA), the nation's largest organization of LGBT military families, praised members of Congress for introducing bipartisan legislation that would help protect transgender service members from being discharged because of President Trump's unconscionable transgender military ban. The legislation was introduced today in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representatives Jackie Speier (D-CA), Charlie Dent (R-PA), Susan Davis (D-CA), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Adam Smith (D-WA), and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ). The Senate version was introduced in September by Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Susan Collins (R-ME), John McCain (R-AZ), and Jack Reed (D-RI).
Transgender Teen Who Died By Suicide Protected By Federal Sex Discrimination Protections, Federal Court Rules
(San Diego, CA, October 13, 2017)-Yesterday, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and Transgender Law Center (TLC) filed an amended complaint on behalf of the mother of a transgender boy in her lawsuit against a hospital for discrimination against her son. Katharine Prescott filed the amended complaint after the Court's ruling on September 27 that the Affordable Care Act's sex discrimination protections apply to transgender kids. The Court also ruled that Ms. Prescott is entitled to seek emotional distress damages on behalf of her son, who died by suicide a few weeks after his experience at Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego (RCHSD) for inpatient care.
Trump is Trying to Single-Handedly Sabotage Access to Health Care!
WASHINGTON-DC, October 12, 2017 - Today, President Trump signed an executive order that will decimate access to care for those who need it most. The following statement can be attributed to Rea Carey, Executive Director of the National LGBTQ Task Force: "Trump's executive order undermines key protections provided by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that prevent discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions. Included in the executive order is a directive to expand access to plans that fail to offer necessary services, like mental health and substance use care, pregnancy and childbirth care and prescription drug coverage. Promoting skimpier plans will ultimately make costs higher for the people who need health care the most, like the 65% of LGBTQ people who live with a pre-existing condition.
No Deal with the Devil, Not this time! What we need is a CLEAN Dream Act
Congressional lawmaking is often likened to making sausage – stuffing casing with a mix of the real thing and mystery meat. Horse-trading and unrelated riders onerous to those who would support a good bill is a time-honored tradition. The result is that Americans often pay a high price when laws are made. This time, the President has beat Congress to the punch.
Outserve-SLDN joins amicus in support of Lambda Legal's cert petition to the Supreme Court in Evans v. Georgia Regional
(WASHINGTON) October 11, 2017 – Yesterday, OutServe-SLDN joined with 10 other organizations including the Human Rights Campaign, GLAD, NCLR and SAGE in an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in support of Evans v. Georgia Regional Hospital. The brief can be read here.
ACLU Comment on Bipartisan Bill Halting Ban on Transgender Military Service Members
WASHINGTON - October 13, 2017 - Democratic and Republican members of Congress introduced a new bill in Congress (H.R. 4041) today that seeks an immediate halt to the Trump administration's ban on transgender people serving in the military.
Legal Advocates in Fight Against Trump Transgender Military Ban Praise Congressional Demand for Answers
(WASHINGTON, D.C., October 10, 2017)-More than 100 Members of Congress wrote to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis asking him to provide any "discussions or correspondence between the White House and the Pentagon" that purportedly informed President Trump's decision to ban transgender individuals from serving in the military.
Voters Guide
Candidates for Erie County Executive, Erie County Council, Erie City Mayor, and Erie City Council were asked about their positions on GLBT issues. Their responses appear below. Names are linked to campign web sites where appropriate.
New Bilingual LGBT Popup Ads On YouTube Counter The Politics Of Division And Hate
NEW YORK – For LGBTQ National Coming Out Day on October 11, emotionally moving new videos of Asian parents of LGBT children appeared as pop up ads on YouTube before viewers watch their favorite Chinese Soap Opera, Filipino comedy, Korean drama, Vietnamese talent show, or Bollywood movie.
Trevor Project Condemns Trump's "License to Discriminate"
October 6, 2017 - The Trevor Project, the nation's leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ young people, condemns the Department of Justice's guidance today that grants a dangerous "license to discriminate" against LGBTQ people. This so-called guidance follows the department's move yesterday to rescind Title XII protections and allow discrimination against transgender people.
Governor Signs Bill Modernizing California HIV Laws
Sacramento, Calif. - October 6, 2017 - - Governor Jerry Brown today signed into law landmark legislation to reform outdated laws that unfairly criminalized and stigmatized people living with HIV. Senate Bill (SB) 239 was authored by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Asm. Todd Gloria (D-San Diego) and cosponsored by Equality California, the ACLU of California, APLA Health, Black AIDS Institute, Lambda Legal and Positive Women's Network – USA. These organizations are part of Californians for HIV Criminalization Reform (CHCR), a broad coalition of people living with HIV, HIV and health service providers, civil rights organizations and public health professionals dedicated to ending the criminalization of people living with HIV in California.
Governor Brown Signs Equality California-Sponsored Bill to Reform California's Sex Offender Registry
Sacramento, Calif. - October 6, 2017 –California Gov. Jerry Brown today signed a bill to reform California's sex offender registry, creating a tiered system that will make the registry a more effective tool for law enforcement and bring California's system in line with the rest of the United States. SB 384 was authored by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and co-authored by Senators Joel Anderson (R- Alpine), Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles), and Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley). The bill was sponsored by Equality California, Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey, the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault, and the California Sex Offender Management Board and was endorsed by the California Police Chiefs Association and various county sheriffs.
GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders Responds to AG Sessions' October 6 Memo Regarding Federal Law and Religion
October 6, 2017 - GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) responded to the memorandum issued today by Attorney General Jeff Sessions today entitled "Federal Law Protections for Religious Liberty."  The memorandum states 20 "high level principles" that all federal administrative agencies and executive departments must follow as employers, as regulators, and as they provide contracts and grants to those doing valuable work in the public interest.
Civil and Human Rights Coalition Blasts Trump's Roll Back of Contraception Mandate
WASHINGTON - October 6, 2017 – Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement on the Trump administration's new rule that will roll back the contraception mandate of the Affordable Care Act: "This is a direct attack on women's rights. The Trump administration is using the guise of religious liberty to carry out their ideological agenda to deprive women of basic reproductive health care. The obstacles caused by the roll back of the contraception mandate will harm millions of women, especially low-income women and women of color, across the country, affecting where they go to work, go to school, or receive health care.
NCLR responds to Trump Administration's Attack on Birth Control
WASHINGTON, D.C. - October 6, 2017 -In yet another assault on access to health care, the Trump administration today issued a regulation that would dramatically undermine an essential benefit under the Affordable Care Act-insurance coverage for birth control. Following thwarted attempts by Congress to gut health care coverage, the administration implemented a sweeping exemption permitting any employer who cites a religious or moral objection to deny coverage for birth control.
Washington State Parent Sues Employer for Denying Insurance Coverage to Transgender Son
SEATTLE - October 5, 2017 - The ACLU of Washington filed a civil rights lawsuit today against PeaceHealth, a Catholic healthcare organization, on behalf of Cheryl Enstad and her teenage son, Pax, for denying coverage under its health benefits plan for medically necessary surgery to Pax simply because of who he is. The suit says that PeaceHealth's policy of refusing to cover medical care required by transgender people is discrimination and violates federal and state law.
Two Punches Against Trans Community in One Day from Trump Administration; NCLR and GLAD Respond
Washington, D.C. - October 5, 2017 – The Trump administration today landed two punches against transgender Americans, first asking the courts to dismiss a legal challenge to President Trump's ban on military service by transgender people, and then separately rolling back important employment discrimination protections for transgender workers across the country. Taken together, the two actions reinforce an agenda focused on promoting discrimination against some of the nation's most vulnerable communities, and underscore the importance of the judiciary now more than ever – as one of the only backstops to an administration committed to dismantling rights and protections for LGBT people.
ACLU Statement on DOJ Rescinding Title VII Protections for Transgender Workers
WASHINGTON - October 5, 2017 - Attorney General Jeff Sessions reversed a federal government policy yesterday that clarified that transgender people are protected from sex discrimination in the workplace under Title VII.
Civil and Human Rights Coalition Denounces Senate Committee for Advancing Nominations of Dreiband & Others
WASHINGTON - October 5, 2017 – Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement on the party line advancement by the Senate Judiciary Committee of Eric Dreiband's nomination for Assistant Attorney General to the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, and Amy Barrett and Joan Larsen to U.S. Courts of Appeals. "At a time when our country desperately needs every tool to protect civil rights, the Senate Judiciary Committee has advanced Eric Dreiband – a man who has worked to narrow the scope of civil rights laws enforced by the very office he was chosen to lead.
DOJ First Trans Military Ban Lawsuit Response: NCLR and GLAD Statement
(WASHINGTON, D.C., October 5, 2017)-Today, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) spoke out against the Department of Justice's response in Doe v. Trump, the first of four cases filed to stop President Trump's transgender military ban. In the government's motion to dismiss the case and oppose plaintiffs' request for emergency relief, the Trump administration falsely claimed transgender individuals have not yet suffered harm from this policy. GLAD and NCLR, who are set to respond to the government's motions in court later this month, reiterated the compelling need to put an immediate halt to the ban: transgender Americans looking to enlist are not able to do so, and currently-serving transgender servicemembers have been demeaned and stigmatized, denied health care, and are facing the loss of their professions, livelihoods, health care, and the post-military retirement they have worked hard to earn.
Gov. Brown Signs "Bill of Rights" for LGBTQ Seniors in Long-Term Care
Sacramento - October 4, 2017 –California Governor Jerry Brown today signed a bill that creates a "bill of rights" for LGBTQ seniors in long-term care. Senate Bill (SB) 219, authored by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and sponsored by Equality California, will help protect seniors from discrimination or mistreatment in long-term care facilities.
Lambda Legal Leads More Than 60 LGBT Rights Orgs in Fight Against Nomination of Eric Dreiband to Run DOJ’s Civil Right
Washington, DC - October 4, 2017 – Today, Lambda Legal and more than 60 national, state, and local LGBT groups from across the country urged the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee to reject the nomination of Eric S. Dreiband to serve as the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division at the Dept. of Justice
Health
The Spooky Tale... The Field
Don't be so serious all the time. Leave the dumbbells on the rack and your running shoes by the front door. It adds so much to your wellness to briefly get away from it all and have some fun with escapist entertainment. I give you my tale of terror just in time for this scariest month:
Elton John Condemns Georgia Rep. Betty Price for Suggesting People Living with HIV Should be Quarantined
NEW YORK, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Last week, Georgia State Representative Betty Price, who is married to the former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, asked the head of the Georgia Department of Public Health's HIV epidemiology section what officials are "legally able to do" to limit the spread of HIV throughout the state. She went on to suggest that people living with HIV should be quarantined as a solution for stopping the spread of the virus which causes AIDS.
Locations Sought for Free Condom Distribution
Many people engage in risky sexual behavior that can result in unhealthy outcomes. In Erie County; HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia rates continue to rise. To help reduce sexual risk behaviors the Erie County HIV Task Force is continuing an initiative to reduce the number of infections in our community and we need your help!
Calling Fear by Its Name
A key ingredient of a happy life is how we handle fear. Fear is inevitable; it's a part of life. So, what are we going to do with our fear? Most of us are neither encouraged to identify our fears nor are we encouraged to ask for help in working with them. Typically, we may think we don't "need" to talk about our fears (the stoic, "I'm fine" usually shuts up those people who want to help us) and many people think that talking about fear indicates weakness.
Spirituality and Religion
Top Mormon Legislator Senator Orrin Hatch: Being Gay Is Not A Sin
Salt Lake City, Utah- On Thursday, October 12th, Faith in America met with top Mormon legislator, Senator Orrin Hatch and lead singer of Imagine Dragons, Dan Reynolds to discuss the staggering epidemic facing LGBT youth across the country. The meeting centered around the shocking statistics that LGB adolescents who are highly rejected by their families during adolescence are more than 8 times as likely to attempt suicide in young adulthood1. During the meeting, Senator Hatch was asked if he thought being gay was a sin. The Senator responded with, "No, I don't. How could anything that God gives you be a sin-especially something you are born with. Mormons believe in a pre-mortal existence, so if you tell gay kids they are sinners, you are saying that God made someone a sinner before they were born and that is just not right."
Letters, Columnists and Opinion
From Asia, with Pride
I've been traveling out of the country for the last couple of weeks, and with what seems to be so much disagreement in our community on a range of issues, and the ongoing doubts about where our struggle is leading, I thought I'd share with you a few snapshots from my trip - which should give you a different view of our community and our accomplishments.
Silencing LGBT Pride in Egypt
Donald Trump and his fake excuse and misdirected attack on the NFL players who are kneeling for social justice have some people saying it's a sign of a leader cracking down on the First Amendment, which leads to an authoritarian state. Think that's an overreach? Take a look at a similar issue in another country with an already-authoritarian state.
The Amazon Trail: Friends and Other Wonders
We've spent the past few days galivanting up and down the Oregon Coast with friends visiting from the U.K. Two months ago, we were doing the same with a couple up from Palm Springs. Last year it was my family from Massachusetts, the year before, my sweetheart's sister from New Jersey, and in two weeks, long-time friends from the southern part of the state will join us, gasping for sea air after a summer surrounded by wildfires.
Contests
Enter to win 'The Queen is Dead' boxed set from The Smiths!
Enter to win the special deluxe 3-CD/1 DVD boxed set of the newly remastered and expanded version of The Queen is Dead, the seminal album from The Smiths plus a mini-poster and button! To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Friday, November 17 and Friday, December 8.
Enter to win "Burn the Binary! Select Writings on the Politics of Being Trans Genderqueer and Nonbinary" by Riki Wilchin
Enter to win a digital download of "Burn the Binary! Select Writings on the Politics of Being Trans Genderqueer and Nonbinary" a New Collection of Essays by Activist, Riki Wilchins from Riverdale Avenue Books. To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Tuesday, November 14 and Tuesday, December 5.
Enter to win When Edith's Bells Toll from Ariztical Entertainment!
Enter to win a digital download of When Edith's Bells Toll from Ariztical Entertainment.To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Friday, November 10 and Friday, December 1.
Enter to win reissued versions of 'Yes' and 'Elysium' from Pet Shop Boys!
Enter to win reissued versions of Yes and Elysium - the second set releases from the Pet Shop Boys' CATALOGUE: 1985-2012 - a landmark series of remastered Parlophone studio albums packaged with "Further Listening" albums of additional and previously unreleased material! Both albums will be packaged with an extensive booklet in which Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe discuss each song, illustrated with many archive photographs. To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Tuesday, November 7 and Tuesday, November 28.
Enter to win a Kelly Clarkson "Love So Soft" t-shirt!
Enter to win a Kelly Clarkson "Love So Soft" t-shirt! Love so soft, you ain’t had nothing softer! “Love So Soft”, the new hit single from music superstar Kelly Clarkson. From the forthcoming album Meaning Of Life - Out October 27. Pre-order now: Atlantic.lnk.to/MeaningoflifeTA To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Tuesday, November 7 and Tuesday, November 28.
Win Beautiful Trauma from P!nk!
Win Beautiful Trauma from P!nk! Beautiful Trauma, the new album from international music icon, P!nk. Featuring "What About Us" To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Friday, November 3 and Friday, November 24.
Enter to win Now from Shania Twain!
Enter to win Now from Shania Twain! Shania Twain is back! NOW, the highly-anticipated new album from the Queen of Country Pop, SHANIA TWAIN. Featuring "Life's About To Get Good," "Swingin' With My Eyes Closed" and more! Out September 29: shaniatwain.lnk.to/NOW. To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Tuesday, October 31 and Tuesday, November 21.
Enter to win a Dreamgirls Blu-ray Combo gift set and a photo book signed by the Director Bill Condon!
Enter to win a Dreamgirls Blu-ray Combo gift set and a photo book signed by the Director Bill Condon! To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Friday, October 27 and Friday, November 17.
History
Addison Mizner: the likely gay father of South Florida architecture
Addison Mizner came to Palm Beach in 1918 to die. Instead, he would change South Florida forever, especially Boca Raton, with his enduring signature Spanish revival architecture. Eighty-four years after his death, that imprint is hard to miss While many in Palm Beach County know who Mizner was, few probably suspect he may have been gay.
Is LGBT support for broad social-justice issues a new thing?
Are American LGBT activists becoming more engaged in wider "social-justice" issues than they have been in many years? I am hearing more about this trend and applaud it strongly. From new groups like "Gays Against Guns" to the proud appearance of rainbow flags at anti-Nazi rallies following the incident in Charlottesville, LGBT activists are reaching out to support many progressive causes outside of traditional, narrowly defined core LGBT agendas.
1954 Miami Murder Leads to 'Homosexual Panic'
The "Homosexual Panic" that started in the 1950s can be traced back to one event - the murder of Eastern Airlines Flight Attendant William T. Simpson in August of 1954. Maybe more importantly wasn't the murder itself, but how Miami Daily News reporter Milt Sosin covered the tragedy.
New doc explores mysterious death of a mother of the trans community
Almost 23 years to the day after helping to lead the seminal uprising against police at the Stonewall Inn, Marsha P. Johnson was reported missing. The trans woman was a well-known figure in New York City's LGBT and HIV/AIDS communities, an organizer and activist whose contributions to social change persisted long after the Stonewall riots subsided. She and friend and fellow activist Sylvia Rivera founded Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries to provide resources, care and advocacy for homeless queer youth. The two are credited with encouraging the development of a trans community, separate from the larger LGB community, yet with attention to intersectional issues like racial justice, homelessness and criminal-justice reform.
Randy Wicker: unsung hero in LGBT-rights movement
Randy Wicker may not be a familiar name to those familiar with LGBT history - but the 79-year-old made his mark in the movement, beginning in the 1960s. Many assume the first organized protest for gay rights occurred on April 17, 1965, in front of the White House, where demonstrators, including Frank Kameny, protested the firing of gay and lesbian civil servants.
Stirring up the origin of the 'alphabet soup'
Today, references to the LGBT community are commonplace. One hears them in both the mainstream media and everyday conversation. What's not generally discussed, though, is how this particular combination of words came to represent the LGBT community. Why were some words admitted to this "alphabet soup" while others were excluded?
Civil-rights icon Congressman John Lewis on LGBT equality, social justice
When President Barack Obama linked Selma, Seneca Falls and Stonewall in his second Inaugural Address, it was a connection that hit home for Congressman John Lewis.
Behind the Lens: Photojournalist Kay Lahusen
Kay Tobin Lahusen was the first photojournalist of the LGBTQ movement, a pre- and post-Stonewall activist who helped to document the earliest protests for homosexual rights.
Lyon, Martin paved the way for lesbians
In a time when President Donald Trump has directed a ban on transgender individuals from serving in the military, his administration has rescinded protections for trans students in public schools and the advancement of LGBTQ national historic landmarks are in question, the stories of those who fought for equal rights in an earlier era seem to be more important than ever before. One such story is that of Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin, who ushered in the modern lesbian movement and made history by becoming the first same-sex couple married in San Francisco - twice. Their accomplishments as activists and the love they shared have become a symbol of perseverance, strength and hope for the LGBTQ community.
Miscellaneous
Global Surveys of Intersex and Trans Groups Reveal Critical Funding Gap
NEW YORK, NY - October 31, 2017– Today, American Jewish World Service (AJWS), Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice (Astraea) and Global Action for Trans Equality (GATE) released the findings of their global surveys of intersex and trans organizations in 107 countries engaged in advocacy, services and education in two new reports, The State of Intersex Organizing and The State of Trans Organizing. More than 450 groups working on trans issues and more than 50 groups working on intersex issues participated in the surveys. The surveys looked at the financial and organizational capacity of intersex and trans groups around the world, which provide critical support and services to their respective communities, including legal aid, health care, advocacy and leadership training.
Higher Ed Scholarships for LGBTQ Students
Los Angeles, October 18, 2017 – Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) students enrolling in undergraduate or graduate programs for the 2018-2019 academic year are encouraged to apply online for a Point Foundation Scholarship. Point Foundation is the nation's largest scholarship-granting organization for LGBTQ students of merit and currently is providing financial assistance and programmatic support to 98 students.
New Study: Social Attitudes Toward Gays and Lesbians Rapidly Changing in Developing World
Washington - October 13, 2017 – Today, Center for Global Development Senior Fellow Charles Kenny and Researcher Dev Patel released a new study that finds that just as social attitudes toward gays and lesbians have changed rapidly in the developed world, these attitudes are also changing in the developing world. The study also suggests that the changes in social attitudes often follow and are caused by changes in government policy toward gays and lesbians.
The Best Renovations to Make if You Want Your Money Back When You Sell Your Home
When you plan on selling your home in the near future, and want to get the most out of it when you do, then it is important that you plan out what renovations you want to do before listing your home. Some renovations will not move the price you get for your home up very much. However, other renovations can increase the asking, and receiving price that your home sells for. Consider some of these renovations if you want to boost up what you ask for, and get, for your home.
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