• Nick Jonas is giving you seriously 'daddy' grown-up goodness in this promo pic introducing his character "Bruno Gaido" from his upcoming movie, Midway, due out November 8. #Dang
• A gay couple were the target of homophobic insults before being spat on, clawed and physically attacked in an unprovoked attack in Essex in southeast England.
• Alphonso David has been named the next president of the Human Rights Campaign. He is the first civil rights lawyer and the first person of color to lead the LGBTQ advocacy organization.
BREAKING: Alphonso David has been named the next president of the Human Rights Campaign! David will be the first civil rights lawyer and the first person of color to lead @HRC. #AlphonsoDavidpic.twitter.com/GgiFQBtUVP
• Prince William says it would be "absolutely fine" if one of his children came out as gay.
• Deadline reports that Oscar winners Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman, along with James Corden, Andrew Rannells, and Keegan-Michael Key, have all been tapped by Ryan Murphy for the Netflix adaptation of the LGBTQ-themed Broadway musical, The Prom.
• As WorldPride gets underway in New York City today, just a reminder of how a leader CAN relate to his LGBTQ constituents. Folks, I give you Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at Toronto's Pride event this past weekend.
Mayor Pete Buttigieg addresses 14th annual Las Vegas HRC gala
Democratic presidential candidate Mayor Pete Buttigieg delivered the keynote address last night at the annual gala Human Rights Campaign dinner in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The 37-year-old from South Bend, Indiana, used the speech to address what some have viewed as a possible vulnerability as he competes for the Democratic nomination for president, and that's being a white male from the Midwest when many in his party feel a woman or person of color would best represent today's Democratic Party.
Buttigieg spoke of his own experiences as a gay man in a predominantly straight society. But he also pushed back on the idea that people of different marginalized groups share in "equivalencies" in how they have experienced discrimination.
“I may be part of the LGBTQ community, but being a gay man doesn’t even tell me what it’s like to be a trans woman of color in that same community, let alone an undocumented mother of four or a disabled veteran or a displaced autoworker,” he told the audience assembled at Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip.
Mayor Pete warned of a “crisis of belonging in this country,” saying that “so-called identity politics” that underscore how one person hasn’t walked in another’s shoes only exacerbates our differences.
"Something that is true," acknowledged the Harvard and Oxford grad. "But, it doesn’t get us very far.”
The mayor noted that identity politics often serve to divide folks who have more in common than less.
“The more you know about exclusion, the more you think about belonging"
Addressing “divisive lines of thinking” present in today's American politics, Buttigieg spoke of being told "to choose between supporting an auto worker and a trans woman of color, without stopping to think about the fact that sometimes the auto worker is a trans woman of color, and she definitely needs all the security she can get.”
“The wall I worry about most isn’t the president’s fantasy wall on the Mexican border that will never get built anyway,” he said, referencing Donald Trump's infamous border wall. “What I worry about are the very real walls being put up between us as we get divided and carved up.”
“And what every gay person has in common with every excluded person of every kind is knowing what it’s like to see a wall,” he continued. “I am ready to use my story, my energy, my alliances, and yes, my privilege, to throw myself into tearing down those walls.”
"Each of us has a story that can either separate us, or connect us to those around us," he added. "Yes, I am gay, and I am the son of an immigrant, and an Army brat, and I'm a husband, and I am a musician, and I'm an Episcopalian. And I'm a Democrat."
Along the way, the mayor also touched on a wide range of progressive policy positions, including cybersecurity, gerrymandering, LGBTQ rights, reproductive health, labor unions, climate change, and big money in politics.
“We can’t let this election be about the president,” he said. “Because if Americans see us spend all our time talking about him, they’ll be left with the question: ‘Who is talking about us?’”
Buttigieg urged Democrats to start talking not only about their policies, but the values behind those policies.
“It’s time for us to get comfortable once again talking about values … like freedom," he said. "We have allowed conservatives to monopolize the language of freedom. But we know that freedom isn’t just about freedom from, it’s about freedom to. Not just freedom from regulation, but freedom to live a life of your choosing.”
The HRC appearance capped a west coast campaign swing that included fund-raisers at the home of Gwyneth Paltrow, and another at The Abbey, a popular West Hollywood gay bar.
Watch Buttigieg's full speech at the 14th annual Human Rights Campaign dinner in Las Vegas below.
The Human Rights Campaign has announced that Pete Buttigieg, a trailblazer who made history in launching his presidential campaign, will speak at the HRC Las Vegas Dinner on Saturday, May 11.
South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg is the first openly gay candidate to run for the Democratic presidential nomination.
“Mayor Pete Buttigieg is changing hearts and minds across America in his trailblazing campaign to be the Democratic Party’s first out nominee for President of the United States,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “As a visible and outspoken advocate for LGBTQ equality, Mayor Pete has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to our community and we are honored to welcome him to our Las Vegas Dinner.”
Set to take place at Caesars Palace, the 2019 HRC Las Vegas Dinner brings together HRC’s most active members and supporters in the Las Vegas area to raise crucial funds in the fight for LGBTQ equality.
Yes, we're talking my city. I will, of course, be attending.
Chasten Buttigieg, husband to Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, made a splash last night speaking at the Human Rights Campaign's annual dinner in Houston, Texas.
“So, I’ve had a busy couple months,” began Buttigieg. “Never underestimate what can happen when you agree to go on a date with a cute guy from South Bend, Indiana.”
“I now live in a world where people take photos of me in the deodorant aisle at the grocery store,” he continued. “But, it is not lost on me that I was able to marry the man I love by the grace of one Supreme Court vote.”
.@Chas10Buttigieg brought down the house in Houston tonight with a powerful call for each of us to fight for an America where every person can live their truth and be their authentic selves. pic.twitter.com/UG2Evf4SRU
Buttigieg also joked about the possible history he could be a part of. “I could be the first man in history to pick out the White House china.”
Buttigieg spoke at one point about the importance of passing the Equality Act, which would add LGBTQ protections to the Constitution under existing civil rights laws, and praised HRC for the work it has done over the years.
“We need someone in the White House who will sign the Equality Act into law," he added. "And luckily, I know a guy."
As I've reported before, Mayor Pete has quickly gone from what some might have pegged as a "niche candidate" for president to a mainstream contender. And Chasten is part of that whole equation.
Here's Chasten's full speech at the HRC dinner in Houston, Texas.
Internet power player Google has finally removed from its Google Play store an app from Living Hope Ministries that promoted so-called ‘conversion therapy’ to LGBTQ youth.
After a months-long campaign by Wayne Besen at Truth Wins Out to stop the spread of the app, plus a petition signed by 142,000 people at Change.org, and the Human Rights Campaign withholding its Corporate Equality Index score from the company, Google announced the app had been pulled.
“After consulting with outside advocacy groups, reviewing our policies, and making sure we had a thorough understanding of the app and its relation to conversion therapy, we’ve decided to remove it from the Play Store, consistent with other app stores,” Google said in a statement.
“We are delighted that Google finally backed down and deleted a dangerous app that targeted LGBTQ youth with toxic messages of guilt and shame,” said Truth Wins Out Executive Director Wayne Besen. “It is still unfathomable why Google stubbornly defended the indefensible for months, when the hateful and destructive content in this app should have been self-evident. We hope this sends a powerful message that ‘pray away the gay’ products are unacceptable and have no place in a decent and civilized society.”
HRC’s President Chad Griffin also released a statement:
“We applaud Google for making the right decision to pull this app from their online store. So-called conversion therapy is a debunked practice that’s tantamount to child abuse and is proven to have dangerous consequences for its victims. Google and other platforms that have pulled this app are taking an important step to protect LGBTQ youth.”
The Human Rights Campaign is withholding Google’s score and endorsement per its annual Corporate Equality Index.
The internet giant has previously enjoyed a perfect 100 on the HRC’s annual rating index.
But you can chalk up the loss of the endorsement to the company’s refusal to remove an app from its Google Play store that targets LGBTQ youth with the harmful and dangerous practice of so-called ‘conversion therapy.’
Wayne Besen, Executive Director of Truth Wins Out, pointed up the app in the press several weeks ago. After the app’s hateful content was revealed, Apple, Amazon and Microsoft quickly removed the app from their app stores.
The app was designed by Living Hope Ministries, a Texas-based group which purports to serve people ‘struggling with a conflict between faith and sexuality.’
In a statement, the HRC said, “We have been urging Google to remove this app because it is life-threatening to LGBTQ youth and also very clearly violates the company’s own standards.”
This is only the third time in the history of the HRC’s Corporate Equality Index that a rating has been withheld.
In 2017, the HRC suspended Walmart’s perfect score after reports the retailer hadn’t protected transgender employees from discrimination.
Walmart was given a perfect 100 this year in the CEI.
In 2015, Saks Inc. found its rating withheld when it was discovered the company was involved in a legal dispute with a trans employee.
The CEI rates companies and top law firms on criteria in four categories:
• Non-discrimination policies
• Employment benefits
• Supporting an inclusive culture and corporate social responsibility including public commitment to LGBTQ equality
• Responsible citizenship
Charlotte Clymer (Photo courtesy of Charlotte Clymer
During a visit last summer to Cuba Libre, a popular Washington DC bar and restaurant, Charlotte Clymer was stopped as she attempted to use the women restroom by an employee.
The employee demanded to see the transgender woman’s ID claiming the restaurant ‘required’ her to show legal identification to prove she was female.
Clymer, who was at the venue celebrating a friend’s bachelorette party, dismissed the employee and entered the ladies room. According to the Washington Blade, the employee didn’t ask anyone else for identification.
After entering a stall to do her business, Clymer heard the man walk into the bathroom in an attempt to search for her.
“I go into a stall to do my business and I hear him walk in and search for me in this busy restroom full of women,” Clymer shared on her Facebook. “He is doing everything but opening the stall doors. I ignore him, and after a few minutes, he leaves. I do my business, wash my hands, and walk out.”
“On the other side of the door are the attendant and the manager, who says it’s D.C. law that you must have ‘female’ on your ID to use the women’s restroom,” added Clymer. “I tell him he’s wrong and there’s no chance I’m showing him my ID.”
This is where it’s important to note that Clymer works with the Human Rights Campaign, and if anyone knows the law on transgender protections, it’s Clymer.
In fact, she pulled up the DC Human Rights Act on her phone and showed the manager the ordinance that prohibits discrimination based on gender identity or expression in regard to housing, employment and (ahem) public accommodations.
After the manager, who Clymer described as “condescending and dismissive,” threatened to call the police, she was eventually ejected from the restaurant.
Standing outside the restaurant, an angry Clymer called the police herself. According to the Washington Post, the officers showed up and reassured her the law was on her side.
Eventually, Clymer filed a complaint with the Office of Human Rights, and the DC Attorney General got involved as well.
As a result of her complaint, the owner of Cuba Libre has apologized and been ordered to pay a $7,000 fine for violating the Human Rights Act. Additionally, the settlement with the Attorney General calls for the restaurant to “institute policies on civil rights compliance and training.”
Plus, signage is now required in the establishment that states the local ordinance that “all individuals are allowed to use the restroom that corresponds to their gender identity or expression.”
For her part, Clymer Clymer told the Washington Blade that she’s pleased with the outcome.
“I am quite grateful for the work of Attorney General Racine and his staff to ensure that discrimination has no place in D.C., and I am thankful that Cuba Libre and CEO Barry Gutin have worked in good faith since the fall to ensure that this doesn’t happen again,” Clymer said.
“All parties worked together to make sure a terrible night was turned into a great teaching moment, which was built on the history of advocacy by trans folks in D.C., particularly trans women of color.”
(image courtesy of Australian Firefighters Calendar)
Some news items you might have missed:
• The Australian Firefighters Calendar (above) is so popular (how popular is it?) that there are multiple versions including the hot firefighters and dogs edition, the hot firefighters and cats edition, the hot firefighters and animals edition and the just plain "hot" edition. The annual charity calendars raise money for several charities each year. Click over to the official website for more photos and info.
• Three members of a high school football team in Utah are under investigation for allegedly sexually assaulting a team mate. Two boys reportedly held down their team mate while a third rubbed his junk on the boy's face. Since the initial allegations, 13 more players have come forward with similar allegations.
• While opening for Randy Rainbow at a theater on Long Island, Rosie O’Donnell reportedly told the crowd that she and Gaga will be acting in a revival of Funny Girl.
Rosie O'Donnell just said on stage that Lady Gaga will play Funny Girl on Broadway and she'll play her mother.
• Cameron Monaghan, who's played the gay middle child, Ian Gallagher, on the Showtime series Shameless since it's 2011 premiere has announced this week's episode will be his last.
• The Human Rights Campaign's 'Municipal Equality Index' came up with a record 78 cities with a perfect score of 100. The list of 506 cities in the U.S. also found 15 cities that ranked an abysmal zero. The survey looks at things like non-discrimination policies as well as community relationships with police departments.
• One of the members of the gay string quartet Well Strung got in hot water posting a shirtless pic as he stood on a grave in a cemetery. Check the bottom right pic below. #seriously?
• California Gov. Jerry Brown has signed into law AB 2439 which designates the Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City as the official state LGBTQ veterans memorial. California is the first state to have a designated memorial honoring LGBT veterans.
• Homocon and self-described provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos recently took to Facebook to cry about his ‘ruined life.’ The far-right lunatic says his cancelled speaking events have cost him "tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. And when I get dumped from conferences, BARELY ANYONE makes a sound about it – not my fellow conservative media figures and not even, in many cases, you guys."
• Human Rights Campaign Foundation president Mary Beth Maxwell resigned her position after multiple instances of using the N-word in the workplace.
• The Hollywood Reporter calls the upcoming film, 1985, "Sensitively observed, a model of eloguent restraint;" and Variety calls the film an "Excellent drama... nothing here rings false."
Starring Gotham's Cory Michael Smith as "Adrian," eldest son to Texas residents Virginia Madsen and Michael Chiklis, the film follows Adrian as he returns home following the death of his partner to AIDS. Home for the holidays to say goodbye to his family, he reconnects with his old friend Carly (Jamie Chung) and his younger brother Andrew (Aidan Langford).
Watch the trailer below. The film is set for limited release October 26.
Out New York gubernatorial candidate and award winning actress Cynthia Nixon is finding no love from prominent LGBTQ advocacy organizations when it comes to endorsements for her nascent campaign.
Both the Stonewall Democrats and the Human Rights Campaign have issued announcements throwing their support for incumbent Gov. Andrew Cuomo instead of the openly lesbian actress.
HRC proudly endorsed NY Gov Cuomo for re-election because he has been a champion for LGBTQ equality during his 7 years in office.He banned “conversion therapy” for kids, enacted protections for trans people & led the fight to win marriage equality in 2012. https://t.co/OBoMcSz7MI
In terms of the LGBTQ community, Cuomo believes his record on gay issues shows results not ‘rhetoric.’
“The governor is focused on results. We’ll leave the baseless election-year rhetoric to others,” said Cuomo spokesperson Abbey Collins. “With LGBTQ rights under attack from Trump, New Yorkers know they can count on Governor Cuomo to stand up and fight back.”
The Grammy/Tony/Emmy Award winning actress, however, points to what she says are lapses in the governor’s record including no ban on so-called ‘conversion therapy’ in the state. She also believes she did more heavy-lifting in the fight to bring marriage equality to New York state.
“Gov. Cuomo may have signed the bill, but Cynthia was fighting alongside other activists for the right to marry her now wife, Christine,” Nixon spokesperson Sarah Ford told Buzzfeed. “She understands the needs of the LGBTQ community as a wife and mother of a transgender son on a deeply personal level.”
Aside from the political posturing, though, the endorsements by HRC and Stonewall Dems raises an important question: should LGBTQ advocacy groups focus their support on candidates from the community? Or should experience carry the day?
Allen Roskoff, president of the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club in New York, criticized the HRC’s endorsement of Cuomo saying, “The Human Rights Campaign has been more interested in their real estate, high salaries, and hobnobbing with middle-of-the-road Democrats — while, in many cases, thumbing their nose at labor and other civil rights groups.”
“Their endorsement is not based on what’s best for the community - it’s about what’s best for their brand,” he added.
But Marty Rouse, HRC’s national field director, told BuzzFeed his organization backed Cuomo because "we stand with elected leaders who stand with us.”
The most recent polling, from Siena University, shows the Emmy, Grammy and Tony Award winner trailing 31 points behind Cuomo 29% to his 60%. That same poll showed Cuomo’s favorability at 67% and Nixon’s at 29%.
The primary is scheduled for September 13.
It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time the HRC has been accused of ignoring LGBTQ candidates over straight, cisgender nominees.
Even with years in the state legislature, having a BA in political science, a Doctor of Business Administration degree, a Masters in Divinity and being a 29 year veteran of the U.S. Army where she achieved the rank of Lt. Colonel, she says the Human Rights Campaign never called her to even inquire about how they could help her campaign.
Instead, the HRC backed former congressman Steven Horsford, a straight, cisgender male, who won the Democratic nomination.
Some political folks have chimed in on the subject saying the Trump administration is an example of what can happen when ‘celebrities’ with no prior experience in public service take office.
What do you think, readers?
Should our advocacy groups focus on backing candidates from the community who step up?
After interviewing over 12,000 LGBTQ teenagers, the HRC Foundation and the University of Connecticut has released the largest-of-its-kind survey detailing the anxiety and challenges so many of them face going regarding their daily lives at home, at school and in their communities.
With teens ranging in age from 13 to 17, and from all 50 states and Washington D.C., the survey reveals teenagers are not only experiencing stressful levels of apprehension and angst, but only a small minority (26%) feel unsafe in their own school classrooms.
The researchers found that:
• 79% of LGBTQ teenagers surveyed report feeling depressed or down over the past week
• 95% of LGBTQ youth report trouble sleeping at night
• LGBTQ youth of color and transgender teenagers experience unique challenges and elevated stress -- only 11% of youth of color surveyed believe their racial or ethnic group is regarded positively in the U.S., and over 50% of trans and gender expansive youth said they can never use school restrooms that align with their gender identity
• More than 70% report feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness in the past week
• A scant 5% say all of their teachers and school staff are supportive of LGBTQ people
• 76% report that they’ve heard family members make negative comments about LGBTQ people
To protest the harmful effects the Trump/Pence administration is having on young LGBTQs, artist Robin Bell and HRC projected a message on the U.S. Department of Education building (above).
The projection read, “Betsy DeVos, How do you sleep at night when only 26% of LGBTQ youth always feels safe in class?”
You can read the full survey from HRC and the University of Connecticut here.
With LGBTQ youth still facing inordinately high rates of bullying, anxiety and depression today, no one is a more relentless protector than a mom.
So just in time for Mother’s Day, the Human Rights Campaign has announced a new “Moms for Equality” campaign featuring mothers of famous LGBTQs urging their fellow parents and allies to join the fight for equality.
Kelly Rippon, Sally Field, Betty DeGeneres, Jodie Patterson and more share tributes and truth in the new campaign, chronicling their journeys to becoming fierce advocates of LGBTQ people.
“Everyone, LGBTQ or otherwise, should get to live as freely as Adam does –– and, as one of HRC’s Moms for Equality, I’m committed to making that happen,” says Kelly Rippon, mother of out Olympic bronze medalist (and "America's sweetheart") Adam Rippon.
“This whole campaign has become such a family affair. All of us are in this fight for LGBTQ equality for Adam, of course, but also for all those young people like him who haven’t had an easy time openly being themselves," added Rippon. "They need allies to support them, now more than ever!”
(image via HRC)
“At 20, Sam came out proudly as a gay man: to us and to a world where some still hate you just for being different. Ten years later and that hate seems to have only gotten stronger,” says Oscar winner Sally Field writes in a touching tribute for the “Moms for Equality” campaign. “But with you, we can help stop hate in its tracks.”
“It’s on us to change the world for these kids and make it a better place. Just like my Ellen did 21 years ago and continues to do to this day,” says Betty DeGeneres, mother of Ellen DeGeneres. “I’m a proud Mom for Equality and a longtime member of HRC.”
Jodie Patterson, recently named one of “The 20 Most Influential Moms of 2018” by Family Circle magazine, shares, “As a mom, I’ve always wanted to fix things. But, as I soon realized, there wasn’t anything about Penelope that needed fixing. He, like every transgender child, was simply announcing to me and to the world how he truly saw himself.
“He was boldly claiming his identity,” said Patterson. “I joined the fight for transgender equality that very day and I’m here, seven years later, to keep that fight going as one of HRC’s Moms for Equality!”
Today the Human Rights Campaign announced this year's Visibility Award with honor out gay Olympian Adam Rippon at the 2018 HRC Los Angeles Dinner this Saturday, March 10, 2018.
“One word best describes Adam Rippon — fierce,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “By being out and proud, Adam is bringing LGBTQ visibility to a whole new level while capturing the hearts of millions around the world with his incredible talent and personality. He isn’t afraid to use his global platform to speak out for equality, and we are proud to honor him with the HRC Visibility Award at the 2018 HRC Los Angeles Dinner.”
Adam Rippon made history as the first openly gay U.S. American male figure skater to compete in the Olympic games. Rippon publicly sparred with Mike Pence in the press and on social media, bringing a new focus on Pence’s long anti-LGBTQ record. Rippon publicly voiced his concern over Pence leading the diverse U.S. delegation to the Olympics.
In an exclusive interview with HRC, Rippon said, “At first, I had a few hesitations to come out, because I was afraid of repercussions that it might have. But at the end of the day, I felt like it was important, and it was an opportunity to shine a light on a subject that was bigger than me. I know when I was coming out I drew strength from learning about other people’s stories and hopefully my story will do the same for others.”
The HRC Los Angeles Dinner brings together more than 1,000 of HRC’s most active members and supporters in the greater Los Angeles area to raise crucial funds in the fight for LGBTQ equality.
Fellow out Olympian Gus Kenworthy will also be in attendance. Kenworthy was honored by the HRC with the same award last year.
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation and the Equality Federation Institute released their annual State Equality Index (SEI), a comprehensive state-by-state report detailing statewide laws and policies that affect LGBTQ people and their families and placing states in one of four categories based on their pro- and anti-LGBTQ state laws.
The SEI assesses statewide LGBTQ-related legislation and policies in the areas of parenting laws and policies, relationship recognition and religious refusal laws, non-discrimination laws and policies, hate crime laws, youth-related laws and policies and health and safety laws and policies. Based on that review, the SEI assigns states to one of four distinct categories:
• Thirteen states and the District of Columbia are in the highest-rated category, “Working Toward Innovative Equality”: California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington
• Five states are in the category “Solidifying Equality”: Delaware, Iowa, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico
• Five states are in the category “Building Equality”: Hawaii, Indiana, New Hampshire, Utah, Wisconsin
• Twenty-Seven states are in the lowest-rated category “High Priority to Achieve Basic Equality”: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming
Additionally, HRC polling data collected by Hart Research Associates shows:
• 58% support laws that would prevent discrimination against LGBTQ people in the workplace
• 58% support laws that would prevent discrimination against LGBTQ people in housing
• 38% of voters incorrectly believe there are federal laws that protect LGBTQ people regarding employment, housing and access to government benefits.
The Human Rights Campaign has teamed up with West Elm to launch a special “Love is Love” collection on Giving Tuesday, a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration.
The "Love is Love" collection includes a trinket dish, candle, dinnerware, ornament and mug.
Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving.
To honor the day, West Elm is committing 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of items in its “Love is Love” line, available online and in stores, including the popular “Love is Love” mug, to HRC’s work protecting historic gains the LGBTQ community has made in recent years, fighting discriminatory laws and practices, and mobilizing members and supporters to advance equality.
For more than a year, half of the proceeds from the sale of the unique mug at West Elm and the rest of the Williams-Sonoma family of brands, as well as other “Love is Love” items, have helped HRC continue its increasingly essential work.
The mug, candle, trinket dish and dinnerware are patterned with multi-colored tiny hearts, while the ornament is filled with multi-colored hearts. On all of the products, the statement “Love is Love” is featured prominently. The “Love Is Love” mug is also available online at the HRC store, with proceeds benefitting the organizations and its work fighting discriminatory laws and practices, and mobilizing members and supporters to advance equality.
Clinton took aim at the White House’s efforts to roll back the Affordable Care Act and ban transgender service members, as well as its silence on international LGBT issues, during her remarks at the national dinner of the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBT rights organization.
…”You know and [Trump] knows that transgender people have fought and died for this country,” Clinton said, adding that it was “insulting and wrong” for his administration to suggest transgender troops are unfit to serve.
Trump’s Justice Department has also argued in court that LGBT people are not protected from discrimination under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, reversing a legal position trumpeted by the Obama administration. It also voted against a United Nations resolution that condemned use of the death penalty against those who engage in consensual same-sex relationships.
“We cannot rely on this administration or the Supreme Court to uphold LGBT rights,” Clinton said. “We need to be agitating to pass the Equality Act,” she added, referring to proposed legislation that would make housing and workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity illegal.
Clinton touched on many other topics, including the upcoming anti-gay Colorado baker lawsuit coming to SCOTUS: “It is just wrong that in 2017 you can lose your job, lose your home, or, if this administration gets its way, be denied a wedding cake simply because of who you are or who you love,” she said.
There's much more, but really, hit the play button below.
The contest called on college students 18+ to submit a video pitch for an LGBT-supportive project they'd like to see at their schools.
The public voted on 15 semi-finalist videos, narrowing the field down to 6 finalists, and the Human Rights Campaign chose the 3 grand prize winners. To watch their submission video click on the hyperlinks.
• Amy Kelley (University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania)
• Leyth Swidan (Columbia University in New York)
• Ryan Wells (Elon University in North Carolina)
The winning projects support the LGBT community and focus on LGBT equality, visibility and/or acceptance on college campuses.
Each of the winning students will receive a $10,000 scholarship, $2,500 in funding to execute their campus project, a semester-long mentorship experience with HRC to help develop their projects, and more.
Additionally, the winners will also be flown to Washington, D.C. to attend the HRC National Dinner on Oct. 28.
But wait - there's more! AT&T is will also contribute $25,000 to the Human Rights Campaign to support their continued efforts to uplift the LGBT community.
Despite weak assertions to the contrary, Donald Trump is no friend of the LGBTQ community.
And the Human Rights Campaign has released this video using his own words to make that clear.
In this week alone, the Trump administration proposed banning all transgender service members from the U.S. military; and, the Justice Department filed a "friend of the court" brief arguing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 offers no protections for LGBTQ folks.
But during the 2016 campaign, Trump attempted to underscore his "friendship" to us.
The Human Rights Campaign has teamed up with the creators of NBC's Will & Grace for a giveaway trip to the show's season premiere taping.
In addition to roundtrip travel and hotel accommodations, the lucky winner and companion will get a behind-the-scenes tour of the set and a meet & greet photo op with the cast.
The iconic Will & Grace ran eight seasons from 1998 until 2006, putting relatable gay and lesbian characters right in the living rooms of millions of Americans.
Sparked by a mini-reunion clip taped during last fall's presidential campaign, NBC has ordered a 10 episode season reboot beginning September 28.
All four original leads - Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Megan Mullally, and Sean Hayes - are returning, as is director James Burrows, who led every episode during the original run.
Head over and make your donation to HRC by clicking here, and check out the latest Will & Grace promo below.
