Anti-LGBTQ Baker Agrees To A Ceasefire With Colorado Civil Rights Commission

Jack Phillips of Masterpiece Cakeshop

Anti-LGBTQ baker Jack Phillips has agreed to call it a draw with the Colorado Civil Rights Commission.

Phillips was brought up on charges by the commission for declining to make a pink and blue cake in 2017 celebrating a transgender woman’s transition.

Autumn Scardina, a Denver attorney, asked Phillips to make a blue and pink cake celebrating both her birthday and the anniversary of her transition.

The commission found, with probable cause, that Phillips had discriminated against Scardina due to her gender identity, a violation of the state’s public accommodation laws.

Phillips filed a counter-lawsuit against the commission alleging persecution for his Christian faith.

On Tuesday, Phillips’ attorneys and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser mutually agreed to drop both legal actions.

Weiser told the local CBS news affiliate that both sides “agreed it was not in anyone’s best interest to move forward with these cases.”

Regarding whether religious beliefs can trump public accommodation laws intended to protect LGBTs from discrimination in his state, Weiser said, “The larger constitutional issues might well be decided down the road, but these cases will not be the vehicle for resolving them.”

“Equal justice for all will continue to be a core value that we will uphold as we enforce our state’s and nation’s civil rights laws,” he added.

But attorneys for the anti-LGBTQ legal organization Alliance Defending Freedom, which represented Phillips, claimed there was “overwhelming evidence” of hostility towards Phillips by the state.

The Denver Post reports Phillips issued a statement saying, “Today is a win for freedom.”

“I have and will always serve everyone who comes into my shop,” added Phillips. “I simply can’t celebrate events or express messages that conflict with my religious beliefs.”

Phillips famously waged a six-year battle with the Colorado Civil Rights Commission after turning away a gay couple seeking a cake to celebrate their marriage in 2012.

The fight went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court where Phillips won in a narrow ruling saying the commission showed anti-religious bias in determining its sanctions on Phillips.

The issue of religious freedoms over LGBT civil rights was not resolved in that case.

The Denver Post notes that the agreement between Phillips and the CCRC does not preclude Scardina from moving ahead with any legal action of her own.

(h/t Denver Post, CBSDenver)

Trump Celebrates The 'Abolition' Of Civil Rights

Donald Trump celebrates the 'abolition' of civil rights

Speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast this morning, Donald Trump celebrated the great strides our country has made thanks to people of faith, like "the abolition of civil rights."

“Since the founding of our nation, many of our greatest strides, from gaining our independence to abolition of civil rights, to extending the vote for women, have been led by people of faith and started in prayer. When we open our hearts to faith we fill our hearts with love.”

In an ironic misspeak, Trump gives people of faith credit for our country's greatest strides, like "the abolition of civil rights." pic.twitter.com/wf8x4qgDr3

— Zack Ford (@ZackFord) February 7, 2019

From the Merriam-Webster Dictionary: Abolition - the act of officially ending or stopping something.

Some pundits say Trump misspoke, but considering the many attacks on LGBTQ civil rights by religious zealots, this seems pretty accurate.

By the way, what is up with Trump's low-energy delivery of this speech? He drops off the ends of sentences like he just has no interest whatsoever in what he's saying.

Linda Brown, Of Brown v. Board Of Education, Passes Away At 76

Linda Brown, became one of the most famous symbols of the 20th century civil rights movement when she was denied registration at the all-white school just a few blocks from her home in 1950, has passed away at the age of 76.

Her parents weren't unhappy with the black school she attended, but were concerned for the long distance Linda had to travel. Over train tracks, a busy road and then a bus ride each day to get to school. And then, the winter would come.

Her father became angry when they were turned away, and thus began a series of events that would result in a historic ruling at the U.S. Supreme Court.

In the desegregation case Brown v. Board of Education, all nine white male justices would rule that "separate but equal" was not and never would be equal.

The 1954 ruling changes decades of educational practices, and still reverberates in schools today.

Even after the ruling, it took three years for black students to enroll in an Arkansas high school. And it was only with a contingent of federal guards that those nine students were able to walk onto the school campus.

Justice Department Says North Carolina "Bathroom Law" Violates US Civil Rights Act

The Justice Department has issued a statement saying North Carolina's recently passed HB2, which prohibits transgender folks from using the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity, violates Title IX, which bars discrimination in education based on sex, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employment discrimination.

Via CNN:

The Justice Department has sent a letter to the governor of North Carolina notifying him that the state's transgender law violates the U.S. Civil Rights Act, according to a Justice Department official.

House Bill 2, the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, puts in place a statewide policy that bans individuals from using public bathrooms that do not correspond to their biological sex. The law also reserves the right to pass nondiscrimination legislation to the state government, saying state laws pre-empt any local ordinances.

Should the ruling be upheld North Carolina stands to lose over $860 million in federal education funds.

State Rep. Chris Sgro, who is also the executive director of Equality NC, issued a statement which said in part, “The letter confirms what we’ve already known – that HB2 is deeply discriminatory, violates federal civil rights law, and needs to be repealed as soon as possible. We’ve already lost $500 million in economic impact and now we are violating federal civil rights law and risking Title VII funding.”

From the letter to North Carolina:

“Title VII prohibits an employer from discriminating against an individual on the basis of sex and from otherwise resisting the full enjoyment of Title VII rights....

“Federal courts and administrative agencies have applied Title VII to discrimination against transgender individuals based on sex, including gender identity....

“Access to sex-segregated restrooms and other workplace facilities consistent with gender identity is a term, condition or privilege of employment. Denying such access to transgender individuals, whose gender identity is different from the gender assigned at birth, while affording it to similarly situated non-transgender employees, violates Title VII …

“HB 2...is facially discriminatory against transgender employees on the basis of sex because it treats transgender employees, whose gender identity does not match their biological sex, as defined by HB2, differently from similarly situated non transgender employees…

Based upon the above, we have concluded that in violation of Title VII, the state is engaged in a pattern or practice of resistance to the full enjoyment of Title VII rights by employees of public agencies…

“Please advise the department, therefore, no later than the close of business on May 9, 2016, whether you will remedy these violations of Title VII including by confirming that the state will not comply with or implement HB2....

No response yet from Gov. Pat McCrory.

Status Of Alabama Counties Issuing Same-Sex Marriage Licenses

The Washington Post shares this update of the current status of counties in Alabama which are (or are not) issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Stay tuned as the situation in Alabama continues to be fluid. Last night in an interview with the AP, Gov. Robert Bentley seemed to be relenting a bit as he seems concerned about how this mess reflects on Alabama as a whole on the issue of civil rights:

The governor noted that Alabama is about to be in the spotlight again with the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which was passed after civil rights marchers were attacked and beaten in Selma, Alabama — events chronicled in the Oscar-nominated movie "Selma."

"I don't want Alabama to be seen as it was 50 years ago when a federal law was defied. I'm not going to do that," Bentley said in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press.

"I'm trying to move this state forward."

In the past hour, the list grew by three as Limestone, Morgan and Elmore counties are now reportedly complying with Judge Granade's ruling.

Department Of Justice Says Title VII Bans Workplace Discrimination Against Transgender People

According to a memo released by US Attorney General Eric Holder, the Department of Justice will now interpret Title VII of the Civil Rights Act as explicitly prohibiting workplace discrimination against transgender people.

The AP reports that "in defending lawsuits, the federal government also will no longer take the position that Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act, which bans sex discrimination, does not protect against workplace discrimination on the basis of gender status."

President Lyndon B. Johnson's daughters believe he would support gay rights today

This week marks the 50th anniversary of the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964.

And in light of that, Katie Couric spoke with the daughters of President Lyndon B. Johnson about the issue of civil rights, and the idea that marriage equality has become the current civil rights fight of today.

Lynda Bird Johnson Robb says that while she doesn't know what her father would think of gay rights today since they weren't on the political landscape at the time, she does know "he really wanted everybody to be able to live up to the best that God gave them.”

Luci Baines Johnson says that she believes he would stand in support of gay rights because he wanted everyone to be treated fairly. “I think my father felt very strongly that when there was bigotry anywhere, prejudice anywhere, all of us lose out,” Johnson said. “Because it's just one more expression of hate.”

Both women share that they personally support the freedom to marry. “I certainly think that, if God made you a homosexual, that you should have love and affection with somebody,” Robb said. “And I would not want to deny anybody that opportunity to be happy.”

Watch the interview below:

Brendon Ayanbadejo on racial and LGBT civil rights

Brendon Ayanbadejo

Brendon Ayanbadejo pens an essay for Think Progress in support for LGBT rights in a manner that few can own as he does.

Many who oppose marriage equality repudiate the idea that this is a "civil rights" argument.  As readers of The Randy Report know, I've often said that when civil rights are assigned through a civil license issued by a civil government, we have an issue of "civil rights."

Read just a portion of Brendon's excellent op-ed:

The relationship we see between McGill and Marie — a young, inter-racial couple in the video — is no different from the relationship between my parents. And my parents’ relationship is no different from the relationship between two LGBT individuals. This video captures these similarities.

I’m an advocate for LGBT individuals because I believe they face the same dilemma many interracial couples faced in the 1960s and before. Today, many LGBT couples are discriminated against for simply being who they are. Some are kicked out of their houses; some are forced to live in fear due to societal pressures.

That’s why a new music video, released today by six-piece chamber rock band Great Caesar, is so inspiring. It’s a moving, courageous video for the song “Don’t Ask Me Why,” that draws parallels between the fight for racial equality and today’s struggle for LGBT rights. I was proud to support the band when they were raising money to make the video and I am even more proud to see the outstanding finished product.

Read the entire essay by Brendon at Think Progress.

President Obama speaks on the 50th Anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have A Dream" speech

From USA Today:

In his address to thousands who gathered on the Washington Mall on Wednesday to mark the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, President Obama paid tribute to civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and to the anonymous millions who stood by King's side during the civil rights fight of the 1960s.

Obama remembered those who could not marry the ones they loved because of so-called anti-miscegenation laws, African-American soldiers who fought for freedom abroad that they could not enjoy on U.S. soil and white Americans who could not stand by discrimination and sacrificed sometimes with their own blood.

"Because they marched, America became more free and more fair," Obama said. "Not just for African-Americans but for women and Latinos, Asians and Native Americans, for Catholics, Jews and Muslims, for gays, for Americans with disabilities. America changed for you and for me. And the entire word drew strength from that example."

Before Obama took the stage on Wednesday, former presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton offered stirring tributes to King.

Martin Luther King - I Have a Dream on August 28, 1963

50 years ago today.

Folks on the interwebs are playing the #Ihaveadream theme, so here's mine:

I have a dream that passion, courage and conviction become the norm; that apathy for inequality falls away; that we reach a time where we wonder why equal rights for all was a difficult concept for some to grasp.

Forward.

Let it ring.

93 years ago today...

93 years ago today, the 19th amendment was ratified, guaranteeing women the right to vote.

Interestingly, many states did not officially ratify the legislation for decades.  Mississippi did not ratify the amendment until May of 1984.

President Obama sits on the Rosa Parks bus

Click to enlarge pic - Photo by Pete Souza

During his trip to Detroit, yesterday, President Obama visited the Henry Ford Museum and had the opportunity to sit in the bus where in 1955 Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to make way for a white customer. That moment sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott and fueled the civil rights movement that made it possible for Barack Obama to become president.

Talk about a glimpse into the time and space continuum: from where it all began, to what "could be."

The picture speaks for itself, but here's what the President had to say about his visit:

"I just sat in there for a moment and pondered the courage and tenacity that is part of our very recent history, but is also part of that long line of folks who sometimes are nameless, oftentimes didn't make the history books, but who constantly insisted on their dignity, their share of the American dream."
(source)