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by Allison Turner •
Bigoted Trump spews white supremacist hatred; AZ Senate - Arpaio, Ward & McSally share dangerous agenda
UNHINGED -- TRUMP SPEWS RACIST HATRED (AGAIN): Can something be shockingly vile, yet still not a surprise? If it involves Trump, the answer is a clear “yes.” Trump’s vulgar, racist assertions about Haiti and African nations during a White House meeting yesterday are tragically consistent with his longtime disparagement of people of color, immigrants, Muslims and others -- and his disgusting characterization of white supremacists who marched in Charlottesville, Virginia, last August as “very fine people.” Said HRC President Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin), “Donald Trump is the definition of a bigot. His racist and vile views are a disgrace to the presidency and this nation. It’s time every elected official call him what he is.”
Without a doubt, we have a bigoted and dangerously unstable President of the United States whose moral compass is centered around white supremacy.
— Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin) January 12, 2018
ARIZONA SENATE -- ARPAIO, WARD & MCSALLY SHARE DANGEROUS AGENDA: All support giving businesses a license to discriminate, and oppose marriage equality and nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people. “There’s absolutely no question about who Arizonans should be supporting,” said HRC Senior Vice President for Policy and Political Affairs JoDee Winterhof. “They can either support Kyrsten Sinema, a proven champion of equality who has worked her entire career to ensure that every person can achieve the American dream, or Arpaio, Ward and McSally, who, time and time again, have supported discrimination against LGBTQ people.” A majority of Arizona voters -- by a margin of 51-to-10, according to new HRC polling -- say that knowing a candidate is anti-LGBTQ makes them less likely to support that candidate. More from HRC.
HRC ANNOUNCES SPECIAL GUESTS AT TIME TO THRIVE CONFERENCE ON LGBTQ YOUTH SAFETY AND INCLUSION: They include trans athlete Chris Mosier; Native American dancers Adrian Stevens and Sean Snyder; advocates Judy and Dennis Shepard of the Matthew Shepard Foundation; and performer Johnny Manuel. They will join Gavin Grimm, the transgender trailblazer who is being honored at the conference with HRC’s Upstander Award. “Spanning arenas and cultural backgrounds across the U.S. and beyond, these special Time to THRIVE guests are doing the vital work to ensure that LGBTQ young people are able to live, learn and thrive in environments that respect every aspect of their identity,” said Vincent Pompei, Director of HRC's Youth Well-Being Project and Time to THRIVE conference chair. The fifth annual gathering for educators, counselors and other youth-serving professionals to be held February 16-18 in Orlando. More from HRC.
FEEL GOOD FRIDAY: ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY -- MORE THAN 100 CEOS CALL FOR A CLEAN DREAM ACT: In a letter to congressional leadership, the CEOs of more than 100 major companies -- including IBM, General Motors, Facebook and Dropbox -- demanded legislation protecting the status of Dreamers. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) was created by the Obama administration in 2012 to protect 800,000 young people who were brought to the U.S. as children. Among those who would be affected by DACA’s rollback are 36,000 LGBTQ recipients. With every day they delay, lawmakers are putting more and more people at risk of deportation. More from CNBC.
Rescinding DACA endangers the lives of thousands of young #LGBTQ #Dreamers at risk of deportation. @HRC urges Congress to pass the #DreamActNow. https://t.co/relFVvxFbD
— HumanRightsCampaign (@HRC) January 11, 2018
OUR CONDOLENCES TO ELLEN DEGENERES ON DEATH OF HER FATHER:
.@TheEllenShow We are so sorry to hear about the passing of your dad. Our thoughts are with you and your family. ❣️ https://t.co/R5FSQQGwlN
— HumanRightsCampaign (@HRC) January 12, 2018
BIG DEAL -- EUROPEAN UNION’S TOP COURT SAYS RIGHTS OF SAME-SEX SPOUSES SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED THROUGHOUT EU: This important ruling states that even EU countries without marriage equality should recognize the residency rights of same-sex spouses. The decision stems from a case in which Romanian authorities refused a residency permit for Clai Hamilton, an American who married his Romanian husband in Brussels. More from BBC.
298 DAYS UNTIL ELECTION DAY AND LGBTQ CANDIDATES ARE FEELING CONFIDENT: Polling and historic models are indicating that 2018 will be a strong year for Democratic victories, including in races with LGBTQ candidates. More from The Washington Blade.
HIGH ALERT -- TENNESSEE LAWMAKERS CONSIDERING ANTI-TRANSGENDER BILLS: State Representative Gerald McCormick has introduced legislation that would dedicate taxpayer money and resources to defend schools with transphobic rules regarding student use of sex-segregated facilities. The Tennessee Equality Project is calling the bill a “new twist on the old anti-transgender bathroom bill” and is calling on McCormick to withdraw the bill. More from the (Chattanooga) Times Free Press.
HRC MOURNS LGBTQ ADVOCATE MATT PALAZZOLO: Palazzolo, 33, was a longtime member of West Hollywood’s Lesbian and Gay Advisory Board, as well as a member of the Christopher Street West board. He also fought against California’s Prop 8 in 2008. More from Queerty.
ONLINE HEALTH CARE GIVES TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY MORE, BETTER OPTIONS: As health care providers explore online tools for treating patients, many transgender people are turning to their computers for competent, accepting care. More from Vice.
NEW EXCHANGE-TRADED FUND (EFT) WILL INVEST IN PRO-LGBTQ COMPANIES: The InsightShares LGBT Employment Equality ETF uses HRC’s Corporate Equality Index to pick companies in which to invest. More from Bloomberg.
DANCE INTO YOUR WEEKEND WITH TROYE SIVAN’S NEW HIT: Openly gay singer/songwriter Sivan (@troyesivan) is a supporter of HRC. Watch here.
BLOOD BAN ON GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN LIFTED IN ISRAEL: Last year, the policy was changed to allow men who had not had sex with other men for a year to donate. Now, all blood will be double-checked for infectious diseases at the time of donation, without discriminating against the donor. More from Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
READING RAINBOW
The Guardian reports on lesbian and bisexual women in Ghana facing family-based violence; Forward shares the experience of Jewish transgender people;
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