The Resistance Report: July 28, 2017

by HRC Staff •

The Resistance Report provides bi-monthly updates on the latest actions HRC is taking to unite, resist and enlist against the injustices happening to the LGBTQ community on the federal, state and local levels.

Post submitted by Brian McBride, former HRC Digital Strategist 

The Resistance Report provides bi-monthly updates on the latest actions HRC is taking to unite, resist and enlist against the injustices happening to the LGBTQ community on the federal, state and local levels. As part of HRC Rising’s mobilization efforts, we will activate our grassroots force of more than 3 million in virtually every state coast-to-coast to fighting discriminatory legislation and legislators, to protesting and marching in cities nationwide -- we are fighting everyday to ensure full equality and justice is achieved for everyone, everywhere.

Victory! HRC Community Mobilizes to Bring Down ACA Repeal

In a major victory for the resistance, we helped save the Affordable Care Act thanks to the more than 50,000 HRC members and supporters who worked tirelessly to log calls and emails to congressional offices on both sides of the aisle. The Trump-Pence-McConnell proposal would have caused insurance premiums to skyrocket and leave millions of Americans uninsured, with a particularly devastating impact on low-income senior citizens, women, children, LGBTQ people and those living with HIV. For months, HRC joined other key civil rights and health care organizations in letters to the Senate and at ACA rallies across the country emphasizing the need to protect Medicaid.

Protecting Transgender Service Members From Trump’s All Out Assault

This week, Trump made the unconscionable and dangerous decision via Twitter to enact a ban on qualified transgender service members from serving “in any capacity” in the military.

The backlash has been swift and immense. HRC, the National Center for Transgender Equality, and members of Congress from both sides of the aisle held a press conference on Capitol Hill in response to Trump’s dangerous move.

Within the first day of the news breaking, more than 20,000 HRC supporters made calls to the White House -- and the calls continue to grow. If the Department of Defense enacts this reprehensible and unpatriotic action, it could result in the discharge of more than 15,000 transgender Americans currently serving our country at this critical time.

While dozens of Senators and House members expressed their outrage over the move, other prominent figures like Eric Fanning -- the first openly gay Secretary of the Army -- took over our twitter account for a #HRCTwitterTakeover to denounce Trump’s “reckless decision.”

HRC Rallies for All LGBTQ Texans in the Lone Star State

Radical members of the Texas Senate were successful in advancing a patently anti-LGBTQ bill to the House. The measure -- SB3 -- mandates HB2-style discrimination in any multiple-occupancy restroom or locker room in any property owned by a city, county, school district or other political subdivision. It especially attacks transgender Texans.

Additionally, it would overturn LGBTQ-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinances protecting millions of people across Texas in cities including Austin, San Antonio, Dallas and Fort Worth insofar as those ordinances protect people from discrimination in bathrooms.

Since the special session began last week, HRC has been on the ground monitoring the latest developments happening in the state’s capitol. Despite countless hours of testimony, protests and broad opposition -- including from businesses, sports leagues, parents, and faith leaders -- the Texas Senate and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick appear to be fine with establishing Texas as the next North Carolina. HRC will continue to fight this harmful bill as it moves to the House.

DNC Breakout Stars Unite One Year Later to Commemorate the Historic Night

Amidst ongoing attacks on the rights of marginalized Americans, HRC released an inspiring video message featuring many of the breakout stars from the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Their message of hope and power marks the one-year anniversary of the final night of the convention, which featured the moving address by Gold Star father Khizr Khan and the groundbreaking speech by HRC’s National Press Secretary Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender person in U.S. history to address a major party convention.

We are resisting the politics of hate across the nation. Each and every day, HRC and our grassroots supporters are harnessing the full power of our democracy to protect our progress and resist. Check back for our next Resistance Report on HRC’s continued fight for full LGBTQ equality. 

Topics:
Federal Advocacy
State & Local Advocacy

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