NAdine Achoui-Lesage & Greg Keller

Three times in the last two days, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio campaigned for president on his opposition to nationwide marriage equality and overturning the Supreme Court’s historic decision last June, reports the HRC.

During the Republican debate in Greenville, South Carolina  on Saturday, Rubio twice invoked his opposition to marriage equality. Near the beginning  of the debate, Rubio called Justice Antonin Scalia’s dissent in Obergefell “brilliant.”

And then, in his closing statement, Rubio said, “We are going to be a country that says that, ‘life begins at conception and life is worthy of the protection of our laws.’ We’re going to be a country that says ‘that marriage is between one man and one woman.’”

Rubio doubled down on his opposition to marriage equality in an interview on CNN’s State of the Union, saying of Obergefell, “I disagree with the decision. I’ve always said I think it’s bad law.”

On the campaign trail, Rubio has consistently said he will appoint Supreme Court justices  who would overturn nationwide marriage equality.

Marriage Equality USA (MEUSA) and Freedom for All Americans (FFAA) have announced that FFAA will serve as the new coalition chair of NEAT, the National Equality Action Team. MEUSA, the previous chair of the coalition, will be closing as an organization this Spring and has transferred its network and resources to FFAA.

NEAT is a grassroots field program that mobilizes supporters of LGBTQ equality and allows anyone, no matter where they live, to play a role in historic campaigns by providing opportunities to engage in direct action, including phone banks, canvassing, and knocking on doors. NEAT was originally formed in 2012 to provide support to ballot campaigns on marriage. Its focus will now permanently shift to LGBTQ nondiscrimination campaigns, beginning with current legislative fights in the 2016 session.

“As opponents to LGBTQ equality attempt to roll back protections in a post-marriage landscape, Freedom for All Americans is the perfect new home for NEAT’s advocacy and work,” said Brian Silva, executive director of Marriage Equality USA. “No person should be fired from their job, denied services at a business, or kicked out of their home because of who they are or who they love. NEAT works closely with other organizations and volunteers to ensure that no matter where you live or what the status of nondiscrimination laws are in your state, you can get involved and be a part of advancing equality in America.”

Silva will continue to serve as director of the program for Freedom for All Americans.

NEAT consists of an innovative coalition of approximately 50 national, regional and local organizations and hundreds of individual organizers, and to date has contributed over 100,000 phone calls and actions in 15 marriage campaigns in order to change hearts and minds and contribute to victories. NEAT’s actions are done in coordination with the local campaigns and leadership.

“Legislatures reconvened only a few weeks ago and already in 2016 we have seen serious attacks on LGBT people in America, with a particularly horrifying focus on transgender children in schools,” said Matt McTighe, executive director of Freedom for All Americans. “There is no better time to collaborate with a coalition like NEAT, which empowers local advocates to participate in actions that have a direct and immediate impact on campaigns. A majority of people across the country support nondiscrimination protections for LGBT people, and it’s critical that individual Americans make their voices heard and do their part.”

NEAT’s work is already underway in Massachusetts, where a bill is pending that would ensure that transgender people cannot be turned away or denied service at a public place on the basis of their gender identity; and in Florida, where advocates are working to update Florida’s nondiscrimination laws to include sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. For more information, visit www.theNEAT.org.

Andrew Cuomo

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo will use the authority of his office to take historic action protecting LGBTQ youth in the Empire State from the dangerous and discredited practice of so-called “conversion therapy.”  As the first governor to use his executive authority to protect LGBTQ youth from the widely denounced practice, under his direction, three state agencies will take separate actions.

Under Gov. Cuomo’s leadership, the New York State Department of Financial Services will issue regulations prohibiting insurance providers from covering conversion therapy on patients under the age of 18. The New York State Office of Mental Health will prohibit mental health providers from using conversion therapy on youth under the age of 18, and violations of these important protections will result in revocation of licenses. The New York State Department of Health will also take separate action to declare the abusive practice is not covered by the New York State Medicaid plan since it is never medically necessary care.

Claims by practitioners of so-called conversion therapy — that they can change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity or expression — have been soundly rejected by every major medical and mental health association, including the American Medical Association and American Psychological Association. Last April, the White House called for an end to the practice, and in May, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-CA) introduced the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act – federal legislation that would prohibit the practice of conversion therapy on any person in exchange for monetary compensation. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) also released a report definitively denouncing “conversion therapy” last October.

“Gov. Cuomo continues to cement his role as one of the LGBT community’s strongest allies by taking this enormous step to end a practice that is tantamount to child abuse,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “No young person should be coerced or subjected to this dangerous so-called therapy, which has been linked to youth substance abuse, depression, homelessness, and even suicide.”

“With leaders like Governor Cuomo, we’re on on our way to putting an end to this horrible practice.”

From fighting for marriage equality to combating HIV and AIDS, to removing obstacles and improving opportunities for transgender people, Gov. Cuomo has made LGBT equality a core part of his agenda since the beginning of his tenure. Last fall, he used the authority of his office to take a historic step by extending crucial non-discrimination protections to transgender New Yorkers and visitors to the state in employment, housing, and public services and spaces. Building upon state and federal case law, Governor Cuomo’s administration issued regulations clarifying that gender identity is included in the definitions of sex and disability, which are protected under current state non-discrimination law. With today’s news, he continues his pro-equality legacy by standing with LGBTQ youth in New York.

Six other jurisdictions have taken action to end this dangerous practice on minors. Laws banning conversion therapy have been passed in California, New Jersey, the District of Columbia, Oregon, Illinois, and the city of Cincinnati, Ohio.

HRC and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) have partnered with state equality groups across the nation to pass state legislation protecting youth from conversion therapy. The organizations have also released first-of-its-kind sample legislation for state legislators and equality advocates that draws from best practices in the jurisdictions that have passed successful laws, the more than 20 states that have introduced similar bills, the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act, and the experience of legal experts working on this vitally important issue.

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) in partnership with the Equality Federation, today released its second annual national report assessing the status of state legislation affecting LGBT equality across America, including in California.

The State Equality Index (SEI) reveals that, even with historic progress on marriage equality, there are extraordinary state-to-state disparities in LGBT non-discrimination protections, including in the workplace, and efforts continue by equality opponents to pass state-level legislation that would sanction discrimination and undermine even minimal existing protections.

“Even with marriage equality the law of the land, the battle for LGBT rights at the state level continues to be a story of successes and setbacks,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “Though a number of states are expanding access to non-discrimination protections for LGBT people and their families, a majority of states are still struggling to reach even a basic level of equality for LGBT people.”

“This year will be one of our most challenging yet, with our opponents in more than two dozen states pushing deeply harmful laws that undermine critical protections in the guise of ‘religious liberty,’” Griffin said. “Equally troubling are disgraceful bills targeting the transgender community — from preventing transgender people from using public facilities, including bathrooms, that accord with their gender identity, to denying them the ability to make gender and name changes on crucial identification documents.”

While more than 111 million people live in states where LGBT people lack clear state-level protections against discrimination in the workplace, the SEI points to a few encouraging signs – particularly in areas related to LGBTQ youth, health, and safety. States like Utah, New York, and Illinois expanded access to equality for LGBT people and their families, while others strengthened existing hate crimes laws, improved access to transgender-inclusive healthcare coverage, and protected LGBT youth from harmful “conversion therapy”.

The SEI assesses statewide LGBT-related legislation and policies, good and bad, in five areas: parenting laws and policies; non-discrimination laws; hate crimes 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.

California falls into the highest-performing category, “Working Toward Innovative Equality.”

Six states and the District of Columbia are in the highest-rated category, “Working Toward Innovative Equality”

These states and the nation’s capital have robust LGBT non-discrimination laws covering employment, housing and public accommodations, as well as protections in the realm of credit, insurance, and jury selection. Most allow transgender people to change official documents to reflect their gender identity. Almost all bar private insurers from banning transition-related healthcare. LGBT youth are protected by anti-bullying laws, as well as innovative measures in some states that address conversion therapy, inclusive juvenile justice policies, homelessness, and sexual education. The states are: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Oregon, and Washington.

Six states are in the category “Solidifying Equality”

These states have non-discrimination protections and are considered high-performing but not cutting edge on LGBT equality. Many of these states allow transgender individuals to change gender markers on official documents. More than half do not allow second parent adoption. These states have relatively robust anti-bullying laws, but bad laws begin to crop up in this category. The states are: Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont.

Ten states are in the category “Building Equality”

These states have taken steps toward more robust LGBT equality, including passing basic non-discrimination and hate crimes laws. They allow gender markers to be changed on official documents, but have few protections for transgender health care. Some lack explicit gender identity protections, and several lack comprehensive anti-bullying laws. Bad laws are more common, so advocates work to stop bills that undermine LGBT equality, and to pass more comprehensive non-discrimination laws. The states are: Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Utah, and Wisconsin.

Twenty-eight states are in the lowest-rated category “High Priority to Achieve Basic Equality”

Most of these states, including Arizona, North Carolina, Texas, and Florida, have many laws that undermine LGBT equality, from those that criminalize HIV and sodomy, to measures allowing religious-based discrimination against LGBT people. None have non-discrimination laws that explicitly include sexual orientation or gender identity protections; few have hate crime laws with those protections. LGBT advocates largely work to kill bad bills and pass municipal protections for LGBT people.

“While it’s gratifying to see California again ranked among the best of states in terms of LGBT equality, the State Equality Index also highlights a number of gaps that remain in the laws that protect our community,” said Rick Zbur, Executive Director of Equality California. “California is still one of the few states that does not mandate schools to have suicide presentation programs, an important goal to increase LGBT acceptance and reduce high LGBT dropout rates. Although the state of California adopted AB 959, which for the first time required data collection regarding sexual orientation and gender identity by certain California health and social services agencies, there is more work to be done in this area. Equality California is preparing a robust legislative agenda that addresses these deficiencies and that includes new, innovative legislation. One of these will be a bill to modernize HIV criminal laws that stigmatize and discriminate against people living with HIV.”

The full report, including detailed scorecards for every state, is available online at ww.hrc.org/sei.