Steve Lee

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House Freedom Caucus Attempts to Revoke Important LGBTQ Protections

  The House Freedom Caucus is attempting to end two crucially important protections for LGBTQ people at the federal level. As part of a document outlining more than 200 rules, regulations and executive orders they want revoked, the caucus targeted federal guidance on the fair and equal treatment of transgender students from the Department of Education, as well as non-discrimination protections in the Affordable Care Act. The House Freedom Caucus is targeting U.S. Department of Education guidance offered to schools in May clarifying that transgender students have the right to be free from discrimination in public and federally-funded schools, including the ability to use […]

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Mayor Garcetti Anounces Investment in Economic Opportunity for Transgender Angelenos

Eric Garcetti — The City of Los Angeles has dedicated $290,000 toward addressing disproportionately high rates of unemployment in the transgender community, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Wednesday. Allocated by the Workforce Development Board, the funds will boost employment services that the TransLatin@ Coalition, in partnership with Special Services for Groups, and the Los Angeles LGBT Center offer to transgender Angelenos and LGBT homeless youth. They will also be used to conduct a needs assessment to guide efforts by the Economic and Workforce Development Department to connect trans Angelenos to training, employment, and career opportunities. “Opportunity is for everyone in Los […]

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New Transgender Awareness Course Seeks to End Widespread Workplace Discrimination

The rights of transgender Americans have never been so hotly debated. Whether in the military, in schools, in athletics or in the workplace, ending transgender discrimination has become one of the civil rights causes of this decade. And with a new estimate out last week that there are 1.4 million transgender Americans – double previous figures – it’s an issue that touches every community in the country. Now an experienced transgender awareness trainer is teaming up with education marketplace ZipMart to launch a first-of-its-kind, HR Certification Institute-approved course to help businesses create a truly inclusive workplace – and understand their […]

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Educators Double Down on Protecting Rights of LGBTQ Students and Members

In light of the recent murder of 49 Latino and Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ) people in Orlando, Fla., and on the heels of escalating and unprecedented misguided legislative efforts to pass discriminatory laws, the nearly 7,000 delegates at the National Education Association (NEA) Representative Assembly (RA) Monday approved a new business item calling on the Association to join a national effort to prevent acts of violence targeted at LGBTQ individuals and to protect their civil rights. The RA is the top decision-making body for the 3 million-member National Education Association. Lily Eskelsen Garcia Photo: Calvin Knight […]

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State Senate Approves Bill Requiring CSU, Community College Job Candidates to Reveal Sexual Harassment Past

California’s State Senate has approved a measure to require California State University (CSU) and community college academic or administrative job applicants to disclose whether any final administrative or judicial action found them guilty of sexual harassment. “My bill, SB 1439, puts a wrench in the ‘pass the harasser’ cycle that protects predators in our state higher education systems,” said Sen. Marty Block, the measure’s author. “Pass the harasser is a pattern of bad actors leaving a university to seek employment elsewhere when their actions gain notoriety. These harassers get away with it because they don’t tell; hiring committees don’t know […]

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VA Proposes Rule Change to Lift Ban on Gender Confirmation Surgery for Transgender Veterans

The American Military Partner Association (AMPA), the nation’s largest organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) military families has welcomed the news that the U.S. Department of Veterans (VA) is proposing a rule change to lift its outdated ban on gender confirmation surgery for transgender veterans. “This is incredibly welcome news for so many transgender veterans and their families,” said AMPA President Ashley Broadway-Mack. “So many veterans rely on the VA for important medical care that they have earned serving our nation, including transgender veterans. Gender confirmation surgery is often a critically important and medically necessary treatment for transgender veterans, […]

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Equality Forum to Hold LGBT Civil Rights Summit During Democratic National Convention

Against the backdrop of a major, national audience, Equality Forum, the nation’s oldest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights summit, announced plans today for this year’s summit to be held July 25 through July 28 during the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pa.  Equality Forum 2016 will bring together elected officials, newsmakers and LGBT experts for groundbreaking panel discussions on the state and future of the LGBT movement, as well as two historic marker dedications and award ceremonies. “The stakes couldn’t be higher this election season for LGBT equality and the Equality Forum gives us a front-row seat […]

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California Legislature Approves Bill Allowing Donation of HIV-positive Organs

The California legislature passed a bill that would allow organ transplants between HIV-positive donors and HIV-positive recipients.  Senate Bill (SB) 1408, authored by Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) and co-sponsored by Equality California, AIDS Project Los Angeles, the Los Angeles LGBT Center, and Positive Women’s Network-USA, would bring state law in line with federal law. The bill passed both the Assembly and the Senate unanimously. “These lifesaving surgeries have been proven safe and are now allowable under federal law,” said Sen. Allen.  “There is no reason for state law to maintain an antiquated prohibition on organ donation by HIV-positive persons.  […]

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Anti-LGBT World Congress of Families gears up for its 10th International Congress

Last October, the anti-LGBT hate group World Congress of Families (WCF) held its ninth international congress in Salt Lake City, a gathering that attracts thousands of anti-LGBT and anti-abortion speakers and activists from around the globe, reports the Southern Poverty Law Center. The gathering traditionally functions as a key site of right-wing strategy development to curtail or roll back LGBT equality gains and restrict or deny women access to abortion and related healthcare, attracting religious and political leaders. Six months later, WCF will hold its tenth congress in Tbilisi, Georgia, beginning Sunday, a date close to the anniversary of a […]

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Mississippi Outed for High Gay Porn Consumption

  The high consumption of gay pornography by residents of Mississippi on adult e-tail Web site GameLink.com is in stark contrast with the state’s recently signed anti-gay measures. Mississippi ranks #6 in the United States for gay pornography viewed on GameLink.com. The new laws give businesses, and even some health care providers, the right to refuse service to gay couples based on religious principles. The laws were presented, voted on, and signed in a short 12-hour window on March 24. “Our user data show Mississippi has been consuming gay and transsexual pornography at a high rate in comparison to the […]

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