Category: LGBTQ rights

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Trump To Supreme Court: It’s Ok To Fire Employees For Being LGBTQ

The Trump administration, in its never-ending campaign against LGBTQ rights, has filed a brief in support of allowing private companies to legally fire employees based solely on their sexual orientation. The Trump administration, in its never-ending campaign against LGBTQ rights, has filed a brief in support of allowing private companies to legally fire employees based solely on their sexual orientation. From Dominic Holden at Buzzfeed News:

An amicus brief filed by the Justice Department weighed in on two cases involving gay workers and what is meant by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bans discrimination “because of sex.” The administration argued courts nationwide should stop reading the civil rights law to protect gay, lesbian, and bisexual workers from bias because it was not originally intended to do so.

That view conflicts with some lower court rulings that found targeting someone for their sexual orientation is an illegal form of both sex discrimination and sex stereotyping under Title VII. Those courts have found, to illustrate the point, that a gay man wouldn’t be targeted if he were instead a woman dating a man; thus he faced discrimination because of his sex.

But the administration said in its brief Friday that Title VII’s ban on sex discrimination only prohibits unequal treatment between “biological sexes,” as it argued last week in a related brief against transgender rights, in which the Justice Department said companies should be able to fire people because they are transgender as well.

Earlier this week, the Donald sidestepped a question about his administration’s position on the cases claiming he has deep support from LGBTQ Americans. “I think I’ve done really very well with that community,” said Trump citing his endorsement by the conservative LGBTQ group Log Cabin Republicans. “They like the job I’m doing.” The U.S. Supreme Court will hear the cases beginning October 8.

(lead image: public domain via Flickr/White House)

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Arkansas Follows Indiana – Passes “License To Discriminate” Bill

Arkansas passed a religious freedom bill on Tuesday that is similar to an Indiana law that has faced national backlash for legalizing discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Continue reading “Arkansas Follows Indiana – Passes “License To Discriminate” Bill”

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Scott Fujita on marriage equality – ‘Why is common sense not enough?’

Scott Fujita, an 11-year N.F.L. veteran and an ambassador for Athlete Ally, which fights homophobia in sports, has written a powerful op-ed for the New York Times on the subject of marriage equality and the many examples he plans to use to explain to his young daughters how and why discrimination against gay marriage existed and the progress that has been made. From the New York Times:

I support marriage equality for so many reasons: my father’s experience in an internment camp and the racial intolerance his family experienced during and after the war, the gay friends I have who are really not all that different from me, and also because of a story I read a few years back about a woman who was denied the right to visit her partner of 15 years when she was stuck in a hospital bed. My belief is rooted in a childhood nurtured by a Christian message of love, compassion and acceptance. It’s grounded in the fact that I was adopted and know there are thousands of children institutionalized in various foster programs, in desperate need of permanent, safe and loving homes, but living in states that refuse to allow unmarried couples, including gays and lesbians, to adopt because they consider them not fit to be parents. In articulating all my feelings about marriage equality, I almost don’t know where to begin. And perhaps that’s part of the problem. Why do we have to explain ourselves when it comes to issues of fairness and equality? Why is common sense not enough?

Read the entire essay here. In December 2011, Fujita recorded a video for Americans for Marriage Equality:

In 2009, Fujita was named the New Orleans Saints’ “Man of the Year” for his contributions on the field and in the community. Thank you, Scott Fujita.

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Cleve Jones & David Mixner call for peaceful demonstrations regarding DOMA/Prop 8 SCOTUS cases

LGBTQ activist and author David Mixner Longtime LGBT activists Cleve Jones and David Mixner have posted “a call to action”, calling for local demonstrations and grassroots actions around the time the Supreme Court will hear the Prop 8 and DOMA cases on March 26 and 27. From Jones and Mixner: “Between us, we have over 80 years of experience in the movement for peace and social justice. In particular, as gay men, we have fought for the rights and dignity of our own community, known today as LGBT. We do not claim that age necessarily brings wisdom, but it does bring memories and we have many… Now is the time, once again, to recognize the unique moment before us and to act with the greatest power and intelligence possible.” The activists say the best way to deal with the rally being organized by the anti-gay National Organization to Marriage is to “ignore them.” Instead, they “encourage all LGBT advocates and all fair-minded Americans who believe in equality and justice to take part in public actions on during the last week of March.” Link to Facebook page: National Equality Action. (source)

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Hungary Bans Same-Sex Marriage In New Constitution

Hungarian lawmakers approved a new constitution Monday that was blasted by rights groups and the political opposition for measures considered extremely conservative. Some of the changes to the current constitution include: * Ban on same-sex marriage * Protects the life of a fetus from conception opening the possibility to future ban or restriction on abortion * Ban on discrimination does not include age or sexual orientation * Tax and pension law changes require a two-thirds majority “We’ve just participated in a historical moment,” parliamentary speaker Laszlo Kover said moments after the bill was approved 262-44. “The new constitution is built upon our past and traditions, but seeks and contains answers to current problems while keeping an eye on the future.” Hungary’s current constitution dates from 1949, near the start of the communist regime but it was almost fully rewritten during the 1989 transition to democracy. Hungary assumed the six-month rotating presidency of the EU in January.

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Hawaii: State Senate approves Civil Unions

The capitol building in Hawaii

The state senate of Hawaii approved a bill for civil unions The state senate of Hawaii just approved a bill for civil unions by a margin of 19-6.  Now the bill goes to the state House for approval.  Good news for everyone. Gov. Abercrombie has said he supports civil unions and will sign the bill. Update: LGBT advocates applaud passage of marriage equality in Hawaii