HRC Blog

This past Saturday, fifteen volunteers braved heavy rains and mobilized across boroughs to collect petition signatures and help constituents make phone calls to Sen. Joe Addabbo in support of full marriage rights for all New Yorkers! Members of the Manhattan Young Democrats, Marriage Equality New York, and Log Cabin Republicans were decked out in a colorful array of rain gear to bring the message of marriage equality to shoppers at the Metro Mall in Middle Village, Queens. Despite the elements, we collected more than 200 postcards and placed dozens of phone calls to Sen. Addabbo’s office! News crews were present from NY1, ABC 7, and the Queens Chronicle. Click here to check out the NY1 piece.

Famed director and choreographer Bill T. Jones has joined forces with HRC in a video supporting marriage equality in New York. The Kennedy Center Honors recipient and multiple Tony Award winner acknowledges that marriage is a fundamental right and says, “In our society, there are no second class citizens.”

The National Organization for Marriage was pretty thrilled when Former Solicitor General Paul Clement and his (at the time) law firm King & Spalding agreed to take up defense of DOMA on behalf of House Republicans. Now that King & Spalding has rightly decided to withdrawal itself from the case, NOM is none too happy. Clement is jumping to another firm and continuing his work to keep DOMA on the books, but King & Spalding’s move sends a powerful message.

The following post is from New Hampshire field organizer Katie Drapcho: Not only has the newly elected conservative majority in the New Hampshire legislature tried to repeal marriage equality, they are also taking aim at the anti-bullying bill that passed with bi-partisan support in 2010, and is regarded by anti-bullying organizations as a national example of a proactive and inclusive policy. It contains specific protections for LGBT students and allows schools to address cyber and off-campus bullying that interferes with a student's education.

This morning, on the eve of the legislative crossover deadline, the Nevada State Senate considered three bills that would add transgender protections to the state’s law books. SB368, legislation that would add protection in housing on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression passed with a bipartisan vote of 13-8. SB331, which would prohibit discrimination in places of public accommodation on the basis of gender identity or expression, passed on party lines with all eleven Democrats voting in favor. Unfortunately, SB180, which would expand the state’s hate crimes law to include gender identity or expression fell one vote short of passage.