#AM_Equality Tipsheet: February 1, 2018

by Allison Turner

HRC President issues call to action following Trump’s SOTU; HRC endorses NY Senator Kirsten Gillibrand for re-election

MUST WATCH -- HRC PRESIDENT CHAD GRIFFIN ISSUES CALL TO ACTION FOLLOWING TRUMP’S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS: “Donald Trump’s State of the Union address was yet another glimpse into the psyche of a man out of touch with the majority of Americans,” said Griffin (@ChadHGriffin). “But we didn’t need to hear Trump’s speech to know the consequences of the hate-fueled agenda he and Mike Pence have pursued. We've all lived it for an entire year now. And we continue to reject their dark, dark vision for this country. But if last night left you feeling dispirited, angry, or in disbelief at the mistruths and dangerous rhetoric, there’s something you can do about it -- help us continue turning this resistance into action and turn the tables in 2018 and beyond.” More from HRC.

HRC ENDORSES NY SENATOR KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND FOR RE-ELECTION: Said HRC President Chad Griffin: “Senator Gillibrand has spent her career fighting for equality -- for LGBTQ people, for workers, for women and for families. From fighting back against Donald Trump’s transgender military ban to pushing for LGBTQ non-discrimination protections through the Equality Act, she fights for what’s right and she never backs down. New Yorkers and all Americans need her leadership now more than ever before as we pull the emergency brake on the Trump-Pence administration’s hate-fueled agenda.” More from HRC.

TODAY -- WE MARK THE BEGINNING OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH: On this day in 1968, Memphis sanitation workers Echol Cole and Robert Walker were killed by a malfunctioning truck compactor. The tragedy triggered a strike by the city’s 1,300 sanitation workers, who had warned officials about dangerous equipment and were fed up with poverty wages and racial discrimination. They walked off the job, marching under the banner: I AM A MAN. As we begin Black History Month, HRC recommits to fighting bias and discrimination in all forms, including many of the unique challenges facing LGBTQ communities of color. More from HRC.

TRUMP-PENCE ADMIN IS RETREATING FROM U.S. LEADERSHIP ON GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY: The most serious crisis for international human rights and democracy in decades unfolded in 2017, according to the nonpartisan watchdog Freedom House, which noted the Trump-Pence Administration’s failure to maintain the longtime international status of the U.S. “as both a champion and an exemplar of democracy.” More from HRC.

  • And domestically, the White House is also undermining human rights: Check out this timeline by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights of the Trump-Pence administration’s anti-civil rights actions from Wisconsin Gazette.
  • And for more information on the Trump administration’s actions harming LGBTQ people check out this timeline from HRC.

NEW HAMPSHIRE BILL WOULD ADD GENDER IDENTITY TO STATE NONDISCRIM LAWS: The state currently has sexual orientation protections in employment, housing and public accommodations. More from New Hampshire Union Leader.

TROUBLING REPORT -- PUBLIX GROCERY STORES REFUSED TO COVER HIV PREVENTION MEDICATION THROUGH EMPLOYEE INSURANCE PLANS: More from Trudy Ring at Advocate.

UPDATE -- PA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE PAUL MANGO IS STILL AWFUL: He recently participated in a bizarre, anti- LGBTQ interview with the “assault-rifle wielding” leader of an extremist sect. Let’s not forget: Mango supports discriminatory laws that would bar transgender people from using public restrooms that correspond with their gender identity and wants to defund Planned Parenthood. More from Trib Live.

TEXAS’ FIRST EVER OPENLY TRANS MAYOR IS RUNNING FOR REELECTION: More from the Dallas Observer.

GLOBAL EQUALITY NEWS

BRITISH LGBTQ GROUP STONEWALL RELEASES TOP 100 EMPLOYERS FOR LGBTQ EMPLOYEES: More from BBC.

HORRIFYING -- INDONESIA CONSIDERING BANNING ALL SEX OUTSIDE OF MARRIAGE: This proposed change comes amid an anti-LGBTQ crackdown that has been underway in Indonesia since 2016. More from The Associated Press.

READING RAINBOW - Bookmark now to read on your lunch break!

San Diego LGBT Weekly reports that Minneapolis will hold the first-ever NFL-sponsored LGBTQ Super Bowl party and hosted by HRC friend Esera Tuaolo (@eseratuaolo); The Economic Times reviews ‘A Fantastic Woman;’ HuffPost announces that ‘Drag Race’ star Peppermint (@Peppermint247) will be the first openly trans woman to take a leading role in a Broadway musical; Cincinnati Enquirer pays tribute to HIV and LGBTQ activist Deborah Kay Burnstion

Topics:
A.M. Equality