#AM_Equality Tipsheet: January 22, 2018

by Allison Turner

Dangerous #TrumpShutDown; Anniversary of the Women’s March #PowerToThePolls; The Pentagon must set things right for trans troops

DANGEROUS #TRUMPSHUTDOWN: “The government shutdown is the result of a failure of leadership by Donald Trump and Mike Pence.  They kicked the can down the road on every deadline over the past year, from appropriations to children’s health, disaster relief to Dreamers. After weeks of racist and irresponsible rhetoric, our nation is now closed for business to those who need its support most,” said David Stacy, HRC’s Government Affairs Director. “It’s wrong to pit Dreamers against children’s health coverage. We can and should protect the 800,000 young people who could be forced to leave the only country they’ve ever known, and vital health care for vulnerable children.” More from HRC.

HISTORIC -- COUNTLESS ADVOCATES MARCH ON ANNIVERSARY OF WOMEN’S MARCH: The #TrumpShutdown marked the one-year anniversary of the disastrous Trump-Pence administration -- but there was one upside: Yesterday was also the one-year anniversary of the historic Women’s March, and hundreds of thousands of advocates across the nation  convened again in solidarity over the weekend to resist -- and register. #PowerToThePolls

MORNING MUST READ -- IT’S UP TO THE PENTAGON TO SET THINGS RIGHT FOR TRANS SERVICE MEMBERS: In a powerhouse editorial, WaPo writes: “[T]he Defense Department already knows that allowing military service by openly transgender personnel would have a great number of benefits and negligible costs. A 2016 study by the Rand Corp. found just that -- one more reason Mr. Trump’s ban was nonsensical. If Mr. Mattis’s February review is fair, he will find that there’s no reason to prevent transgender men and women from joining and serving. The president’s order has thrown the lives of many current and would-be service members into needless turmoil because of their gender identity. The Pentagon should take this opportunity to set things right.” More from The Washington Post.

UTAH TO ADDRESS ALARMING SPIKE IN YOUTH SUICIDE: Utah Gov. Gary Herbert has convened a task force to address the crisis among youth -- and especially LGBTQ youth. “In far too many corners of this country, LGBTQ youth are bullied and harassed to the brink of suicide at school, in their communities, and even around their own dinner tables,” said HRC President Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin). “The only way we will end this epidemic of teen suicide is for leaders from all sectors — public and private -- to take a firm stand against homophobia, transphobia, neglect, and rejection.” Members include Ronald A. Rasband of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Gail Miller, owner of the NBA’s Utah Jazz; and Troy Williams, executive director of Equality Utah. More from the AP and HRC.

  •  Imagine Dragons singer Dan Reynolds, who is openly gay, premiered his documentary “Believer” about wrestling with his  Mormon faith Saturday at the Sundance Film Festival. Read more at the Salt Lake City Tribune.

MUST WATCH MONDAY -- ONE YEAR LATER, HRC VOWS TO KEEP TURNING RESISTANCE INTO ACTION: Over the last year, the Trump-Pence administration has systematically targeted the LGBTQ community for discrimination through more than 40 actions, from attempting to ban qualified transgender Americans from service in the military, to backing anti-LGBTQ forces at the Supreme Court seeking a sweeping ‘license to discriminate.’ HRC responded by immediately utilizing its talented team of policy and legal experts and establishing a 10-person Trump War Room, which has worked around the clock to hold the Trump-Pence Administration accountable and fight back against their dangerous nominees and proposals. More from HRC.

WASHINGTON STATE SENATE VOTES TO PROTECT YOUTH FROM SO-CALLED “CONVERSION THERAPY”: “No child should ever be subjected to the dangerous and barbaric practice of conversion therapy. It amounts to nothing more than child abuse, said HRC National Field Director Marty Rouse. “It is crucial that the Washington House of Representatives quickly pass the measure.” More from HRC.

OPENLY GAY SKIER GUS KENWORTHY MAKES U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM:

SAG AWARDS HONOR LGBTQ, ALLIED ACTORS AND STORIES: The awards, hosted by HRC supporter Kristen Bell, honored supporter Allison Janney for her role in I, Tonya and gave Morgan Freeman its Lifetime Achievement award. More from CNN.

MEET THE NEXT GENERATION OF LGBTQ LEADERS: The HRC Foundation’s Youth Well-Being Project announces the 2018 class of HRC Youth Ambassadors: Zimar Batista, Sean Bender-Prouty, Roddy Biggs, Javier Cifuentes Monzón, Alex Cooper, Makayla Humphrey, Adriana Ibanez, Sameer Jha, Justin Jones, Brendan Jordan, Jacob Kanter, Jonathan Leggette, Zoey Luna, Zachary Mallory, Miles Sanchez, Lucas Segal and Tyler Yun. Read more about them at HRC.

SEX EDUCATION IS FAILING LGBTQ WOMEN: HRC's own research shows that youth report receiving either limited sex education that focuses on heterosexual relationships between cisgender people, or no sex education whatsoever. More from Newsweek.

HRC MOURNS THE LOSS OF ACTIVIST AND ORGANIZER PAUL BOOTH: Booth passed away last Wednesday. More from The New York Times.

20 YEARS AND COUNTING -- LGBTQ ADVOCATES IN MISSOURI CONTINUE WORK TO ADD PROTECTIONS TO MISSOURI HUMAN RIGHTS ACT: The St. Louis-based LGBTQ group, PROMO, is advocating for gender identity and sexual orientation to be added to the state’s Human Rights Act. More from KMOV.

READING RAINBOW

Gay City News remembers New York City Council Member Danny Dromm’s mother, Audrey Gallagher, a long-time equality advocate, who recently died; The World Economic Forum shares the unique struggles of LGBTQ refugees; The New York Times reports on the wedding of Captains Daniel Hall and Vincent Franchino, both Apache helicopter pilots

Topics:
A.M. Equality