HRC Blog

Earlier this week, the HRC Foundation announced the winners of the 2010 Generation Equality Scholarship for LGBT and allied students who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to achieving queer equality. The $2000 scholarships are part of HRC Foundation’s Youth and Campus Outreach Program, which aims to provide tools, facilitate connections and empower young people to fight for LGBT equality on campus and beyond.

Justice has finally been served for Constance McMillen. Itawamba Agricultural High School in Mississippi had its 15 minutes of infamy this spring when it denied Constance the chance to bring her girlfriend to the school prom. The ACLU intervened and a judge ruled that the school could not forbid Constance from bringing the date of her choice. The school responded by cancelling prom completely and Constance faced harassment and alienation from her peers because of it. The ACLU sued the school district for violating Constance’s civil rights and yesterday the case was settled with the school district adopting a non-discrimination and anti-harassment policy covering sexual orientation and gender identity. The district also agreed to pay $35,000 in damages.

This post is from Kim Westheimer, HRC's new director of the Welcoming Schools Project: During the last election, a 6-year-old child who I adore heard her mother and me talking about a Senate candidate, and she hesitantly asked, “He thinks that two women shouldn’t get married, right?” When her mom said, “Yes,” the girl replied, quietly, “That makes me sad.” Her plaintive response kind of broke my heart.

Last summer I welcomed a surprise visitor to the HRC building – Anne Phibbs, the Director of GLBTA Programs Office at the University of Minnesota. She stopped by to tell me about a new initiative at the school that would be an integrated, year-long learning experience for undergrads with hands-on education for developing their skills as student leaders in order to affect social and political change. The program would incorporate specific courses in the fall and spring semesters along with a chance to study activism and organizing on a national level with a bus trip to Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC. I told Anne on the spot that we’d love to welcome the students when they took their road trip.

In Orlando, Florida last week, thousands of LGBT people from around the world descended on Disney World and participated in a week-long series of LGBT activities known as “Gay Days.” HRC’s field team partnered with volunteers from HRC’s outstanding Orlando Steering Committee to staff HRC tables at the Gay Days Expo.