PENCE CASTS TIE-BREAKING VOTE FOR ANOTHER ANTI-LGBTQ NOMINEE: Kansas Governor Sam Brownback -- Donald Trump’s anti-LGBTQ nominee for Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom -- failed to earn a majority of votes in the Senate yesterday. So Pence stepped in, again promoting his discriminatory agenda. “Donald Trump and Mike Pence are stacking the administration with anti-LGBTQ politicians determined to carry out their harmful and discriminatory policies,” said HRC Government Affairs Director David Stacy. HRC previously called on the Senate to oppose Brownback’s nomination. More from HRC, Advocate and The Kansas City Star.

Sam Brownback has attacked the #LGBTQ community and worked to undermine fairness and equality. His extremist, anti LGBTQ actions should disqualify him from representing the people of the United States. https://t.co/60LwaPNKPn

— HumanRightsCampaign (@HRC) January 25, 2018

MORNING MUST READ ON THE HORRORS OF SO-CALLED “CONVERSION THERAPY”: Only nine states and Washington, D.C., protect youth from the dangers of the debunked practice. Sam Brinton (@sbrinton) of the Trevor Project shared their horrifying experience with the practice in an powerful oped, “I Was Tortured in Gay Conversion Therapy,” for The New York Times.

• Love And Hip Hop’s Jonathan Fernandez (@imsojonathan) bravely opened up about his experience with the abusive practice. More from NewNowNext.

THANKFUL THURSDAY -- “TROLL CAPITAL OF THE WORLD” CELEBRATES ONE YEAR OF ITS NON-DISCRIMINATION CAMPAIGN: Tiny Mount Horeb, Wisc., which made news in 2015 by standing up to outside extremists seeking to discriminate against a transgender child, continues its amazing local advocacy for LGBTQ inclusion. Check out this heartwarming account of the community’s latest effort from WKOW.

DISTURBING -- STATE DEPT. REFUSING TO GRANT CITIZENSHIP TO CHILD BORN ABROAD TO U.S. CITIZEN AND SAME-SEX SPOUSE: More from The Washington Post.

“PRESIDENT TRUMP’S FIRST YEAR WAS AN AFFRONT TO CIVIL RIGHTS,” writes Sherrilyn Ifill (@Sifill_LDF), president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. More from TIME.

During the campaign @realDonaldTrump asked black voters, “What the hell do you have to lose?” @Sifill_LDF answers that question in this important read on Trump's first year attacking civil rights. https://t.co/EipoTlb1Sq

— Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin) January 24, 2018

MISSOURI SUPREME COURT TO HEAR TWO CASES INVOLVING LGBTQ EQUALITY:  Lampley v. Missouri Commission on Human Rights involves an employee who claims he was harassed by his employer for not “conforming with his employer’s stereotypes of masculinity.” R.M.A. (Appleberry) v. Blue Springs involves a transgender student who alleges he was denied access to the boy’s bathroom and locker room at his school. More from Missouri Patch.

AT LEAST 48 OPENLY LGBTQ TEXANS ARE RUNNING FOR OFFICE IN 2018: Ready and rarin’ to go! More from The Texas Tribune.

N.C. SCHOOL DISTRICT VOTES TO EXPAND DEFINITION OF DIVERSITY TO INCLUDE LGBTQ STUDENTS: The Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board voted 7-2 to take a stronger stand on supporting LGBTQ students -- highlighting its commitment to HRC’s Welcoming Schools program and making diversity and inclusion an intentional practice. More from The Charlotte Observer.

REQUEST GRANTED TO TRANSFER OREGON TRANS WOMAN TO WOMEN’S FACILITY: Michalle Wright’s lawsuit helped to create a policy change at the Oregon Department of Corrections to better protect transgender inmates. More from The Oregonian.

GLOBAL EQUALITY NEWS

HRC GLOBAL INNOVATOR HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COURT OPINION ON LGBTQ RIGHTS: Andrea Ayala (@AndreaMAyala) explains the potential reach of the Opinión Consultiva-24, an advisory opinion recently issued to the government of Costa Rica. It could have a significant impact on LGBTQ rights in Latin America and the Caribbean. More from FACTum.

• Neela Ghoshal of Human Rights Watch highlights how courts around the world are paving the way for LGBTQ equality. More from Advocate.

INNOVADORA GLOBAL DE HRC EXPLICA OPINIÓN DE LA CORTE IDH SOBRE DERECHOS LGBTQ: Andrea Ayala (@AndreaMAyala), explicó la importancia de la Opinión Consultiva-24, emitida recientemente por la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos. La resolución tendría un impacto significativo en Latinoamérica y el Caribe. Más de FACTum.

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

Fast Company looks into a new data visualization tool showing whether vacation spots are  LGBTQ-friendly; The Hindu reports on what is believed to be the first marriage of a transgender person in Karnataka, India; Towleroad shares an adorable video of a reporter fan-girling during an interview with Ricky Martin