HRC PRESIDENT ALPHONSO DAVID APPLAUDS STATE DEPT. ANNOUNCEMENT OF PASSPORT GENDER MARKERS CHANGES: “The Human Rights Campaign commends the State Department for advancing a new policy to allow non-binary, intersex and gender non-conforming Americans to obtain a passport that accurately reflects their gender identity and for updating the existing policy to modernize the process for updating gender markers. These policies -- which the Human Rights Campaign called for in our Blueprint for Positive Change -- will decrease the risk of discrimination, harassment, and violence for an already vulnerable group,” said HRC President Alphonso David (@AlphonsoDavid, he/him). “This is an important step towards achieving meaningful progress for LGBTQ equality in America, and will empower and enable millions of citizens to travel domestically and internationally with greater confidence that the United States recognizes their gender identity.” More from HRC, UPI and 19th News.

WHITE HOUSE FORMS INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP FOCUSED ON SAFETY, INCLUSION AND OPPORTUNITY FOR TRANSGENDER INDIVIDUALS: “The Human Rights Campaign commends the White House for forming an interagency working group focused on safety, inclusion and economic opportunity for trans individuals. This important step -- which the Human Rights Campaign called for in our Blueprint for Positive Change -- can help save lives and address violence, discrimination and stigma against the trans community, which has reached epidemic proportions,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “Our communities need support at every level if we are going to address this epidemic, and we’re grateful to have allies in President Biden, Vice President Harris and across the federal government who recognize this crisis for the emergency it is.” More from HRC and the White House.

🩺 HRC FOUNDATION LAUNCHES GROUND-BREAKING NATIONAL COMPREHENSIVE HBCU HEALTH CENTER DIRECTORY: “Black gay, bisexual, transgender and queer youth bear the brunt of the HIV epidemic. This directory is a vital support system that will help empower HBCUs to lead the fight to prevent the spread of HIV by removing barriers to effective interventions for addressing the HIV epidemic,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “Given the size of the epidemic where 1 in 2 Black gay and bisexual cisgender men will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime, the Human Rights Campaign is proud to add this new directory to the list of strategies that we have developed in order to defeat this longstanding threat to Black LGBTQ health and futures.” More from HRC.

‘I WAS IN A DARK PLACE’: MANY LGBTQ PEOPLE STRUGGLED WITH THEIR MENTAL HEALTH DURING COVID: Compared to the general population, LGBTQ Americans were more likely to have had work hours cut, similarly likely to have become unemployed, and more likely to say their personal finances were “much worse off” than a year earlier, according to research by HRC and PSB Insights published early in the pandemic. LGBTQ people of color were more likely than white LGBTQ people to have lost work hours or their jobs. “Not having steady pay or employment has a direct correlation to mental health,” said J. Maurice McCants-Pearsall, the director of HIV and health equity at the HRC Foundation. More from MarketWatch.

HOW BRANDAN ROBERTSON, A.K.A. THE ‘TIK-TOK PREACHER,’ IS TAKING ON THE ANTI-LGBTQ TEACHINGS OF HIS FAITH: “If you don’t have any way to look at the Bible other than a science and history book, how are you ever going to evolve to women’s rights or gay rights or Black Lives Matter?” said Brandan Robertson (@BrandanJR), a pastor who makes progressive TikToks. More from Rolling Stone.

SENS. BENNET AND BALDWIN TO HHS: IMPROVE HEALTH STANDARDS FOR LGBTQ ELDERS: Sens. Bennet and Baldwin wrote a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services urging them to better support LGBTQ elders. “LGBT persons have unique health needs and have experienced disparate health care due to discrimination based on their sexual minority status and associated fear of disclosure of their sexual orientation or gender identity to health care providers,” the letter reads. More from Washington Blade.

CONSERVATIVES WANT TO BAN TRANSGENDER ATHLETES FROM GIRLS SPORTS. THEY LACK EVIDENCE: More from USA Today.

📍 IN THE STATES

N.J. WILL HOUSE TRANSGENDER INMATES BY GENDER IDENTITY AFTER LAWSUIT: Following a lawsuit on behalf of the ACLU of New Jersey, New Jersey will now require state prisons to house transgender people based on gender identity, not sex assigned at birth. “The purpose section includes the word ‘dignity’ -- that it’s the purpose of this policy in the New Jersey Department of Corrections to recognize the dignity of transgender, intersex and non-binary people in its custody,” said Tess Borden (@TessBorden), staff attorney for the ACLU. More from NBC.

NEWARK BREAKS GROUND ON HOUSING COMPLEX FOR LGBTQ HOMELESS COMMUNITY: A new complex in Newark that contains 11 units has been created to house homeless LGBTQ people. “Eleven is awesome, but we need more. We need more supportive housing. We need supportive housing for the LGBTQI community. It is already a problem in the city to try to develop housing as it is,” said Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (@rasjbaraka). More from News12.

🌍 GLOBAL EQUALITY

A GROUNDBREAKING LAW IN ARGENTINA WILL GUARANTEE PUBLIC SECTOR JOBS FOR TRANS PEOPLE: The Argentine government will reserve 1% of public sector jobs for trans Argentinians. This legislation passed with an overwhelming majority in a 55-1 vote in favor. More from Buenos Aires Times and them.

TRANSGENDER LAWMAKERS HAVE BIG PLANS TO COMBAT LGBTQ DISCRIMINATION IN MEXICO: In September, Maria Garcia and Salma Luevano will become the first two trans women sworn into Mexico’s Congress, with Garcia promising to create a special public prosecutor’s office to combat hate crimes against the LGBTQ community. More from Reuters.

UNAS 18 MIL PERSONAS PARTICIPAN EN XXV MARCHA DEL ORGULLO EN EL SALVADOR: Durante la semana pasade la Federación Salvadoreña LGBTI de El Salvador (FESLGBTI), organizó la XXV Marcha del Orgullo LGBTI en el país. “Es una importante celebración, pero también es una protesta, porque todavía en nuestro país hay una situación muy crítica de desigualdad y de violencia hacia la comunidad LGBT, sobre todo hacia la comunidad trans,” dijo Johnny Wright Sol, el diputado para la Liberación Nacional (FMLN). Más de Washington Blade.

Have news? Send us your news and tips at AMEquality@hrc.org. Click here to subscribe to #AM_Equality and follow @HRC for all the latest news. Thanks for reading!