TODAY -- HRC AND PARTNER ORGS TAKE A RED PEN TO PENCE’S PROPAGANDA PIECE: HRC invited some of its friends to lay some truth on Mike Pence and the ridiculous oped he wrote recently on the six-month anniversary of the Trump-Pence debacle. Joining HRC to take the editing pen in hand to fix Pence’s disinformation: the League of Conservation Voters (@LCVoters), the Center for American Progress (@AMProg), The American Military Partner Association (@LGBTMilPartners), Muslim Advocates (@MuslimAdvocates), UnidosUS (@WeAreUnidosUS) and Planned Parenthood (@PPFA). We fixed it good. Read it here.

LIAR-IN-CHIEF TRUMP STRIKES AGAIN WITH DELUSIONAL ACCOUNT OF HIS TWEETED TRANSGENDER TROOP BAN: Yesterday, in response to Donald Trump’s comments regarding his latest attack on the LGBTQ community -- his despicable tweeted plan to ban transgender service members -- HRC President Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin) said, “Donald Trump’s delusional comments regarding his reckless ban on transgender troops are demonstrably false and lack any basis in reality. Donald Trump’s attack on transgender troops weakens our military and is a betrayal of those who wear the uniform. Fifty-six retired admirals and generals, Republican and Democrat elected officials, and a majority of the American public have all condemned Trump’s misguided and despicable policy that will do nothing but undermine military readiness and harm brave transgender service members and their families.” Read more from Ted Johnson (@TedStew) at Variety.

Each sentence in this statement by @realDonaldTrump on the trans troop ban is a bigger lie than the last. #ProtectTransTroops pic.twitter.com/Bwpt0c3C1C

— Sarah McBride (@SarahEMcBride) August 10, 2017

ICYMI -- SPORTS COMMUNITY SPEAKING OUT AGAINST TEXAS’ SB3: College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock told SportsDay yesterday that the championship committee is “watching Austin” in regards to the discriminatory SB3 being considered by Texas legislators. This week, the Dallas Stars hockey team spoke out against SB3, becoming the first professional sports franchise to do so. Additionally, the Women’s Sports Foundation, TransAthlete and HRC issued a letter to Texas legislators calling out the legislation, writing, “The belief that transgender women and girls should be barred from participating in women’s sports is rooted in discriminatory gender-based assumptions and stereotypes that have been widely rejected by the majority of sports research and policy experts.”

• HRC recently sat down with Amber and Adam Briggle, members of the HRC Foundation's Parents for Transgender Equality Council from Texas. Amber and Adam have been advocating against SB3 in Austin. More from HRC.
• Check it out: HRC spoke to Angie, a mother of a transgender daughter fighting for her rights in Austin. Watch here.

Angie fears for her #transgender daughter’s safety & well-being because of the discriminatory legislation making its way through the #TxLege pic.twitter.com/KwzSNg4N13

— HumanRightsCampaign (@HRC) August 10, 2017

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY: Transgender boxer Pat Manuel -- a five-time amateur boxing champion who will soon begin competing in the men’s division of USA Boxing. More from The Los Angeles Times.

HRC CALLS ON FRESNO SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT TO RESIGN FOR MAKING DANGEROUS ANTI-LGBTQ REMARKS: “Brooke Ashjian’s ignorant and disturbing comments disparage all LGBTQ students and families, and make him unfit to lead the Fresno Unified School District,” HRC President Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin) said yesterday. “The role of any school administrator is to treat all children with respect and dignity. Ashjian has failed in that responsibility woefully, and he should step down from his position immediately.” Ashjian made anti-LGBTQ remarks regarding California’s LGBTQ-inclusive comprehensive sex education laws during an interview with the Fresno Bee. Read more at the Fresno Bee.

DANGEROUS AND DISGUSTING -- ROY MOORE CALLS HIMSELF ‘AKIN’ TO PUTIN ON ANTI-LGBTQ ANIMUS: In an interview for the Guardian’s “Anywhere But Washington” series, former Alabama Supreme Court Justice and current U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore reiterated his opposition to marriage equality, offering up that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s abhorrent anti-LGBTQ views are “more akin to me than I know.” Said HRC Alabama State Director Eva Kendrick. “We've already seen Roy Moore make anti-LGBTQ discrimination his trademark political stance but he has taken his extremism one step further today… Under Putin's regime, LGBTQ Russians have been persecuted, violently attacked by Russian police and banned from being open about who they are or whom they love. If this is Moore's vision for Alabama, then he must be stopped from representing our state in the U.S. Senate -- at all costs.” More from The Guardian.

CALL IT OUT -- WAITRESS STIFFED BECAUSE OF HER PRO-EQUALITY TATTOO: Samantha Heaton, the waitress, received a note on the receipt, “Can’t tip someone who doesn’t love Jesus! Bad tattoo.” She shared the receipt on Twitter with the note “Love is love.” More from Capital FM.

ATLANTA COMMUNITY MOURNS TEE TEE DANGERFIELD, A BLACK TRANSGENDER WOMAN MURDERED: HRC was horrified and saddened to learn that Tee Tee Dangerfield, a 32-year- old Black transgender woman, was shot and killed in Atlanta. A memorial for Tee Tee will be held tomorrow in Atlanta. More from The Georgia Voice.

SHAMEFUL -- MORMON LEADER CLAIMS GAY MEN JUST NEED “MANLY THINGS”: The exchange, captured on the website MormonLeaks, also encouraged Elders to reprimand same-sex couples who showed affection toward each other during service. More from NewNowNext.

MOSCOW COURT DELAYS DEPORTATION OF GAY JOURNALIST TO UZBEKISTAN: Khudoberdi Nurmatov escaped hell in Uzbekistan, where he was imprisoned and tortured for practicing Islam. After a decade in Moscow, a Russian court is threatening to send him back for his LGBTQ advocacy, but has delayed his deportation. The State Department told The Washington Blade’s Michael Lavers (@MKLavers81) that they welcome the decision. More from The Washington Blade.

FOR THIS FAMILY -- AUSTRALIA’S “MAIL BALLOT” ON MARRIAGE EQUALITY QUESTION IS A THREAT: LGBTQ advocate Cathy Brown writes for Australia’s ABC about the mail-in ballot that many advocates are calling costly and unnecessary. She writes, “Already on day one, the [marriage equality] opponents have wheeled out the usual tropes of bestiality, bathroom attacks by trans women, and gender ideology destroying the fabric of our society. And because this is some weird postal vote experiment, the usual campaign rules about advertising material needing to be factual won't even apply.” More from Australia’s ABC.

We support all Aussie couples who just want to marry the person they love... ❤️��������

— HumanRightsCampaign (@HRC) August 10, 2017

SIXTY PERCENT OF ISRAELIS SUPPORT SAME-SEX ADOPTION: Last month, the Israeli government vowed to continue its ban on same-sex adoption, speciously claiming that same-sex adoption puts a “burden” on children. More from Jerusalem Online.

READING RAINBOW

Advocate writes about the future of LGBTQ equality in Germany as marriage equality gets closer; Instagram star Topher Brophy shares a message of love to the transgender community.
 

 

Today we’d like to talk about our friends in the transgender community and their fight for civil rights. As more and more transgender people share their stories, the public’s understanding of gender identity has grown, but there have been very recent and alarming set backs. Transgender people come from all walks of life - they are parents, siblings, cousins, children, friends, coworkers, and your neighbors. They are 9-year-old youth and 90-year-old grandparents. Everyone deserves to be treated equally regardless of ones gender identity, sexual orientation, race, faith, age, income level or disability. It is important to remember that discrimination of any kind is wrong and should never be tolerated. And for any trans people, or anyone else in the LGBTQ community that feels scared or hopeless, you are not alone. Know that we will never stop raising awareness and fighting with you.. If you are interested in learning more about this worthwhile cause, kindly visit our friends at @humanrightscampaign and @transequalitynow �� by @Thedogstyler #equality #equalrights #transgenderrights #weareallthesame

A post shared by Topher Brophy (@topherbrophy) on Aug 10, 2017 at 4:29am PDT

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