#AM_Equality Tipsheet: August 3, 2017

by Allison Turner •

Here are the real people Trump’s trans military ban would harm; Meet Libby, a 7-year-old Texan trans advocate.

HEY, TWEETER-IN-CHIEF -- HERE ARE THE REAL PEOPLE YOUR DISCRIMINATORY TRANS MILITARY BAN WOULD HARM: There is a growing consensus -- including among military leaders -- that Donald Trump's tweeted pledge to ban qualified transgender people from U.S. military service would undermine the readiness, morale, retention, and recruitment of our forces at home and abroad. Here are the voices of some of those being targeted by Trump.

  • Dave Cullen (@DaveCullen) interviewed 10 former and activity-duty transgender service members about what this ban means for their lives, their families and the future of the military. Read the piece, “Betrayal: Transgender Troops React to Trump’s Ban,” at Vanity Fair.
  • Laila Ireland, a proud transgender veteran and spouse of an active-duty transgender serviceman, joins HRC's Stephen Peters (@StephenPeters2), a former Marine discharged under the discriminatory Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) policy, to talk about Trump's call for a transgender military ban -- and its parallels with DADT. More from HRC.

MEET LIBBY, A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD TRANSGENDER ADVOCATE IN TEXAS: Seven-year-old Libby Gonzales was set to testify before the Texas Legislature about an anti-transgender bill that would force her and other transgender people to use facilities inconsistant with their gender identity. But when the hearing continued into the wee hours of the morning, Libby fell asleep before she could speak. CNN’s Nick Valencia (@CNNValencia) and Jason Morris (@JMOCNN) sat down with Libby and her family to discuss her coming out, and how her family is fighting for her at the Texas Legislature. More from CNN.

APPEALS COURT RETURNS GRIMM CASE TO LOWER COURT: The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has asked the lower court to decide if Gavin Grimm, the recently-graduated transgender high school student from Virginia, has enough affiliation with his high school to pursue the case. While a student, Grimm filed suit against his school board alleging it violated Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 by denying him use of the boy’s restroom. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court of the United States announced it would not hear Gavin’s case this term, sending the case back to the Fourth Circuit in the wake of the Trump Administration's revocation of school guidance ensuring the protection and dignity of transgender students.  More from The Washington Post.

THROWBACK THURSDAY: Yesterday, HRC celebrated the contributions of African-American writer, poet & LGBTQ icon James Baldwin, who was born on August 2, 1924. While Baldwin passed away in 1987, his words still serve as powerful reminders of the intersections of racism and anti-LGBTQ sentiment, and the need for us, as advocates and as an LGBTQ community, to account for those intersections in our work. “I don’t know of anyone [Black] who has denied his brother or his sister because they were gay,” Baldwin said in a 1984 interview. “No doubt it happens. [But] a Black person has got quite a lot to get through the day without getting entangled in all the American fantasies… It’s simply one more aspect of the danger in which all Black people live... The gay world as such is no more prepared to accept Black people than anywhere else in society.”

SINCE ANTI-LGBTQ BILL SIGNED IN ALA., HRC HAS TRAINED HUNDREDS OF CHILD WELFARE PROFESSIONALS THERE: More than 200 Alabama child welfare professionals and foster and adoptive parents have received HRC training on how to compassionately care for LGBTQ youth and families in the child welfare system since Governor Kay Ivey signed HB 24 in May. The measure allows some state-licensed adoption and foster care agencies to reject qualified prospective LGBTQ adoptive or foster parents based on the agency’s religious beliefs. Training on LGBTQ competency and compassionate care for LGBTQ youth and families is more essential than ever in Alabama. More from HRC.

HRC ENDORSES CATHY WOOLARD FOR MAYOR OF ATLANTA: Today, HRC announced the Public Policy Committee of HRC’s Board of Directors has voted to endorse Cathy Woolard for Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, in the non-partisan election this November 2017. “Cathy Woolard’s life-long record fighting for LGBTQ equality makes her the clear choice for fair-minded Atlantans this November,” said HRC President Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin). “With a proven record as a champion for equality, Cathy Woolard has the vision, passion, and commitment to continue moving Atlanta forward as a welcoming and inclusive city. We are proud to endorse Cathy Woolard in her bid to become the next mayor of Atlanta.” More from HRC.

HRC ANNOUNCES CULINARY STARS HEADLINING ANNUAL CHEFS FOR EQUALITY EVENT IN DC: The HRC Foundation and prominent food writer David Hagedorn are bringing together the capital region’s top culinary talent for Chefs for Equality, Washington, D.C.'s premier food event. The evening of food, cocktails, and music to benefit the fight for full LGBTQ equality will be held on Tuesday, September 19, 2017, at Dock5 at Union Market. Check out the event’s featured chefs and mixologists at HRC.

WALES ALTERS BLOOD DONATION RULES FOR MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN: The Welsh government will begin allowing men to donate blood within three months of same-sex sexual activity instead of 12. While not ideal, it is a step forward. More from BBC.

WILL SRI LANKA MAKE ITS CONSTITUTION MORE LGBTQ-INCLUSIVE? Local advocates hope so, and are pushing for constitutional reforms during President Maithripala Sirisena administration. More from World Politics Review.

READING RAINBOW

The Philadelphia Inquirer explores the unique challenges of being Black and LGBTQ in the city; HRC shares five horrifying stories from The Russian LGBT Network’s new report on human rights abuses in Chechnya; Cleveland Scene reports that a local hospital is training their staff on LGBTQ health care; The New York Times talks to LGBTQ Australians about the fight for marriage equality; Advocate celebrates gender diversity with a portrait series

MISSED THE LAST #AM_EQUALITY? Catch up by watching HRC’s new video report, Daily Equality with Allison Turner (@amturner1993)! Check it out here.

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!

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A.M. Equality

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