DISCRIMINATION IN TENNESSEE -- STATE LEGISLATURE SENDS ANTI-LGBTQ CHILD WELFARE BILL TO GOVERNOR’S DESK: “Lawmakers in Tennessee used some of the first minutes of their legislative session to enshrine discrimination into law,” said HRC President Alphonso David (@AlphonsoDavid). “These legislators are disregarding the best interests of kids in the child welfare system to create a ‘license to discriminate’ against qualified, loving prospective parents. This bill does nothing to improve the outcomes for children in care, shrinks the pool of prospective parents and is a blatant attempt to discriminate against LGBTQ Tennesseans. It is shameful that one of the first orders of business in Nashville was to target LGBTQ people. We urge Tennesseans to make their voices heard in opposition to this bill as it heads to the governor’s desk.” More from HRC.

��Tennessee is the first legislature to pass an anti-LGBTQ bill in 2020. ��

If @GovBillLee signs #HB836, hateful groups could prevent children in foster and adoptive care from entering homes with parents who are LGBTQ, single, divorced and more. #TNLeg pic.twitter.com/wg1qp4eUIt

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) January 14, 2020

HRC TO HONOR NAOMI CAMPBELL, KRISTIN CHENOWETH AND PVH CORP AT GREATER NEW YORK GALA ON FEB. 1: Award-winning supermodel, philanthropist and businesswoman Naomi Campbell will be honored with HRC’s Global Advocacy Award, award-winning actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth will be honored with the Ally for Equality Award, and PVH Corporation (PVH Corp), owner of iconic brands including Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, will receive the HRC Corporate Equality Award at the 19th Annual HRC Greater New York Gala on Saturday, February 1 at the Marriott Marquis.  More from HRC.

• Media interested in covering the event should request credentials by emailing viet.tran@hrc.org. Due to limited space, only members of the media who have been credentialed in advance will be allowed entrance. 

Just announced: @HRC to honor
�� actress and singer @KChenoweth
�� model and actress @NaomiCampbell
�� fashion industry leader @PVHCorp
At the upcoming 2020 @HRCGreaterNY Gala.https://t.co/bG6wXHrBJb

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) January 14, 2020

WHAT WE’RE READING WEDNESDAY -- HRC PRESIDENT ALPHONSO DAVID ON THE BIGGEST ISSUES OF 2020: In The Hill, David highlights the following issues: the battles over non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people, combatting violence against the transgender and gender non-conforming community and improving voting rights and access to the ballot. More from him, as well as Amnesty International, Planned Parenthood and more from The Hill.

HRC AND UCONN LAUNCH SURVEY TO EXAMINE HEALTH CARE EXPERIENCES OF BLACK AND LATINX YOUNG ADULTS: More from HRC.

TWO TRANS FLORIDA STATE EMPLOYEES SUE FOR DENIAL OF TRANSITION-RELATED CARE: The suit alleges the state refused to cover basic transition-related care -- forcing one of the plaintiffs to use her retirement money to pay for live-saving health care. More from Kate Sosin (@shoeleatherkate) at NewNowNext.

JANE CLEMENTI TO SERVE AS CHAIR OF NEW JERSEY’S ANTI-BULLYING TASK FORCE: After her son Tyler died by suicide in 2010 due to anti-LGBTQ bullying, Clementi co-founded the Tyler Clementi Foundation with her husband to improve the world for LGBTQ youth. More from PIX 11.

�� GET CULTURED - Entertainment, arts and sports news!

THE L WORD AND WORK IN PROGRESS RENEWED FOR SECOND SEASONS!! Time to buy some more almonds and plan a night out to Dana’s! More from The Hollywood Reporter.

Congrats to both The L Word: Generation Q & Work in Progress, both of which are
�� RENEWED FOR SEASON 2! ��

Shows like @thelwordgenq & @wip_sho offer our diverse communities more representation, and we LOVE IT!pic.twitter.com/6pvi6JNKpg

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) January 14, 2020

‘LESBIAN JESUS’ HAYLEY KIYOKO RELEASES NEW MUSIC VIDEO: More from NewNowNext.

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

St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports the LGBTQ outlet Vital Voice will end operations this month; NBC speaks to trans men about their needs regarding menstruation; Autostraddle dicusses the LGBTQ contestants (their words: ‘bisexual chaos’) on Netflix’s ‘The Circle’

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