TODAY -- OPEN ENROLLMENT STARTS FOR COVERAGE UNDER THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT (ACA): Despite reckless efforts by the Trump-Pence Administration, and some congressional Republicans, the ACA remains the law of the land. Those who don’t have insurance through their job, Medicare, Medicaid or another source, can sign up for health coverage starting today and through December 15. Millions of Americans will continue to have access to quality health insurance and cannot be denied if they have a preexisting medical condition such as cancer, HIV, or high blood pressure. Those with coverage through one of the ACA marketplaces have the opportunity to renew or choose a new one during the open enrollment period. Details can be found at Healthcare.gov. More from HRC.

• Out2Enroll is a joint effort of the Center for American Progress the Sellers Dorsey Foundation and the Federal Agencies Project encouraging LGBTQ people to sign up for the ACA. More from Washington Blade.

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING WEDNESDAY: HBO’s John Oliver (@iamjohnoliver) took aim at Alabama U.S. Senate candidate and noted bigot Roy Moore, highlighting his horrifying anti-LGBTQ record, saying “Listen to Roy Moore’s feelings on homosexuality, because as bad as you assume they are: they’re actually worse. He favors criminalizing sodomy…” Watch the full clip here.

MORE ON THE ODIOUS #NOMOORE --  HE WANTS TO IMPEACH JUDGE WHO BLOCKED UNCONSTITUTIONAL TRANS MILITARY BAN: Reminder: In 2016, Moore was removed from the Alabama Supreme Court for refusing to implement a ruling that brought marriage equality to the state. Recently, he took his extremism one step further, saying that he and Vladimir Putin may be "more akin... than [he] knows," specifically citing their shared virulently anti-LGBTQ views. #NoMoore from The Hill and AL.com.

Roy Moore, twice removed from the bench for breaking the law, wants a judge impeached for doing her job. https://t.co/IWrjpL1I0F

— Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin) October 31, 2017

NEARLY 1,300 CLERGY MEMBERS SIGN BRIEF SUPPORTING SAME-SEX COUPLE IN MASTERPIECE: The signatories on the “friend of the court” brief include Christian, Muslim and Jewish faith leaders from across the nation. “Personal religious views are entitled to the utmost respect, but do not provide a license to disregard neutral civil rights laws that do not directly and substantially burden actual religious exercise,” the brief states. Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission is a case pending at the Supreme Court of the United States involving a baker who in 2012 refused to provide a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. More from Deseret News.

• More about HRC’s “Chefs for Equality” amicus brief in the Masterpiece case: The Raleigh News & Observer takes a look at Bill Smith, Jr., owner of Crook’s Corner in Chapel Hill, N.C., who was among the bakers, chefs and businesses who joined the HRC-led brief to oppose to anti-LGBTQ discrimination. Smith also spoke outside the Supreme Court of the United States on Monday, affirming that businesses must be #OpenToAll. More from the News & Observer.
• In this case, 35 briefs were filed siding with the same-sex couple, including one on behalf of 211 members of Congress. More from NBC.

COULD ANTI-LGBTQ, ANTI-WOMEN EXTREMIST PENNY NANCE BECOME TRUMP’S AMBASSADOR ON GLOBAL WOMEN’S ISSUES?: “Appointing Penny Young Nance to serve as Ambassador for Global Women's Issues would put women and girls in danger and would set our country back decades,” said JoDee Winterhof, vice president for policy and political affairs at the Human Rights Campaign. “Her organization has attacked anti-bullying efforts, especially giving bullies a green light to attack LGBTQ kids and other vulnerable children.” More from Politico and Bustle.

APPEAL ASKS SCOTUS TO OVERTURN MOST ANTI-LGBTQ LAW IN AMERICA: The Campaign for Southern Equality filed an appeal -- the second in this case -- to overturn the harmful Mississippi state law that allows the use of religion as a justification for discrimination against LGBTQ Mississippians at work, school and in their communities. More from The Clarion Ledger.

ICYMI -- UZO ADUBA AT #HRCNATIONALDINNER: “What I want you to know is that you most certainly are special, but also that you are not alone,” said two-time Emmy Award-winning actress Uzo Aduba (@UzoAduba) while accepting HRC’s Ally for Equality award Saturday night. “Many have come before you in this fight to live a life openly and equally, but it is my hope that none will have to come after you to achieve this basic human right that which is afforded to anyone else upon this earth.” More from Bustle and Daily Mail.

APPALLING -- MICH. SAME-SEX COUPLE TURNED AWAY FROM WEDDING VENUE: Estefanie Echevarria and Aubrey VandenBosch were told by Post Family Farm that they don’t offer same-sex couples the “same services” as different-sex couples. “[T]hey send back a reply of basically, ‘We don’t support same-sex marriage and we think you should find someplace else.’ Everything they could to not say no,” VandenBosch said. “Oh, it hurt, it stung.” More from Wood TV.

CITIES WITH LATINX POPULATIONS COMMITTING TO LGBTQ EQUALITY: HRC’s 2017 Municipal Equality Index found that cities with significant Latinx populations, including Los Angeles, New York, Miami Beach, Chicago, Austin, Orlando and Phoenix, were among the 68 that earned perfect MEI scores for advancing LGBTQ-inclusive policies and practices. More from Hispanic Marketing and Public Relations.

MOTHER SPEAKS OUT ON BEHALF OF TRANS SON: Terri Neely, the mother of a fifth grader in Lansing, Mich., is fighting for her son’s right to use the restroom consistent with his gender identity. While the local school board did vote to allow Neely’s son to use the boy’s room, local anti-LGBTQ activists are attempting to fight the decision. More from WILX.

CULTURAL PIONEERS FOR LGBTQ EQUALITY: To cap off LGBTQ History Month, HRC reflected on films, artists, writers and others in the arts who have greatly influenced the LGBTQ movement. More from HRC.

HRC ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR 2018 GLOBAL SUMMIT: HRC is now accepting applications to participate in the 2018 Global Innovative Advocacy Summit. Applications are open from November 1 - December 15, 2017 for participation April 9-12, 2018. Since 2016, the Global Summit has brought together nearly 60 established and emerging advocates for the exchange of ideas and practices for advancing LGBTQ equality. More from HRC.

READING RAINBOW

KBIA speaks to Jim Obergefell (@JimObergefell), the named plaintiff in the SCOTUS case that made marriage equality the law of the land; Advocate shares three ideas for improving LGBTQ lives;

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!