HRC CALLS ON GEORGIA STATE LAWMAKER, WIFE OF TOM PRICE, TO RESIGN AFTER SHE SUGGESTS QUARANTINE FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV: During a State House meeting on barriers to health care, Rep. Betty Price, wife of the former Department of Health and Human Services Secretary, asked about the possibility of quarantine, and commented how people living with HIV could “die more readily.” Said HRC President Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin), “Betty Price should resign. This bigotry and ignorance from an elected official is beyond outrageous.” Here’s Price in her own shocking words: “I don’t want to say the quarantine word -- but I guess I just said it. Is there an ability, since I would guess that public dollars are expended heavily in prophylaxis and treatment of this condition, so we have a public interest in curtailing the spread… Are there any methods legally that we could do that would curtail the spread? It seems to me it’s almost frightening the number of people who are living that are potentially carriers, well they are carriers, with the potential to spread, whereas in the past they died more readily and then at that point they are not posing a risk.” More from STAT News, Project Q and USA Today.

Betty Price should resign. This bigotry and ignorance from an elected official is beyond outrageous. https://t.co/gypLgu6FSD

— Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin) October 20, 2017

#METOO -- HRC’S SARAH MCBRIDE ON SEXUAL ASSAULT AGAINST THE TRANS COMMUNITY: McBride (@SarahEMcBride) bravely revealed her own experience with sexual assault -- and her unique struggle sharing her story due to anti-transgender discrimination. “I also stayed silent because I feared that any story that “sexualized” me would undermine my voice as a woman and as a trans advocate. Women and trans people are already so often reduced to our bodies. I feared that people’s curiosity and invasive questioning would crowd out my voice on this and all other issues,” writes McBride in a powerful piece for BuzzFeed. Studies suggest that around half of transgender people will experience sexual violence at some point in their lifetimes. Learn more about sexual assault and the LGBTQ community here. Read McBride’s full piece at BuzzFeed.

• Definition of hypocrisy: One week after Jeff Sessions changed Department of Justice policy by refusing to protect transgender people under Title VII and launched a sweeping license to discriminate against LGBTQ people, he’s seeking credit for prosecuting a hate crime. More from The Washington Post.

MONDAY MUST-WATCH: One of the most defining moments of tennis legend Billie Jean King’s career (@BillieJeanKing) is featured in the new movie, “Battle of the Sexes,” now in theaters and starring Emma Stone. It tells the story of King’s legendary match with Bobby Riggs. King became one of the first openly lesbian major sports figures in America when she was outed in 1981. Following her professional tennis career, she became the first woman commissioner in professional sports when she co-founded World TeamTennis. The U.S. Tennis Association named the National Tennis Center, where the U.S. Open is played, the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in 2006. She is also the founder of the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, in 2009. King is a longtime HRC supporter and received the National Equality Award at our 10th annual National Dinner. More from HRC.

MORNING MUST READ FROM PBS NEWSHOUR -- “AS STATE PROTECTIONS STALL, CITIES LEAD THE WAY ON LGBTQ RIGHTS”: “In a year marked by a wave of anti-LGBTQ state bills and an unprecedented rollback of hard-won federal LGBTQ protections, the [HRC Foundation Municipal Equality Index] reveals that city leaders are boldly standing up for equality,” Xavier Persad, legislative counsel at the Human Rights Campaign, told PBS’ Corinne Segal (@cesegal). More from PBS Newshour.

NAACP NAMES DERRICK JOHNSON AS PRESIDENT AND CEO: Johnson will be the 19th person to hold this role. More from The New York Times.

Great news from @NAACP. Congratulations to my friend @DerrickNAACP, a champion for equality & true leader. https://t.co/N7EaWmveGs

— Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin) October 22, 2017

THIS AWESOME MORMON MOM IS WORKING TO PROTECT LGBTQ YOUTH: As she watched The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ complicated relationship with the LGBTQ community affect family after family, Utah resident Stephenie Larsen decided to help by starting the nonprofit Encircle LGBTQ Family and Youth Resource Center. Larsen hopes that Encircle can be a place where families can gather to love and support their LGBTQ children along every step of their journeys. “They should be honored and loved for who they are,” Larsen said. Read the full piece from HuffPost.

MAINE STUDENTS AND PARENTS PROTEST ANTI-LGBTQ BULLYING: York (Maine) High School is not doing enough to protect its LGBTQ students, say parents and students who are protesting the school’s actions. In particular, one student at the school has been bullied to the point that school administrators have been contacted -- and yet, the students and parents say -- nothing has happened to address it. More from WCSH.

SHAMEFUL -- BUSCH GARDENS DENIES ENTRANCE TO TRANS WOMAN FOR WEARING A SKIRT: The woman was told by multiple employees at the Virginia amusement park that she could not enter the park because she was “in costume.” She was wearing a skirt, shirt and sneakers. More from New York Daily News.

PHILLY’S NEW DIRECTOR OF LGBTQ AFFAIRS AIMS TO UNITE CITY’S COMMUNITY: Amber Hikes (@AmberHikes) says she wants to bring LGBTQ residents of the city together and renew Philadelphia’s advocacy for the LGBTQ community. Read more from The Daily Pennsylvanian.

“THE POWER OF PARENTAL LEAVE”: Read how an expanded parental leave policy at Levi Strauss & Co. helped employee Julie Rose and her wife with job security while they provided the care their premature daughter needed. More at HRC.

FIVE RESOURCES TO COMBAT BULLYING IN SCHOOLS: In recognition of National Bullying Prevention Month, HRC Foundation’s Welcoming Schools program is pleased to share our top five resources to help stop bullying. More from HRC.

RUSSIAN LGBTQ ADVOCATE FINED UNDER ‘HOMOSEXUAL PROPAGANDA LAW’: Evdokia Romanova posted stories from The Guardian about marriage equality in Ireland and BuzzFeed article about an LGBTQ art exhibition in 2015 and 2016. Read more at Gay Star News.

READING RAINBOW 

NBC reports on a small Iowa city hosting its first LGBTQ Pride festival; AT&T and HRC selected three grand prize winners of the first-ever AT&T Live Proud on Campus scholarship contest; WBHM reviews a new documentary highlighting the experience of lesbian and bisexual women in Alabama;
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