This past Wednesday, The Department of Justice (DOJ) wrote in a brief to the Supreme Court that the 1964 Civil Rights Act federal workplace protections do not apply to transgender employees, arguing it is legal to discriminate based on gender identity. The DOJ submitted this brief as the Supreme Court decides if it will hear […]
Trump Administration To Attack Protections for Transgender Individuals
“The Trump Administration is once again doing everything in its power to carry out a mean-spirited attack on transgender individuals who deserve and need civil rights protections,” read a statement by the Feminist Majority Foundation. “This overt attack on trans lives is at odds with scientific fact, multiple federal court rulings, and the lived experiences of millions of Americans.”
Trump Administration to Deny Visas to Same-Sex Partners of UN Diplomats and Staff
At the beginning of the month, the Trump Administration unveiled a new policy requiring international United Nations staff, officials, and diplomats working at the UN headquarters in New York to marry their partners by the end of the year, otherwise their partners will be deported.
Court Upholds Rights of Transgender Student Under Title IX
Last week, U.S. District Court Judge Arenda Allens ruled in favor of former-high school student Gavin Grimm by refusing to dismiss his case against the Gloucester County School Board over the right of transgender students to use bathrooms that corresponds to their gender identity.
Title VII Covers Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation Says Court
On Monday, the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that sexual orientation is protected under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination against employees based on sex.
Education Department Will No Longer Protect Trans Student from Bathroom Discrimination
The Department of Education told BuzzFeed News on Monday that they will no longer investigate or take action to protect transgender students who are denied access to the restroom that corresponds with their gender identity. The Department has yet to release an official statement.
Trump Administration to Protect Health Workers Denying Treatment on Moral Grounds
On Thursday, the Trump administration announced the creation of a new division at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that seeks to defend healthcare workers who choose to discriminate against patients who have had or who require certain medical procedures, such as abortions, due to moral or religious objections.
Arrests in Egypt After Display of LGBT+ Pride Flag
During a concert in Cairo on September 22, audience members waved an LGBT+ pride flag sparking an immediate response from the Egyptian government.
California Lawmakers Pass Bill to Protect Rights of LGBT Seniors
The LGBT Senior Bill of Rights, introduced by California State Senator Scott Wiener, was approved by the California State Assembly on Tuesday and will now move onto the Governor’s desk to be signed into law. SB 219, also referred to as the LGBT Seniors Bill of Rights, will protect seniors in nursing facilities from discrimination based […]
Marriage Equality Activist Edith Windsor Dies at 88
Edith Windsor, LGBTQ and civil rights activist, dies at 88 in Manhattan on Tuesday. After the death of her wife, Thea Spyer, in 2009, Windsor attempted to claim federal tax exemptions on her wife’s estate tax. Since same-sex marriage was not recognized by the federal government under the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), Windsor was […]
Writer and Activist Kate Millett Dies at 82
Dr. Kate Millett, a groundbreaking feminist writer, artist and activist, died this week in Paris at 82. Millett’s 1970 book Sexual Politics became a cornerstone of the women’s liberation movement. In that text, originally prepared as a doctoral thesis by Millett at Columbia University, she exposed how patriarchy was woven into the fiber of society and its […]
Trump Reinstates Ban on Recruitment of Transgender Troops
President Trump issued a memorandum last week reinstating a ban on transgender individuals serving openly in the United States military and forbidding the Department of Defense from providing medical treatment related to healthcare for transgender service members.
Two Controversial Bills to Watch in Texas’s Special Legislative Session
There is less than nine days left in Texas’s special legislative session and two of the most controversial bills being considered have yet to make it to the Governor’s desk for signature.
Rhode Island Bans LGBTQ Youth “Conversion Therapy”
Earlier this year, over 100 people testified in support of the law which prohibits conversion therapy providers from advertising to those under 18 or practicing conversion therapy on those under 18. However, adults can still undergo conversion therapy if they choose.
DOJ Says LGBT People Not Protected from Employment Discrimination Under Title VII
The friend-of-the-court brief will be considered when the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals hears the case of Zarda v. Altitude Express, in which the plaintiff alleges that he was fired from his job in 2010 because he is gay.
Trump Plans to Reinstate Ban on Transgender Troops
President Trump announced via Twitter on Wednesday morning that he plans to reinstate a ban on transgender individuals serving military “in any capacity” in the United States military. There are currently 1,320 to 6,630 transgender people serving in the military.
Defense Department Delays Plan to Allow Transgender Recruits
Military officials will now have until December 1, 2017, to conduct a review process to determine whether allowing transgender people to enlist will affect the “readiness or lethality” of the United States Armed Forces.
German Parliament Votes to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage
The German Parliament has voted 393-226 in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage, and the bill now heads to the Bundesrat, Germany’s upper house, where it is expected to pass. A recent poll found that two-thirds of Germans support legalizing same-sex marriage.
Texas Supreme Court Undermines Marriage Equality
On Friday the Texas Supreme Court discarded a lower court’s ruling that spouses of gay and lesbian public employees are entitled to government-subsidized marriage benefits. The court argued that, although Obergefell v. Hodges requires states to license and recognize same-sex marriages, it does not mandate that states “provide the same publicly funded benefits to all married persons.”
Appeals Court Rules in Favor of Wisconsin Transgender Student
Last week the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a Wisconsin school district violated Ash Whitaker’s civil rights when they prevented the transgender student from using the boys’ bathroom. The court ruled that Whitaker’s civil rights are protected under the sex discrimination ban in Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.