Monday’s Supreme Court ruling to protect LGBTQ+ individuals from discrimination in the workplace could derail the Trump administration’s latest restrictions on transgender rights in healthcare. In the Trump administration’s most recent attack on the LGBTQ+ community, the anti-discrimination policies that protect transgender people in healthcare settings have been reversed. Under the Affordable Care Act, healthcare […]
Quaker Oats to Retire 130-Year-Old Aunt Jemima Brand Name and Image
Following nearly a month of protests against police brutality and renewed discussions about the United States’ centuries-long history of discrimination towards Black Americans, Quaker Oats announced on Wednesday that it would retire the name and image associated with its Aunt Jemima syrup and pancake mix. Quaker Oats released a statement calling attention to the racial […]
Tens of Thousands Show Up for Black Trans Lives in Marches Across U.S.
Tens of thousands of people across the United States rallied to demand justice for Black transgender women on Sunday. The demonstrations hoped to call attention to the fact that trans people of color are disproportionately the victims of violent crime. Approximately 15,000 people gathered for a “Brooklyn Liberation” rally outside the Brooklyn Museum in New […]
Supreme Court Declines to Hear Sanctuary Law Case
The Supreme Court announced Monday it will not hear a challenge to California’s sanctuary laws, therefore allowing the laws to stay in place. The court, following tradition, did not give a reason for rejecting to hear the case. Two conservative members of the court, Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, said the court should have […]
Planned Parenthood Endorses Joe Biden for President
On Monday, Planned Parenthood Action Fund announced their endorsement of former Vice President Joe Biden for president. In a video statement, acting president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Alexis McGill Johnson, explains the decision. She cites the work done during the Obama-Biden administration. “While Joe Biden was Vice President, more people got insurance coverage than […]
Trump Administration Removes Healthcare Protections for Transgender People
On Friday, June 12, the Trump administration rolled back rules that protected transgender people from being discriminated against in healthcare. The regulation was initially implemented by the Obama Administration as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA prevents healthcare institutions that receive federal funding from discriminating on the basis of sex. Under the […]
Supreme Court Rules Federal Civil Rights Law Protects LGBTQ+ Workers
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that existing federal civil rights protections forbids job discrimination against LGBTQ+ workers. The decision said that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which makes it illegal for employers to discriminate based on a person’s sex, also covers sexual orientation. Twenty-two states plus the District of Columbia […]
Governor Newsom Called On to Release Elderly Incarcerated Women
The Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, is facing pressure to release elderly and vulnerable incarcerated women amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. As of May 2020, 3,200 incarcerated people have tested positive for coronavirus, and 16 incarcerated people have died. LA County recently reported the first death of a pregnant woman related to the virus. The county […]
Egypt Arrests Female Social Media Influencers for Promoting “Immorality”
Four young Egyptian women on the popular social media app TikTok have been arrested by state authorities accusing them of spreading “immorality” with their content. These women are the most recent targets of state authorities monitoring social media accounts for “offensive” content. Since President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi’s election in 2014, hundreds of dissident public persons, […]
#ShareTheMicNow Campaign Amplifies Black Women’s Voices on Social Media
On Tuesday, the #ShareTheMicNow campaign garnered national attention as it spread across social media platforms. The social media campaign was organized by Black women including Bozoma Saint John, Luvvie Ajayi Jones, Glennon Doyle, and Stacey Bendet in light of recent protests against police brutality that disproportionately targets Black Americans. According to the organizers, the aim […]
Kentucky Governor Pledges Universal Health Care Coverage for Black Residents
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (D) announced plans to provide healthcare coverage to 100 percent of Black and African American Kentuckians in an effort to address racial inequalities in health care on Monday morning. The governor made the announcement during his daily COVID-19 press briefing. Beshear began the briefing by acknowledging the racial disparities in Kentucky’s […]
Utah’s “I Voted” Stickers Honor Women’s Suffrage
The state of Utah will be celebrating its historic commitment to women’s suffrage as well as the centennial of the 19th Amendment by distributing unique “I Voted” stickers during 2020 primary and general elections. Because 2020 marks 150 years since Utah’s equal suffrage law as well as 100 years since Congress ratified the 19th Amendment, […]
Sybrina Fulton, Mother of Trayvon Martin, Qualifies to Run for Public Office
Trayvon Martin’s mother, Sybrina Fulton, has officially qualified to run for public office in Florida. On Monday, she announced her qualification to run for Miami Dade County Commissioner for District 1. Fulton lost her 17-year-old son to racial violence in 2012, when he was shot and killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer. She has since […]
Federal Judge Dismisses a Challenge to the Trump Administration’s Title X Rules
On Tuesday, a federal judge dismissed a challenge to the reformed Title X rules, also known as the Trump administration’s “gag rule”, that puts limits on what federally funded health care providers can tell patients about accessing abortion services. Title X is a “federal grant program created in 1970 to provide comprehensive and confidential family […]
Minneapolis City Council Votes to Dismantle Police
On Sunday, June 7, the Minneapolis City Council voted to dismantle the city’s police department. The council members pledged to replace the department with a community built public safety system, citing an inability to reform the force – which has long been accused of racism. A total of nine council members voted in favor of […]
First Openly Transgender Official Wins City Council Seat in West Virginia
Tuesday was Election Day in West Virginia and Rosemary Ketchum, a community organizer and activist, was among those elected to office. Ketchum will represent Wheeling, West Virginia’s Third Ward in the Wheeling City Council and has made history by becoming West Virginia’s first openly transgender elected official. Ketchum announced her candidacy for Wheeling City Council […]
Georgia Primary Marred By Voting Delays
Voting in Georgia’s primary elections Tuesday was plagued with technical difficulties and hours-long lines that disproportionally affected urban areas and communities of color. Delays with voting in the state occurred because of poll workers’ inadequate training on the new voting machines, precincts being closed because of the pandemic, and social distancing and disinfecting practices. Areas with […]
Immigrants Arrested on Mistaken Charges at Phoenix Protests Face Deportation
Four undocumented people were turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement after being arrested at protests condemning the murder of George Floyd in Phoenix, Arizona. The Phoenix Police Department arrested all four immigrants the night of Saturday, May 30. They were held overnight in a Maricopa County jail before being transferred to ICE custody. One […]
Colorado To Vote on Late-Term Abortion Ban in November
An initiative to ban abortions after 22 weeks has made it onto the November ballot in Colorado after collecting 153,204 signatures, according to the Colorado Secretary of State. The initiative, backed by the group Due Date Too Late, proposes to make it illegal to perform abortions at 22 weeks or later. This includes cases where […]
House Unveils Justice in Policing Act Amid National Protests
Democratic leadership in the House and the Senate unveiled legislation today to overhaul policing standards in response to nationwide protests against anti-Black racism and police brutality. The Justice in Policing Act, led by Chairwoman Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-Calif.) and members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), seeks to increase accountability in police brutality cases and […]