SGN Mar 29, 2019 - Part 1

Seattle Gay News

NAACP backs Equality Act

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

The NAACP supports the Equality Act, its DC bureau director announced on March 22.

by Stephen Peters Human Rights Campaign

“We believe the same protections that we have worked for so hard over the 110 years of the NAACP should be extended to

“We support what it does, and we support it now. It’s important that it gets through,” NAACP Bureau Director Hilary Shelton told NBC News.

[On March 20, 2019] HRC responded to the Trump-Pence administration’s refusal to join more than 30 countries in calling for a thorough investigation into the ongoing anti-LGBTQ crimes against humanity occurring in the Russian republic of Chechnya. The United States refused to sign a joint statement issued by United Nations member nations calling for “a swift, thorough and impartial investigation into the alleged see CHECHNYA page 13

Seattle Gay News

LGBTQ

Did you know that almost 30% of LGBTQ+ renters in Seattle were economically evicted in 2017? (Source: LGBTQ Allyship 2017 LGBTQ Housing Report)

In 2017 one of Allyship’s Leadership Institute graduates was evicted from his all queer and trans people of color house in the Central District. He now realizes if he had known his rights, he and his roommates would never have lost their housing.

Evictions can often be prevented if renters know their rights. One of Allyship’s anti-displacement strategies is to host LGBTQ Renters Rights training.

Find a training near you:

South Seattle – April 8 from 6pm to 8pm at RainierAveRadio.World, 5256 Rainier Ave. S. Learn about LGBTQ housing history, the current state of housing for LGBTQ renters in King County and your rights as tenants. William Yi will be the trainer and Allyship will provide food and

drink. This is a wheelchair accessible location. This is a scent free event. For more info please email info@allyship.org.

South King County – April 9, from 6pm to 8pm, Valley View Library, 17850 Military Rd. S., Sea-Tac. Learn about LGBTQ housing history, the current state of housing for LGBTQ renters in King County and your rights as tenants. William Yi will be the trainer and Allyship will provide food and drink. This is a wheelchair accessible location. This is a scent free event. For more info please email info@allyship.org

Capitol Hill – May 4 from 12pm to 2pm in partnership with Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave.

ALL TRAININGS ARE FREE! For more information, contact LGBTQ Allyship – allyship.org.

Courtesy of LGBTQ Allyship

This spring, The Seattle Public Library is offering a free class to help individuals prepare for the U.S. citizenship test. The class takes place from April 1 to June 15, 2pm to 4pm on Mondays and Wednesdays and 10:15am to 12:15pm on Saturdays, at the Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., Level 4, PACCAR Inc. Meeting Room 6, (206) 684-0849.

Library events and programs are free and everyone is welcome. Registration is required in class. Parking is available in the Central Library garage at the regular rates on weekdays.

The class will cover all aspects of the citizenship test, including U.S. history and civics, reading and writing practice, and the questions covered on the Application for Naturalization (Form N-400).

Registration and testing takes place during the first week of class. To register, bring your permanent resident card and driver’s license or identification card during the first week of class. The class is open until full.

Citizenship classes are presented in partnership with the Asian Counseling and Referral Service.

The Library brings people, information and ideas together to enrich lives and build community. We support universal access to information and ideas, and form strong partnerships with community organizations to offer classes and workshops that are accessible to all.

For more information, call (206) 684-0849 or visit https://www.spl.org/. For ADA accommodations, please contact: leap@spl.org

Courtesy of Seattle Public Library

by Jessica Price SGN A&E Writer

MICHELLE OBAMA’S BECOMING BOOK TOUR

TACOMA DOME

March 24

Two weeks ago in Hawaii, along a stretch of black, rocky beachm I noticed “<3 OBAMA” written in those ubiquitous white pebbles along the shoreline. Two years into post-Obama America, and we’re still clinging to memories of the dignity that Barack and Michelle brought to the White House. When in our recent history has anyone missed a former First Family so incredibly much?

We’ve missed them enough that over 18,000 people turned up to see Michelle Obama at the Tacoma stop of her Becoming book tour last Sunday night, breaking attendance records for the 21-city tour. The lines were long and slow-moving, but an easy camaraderie drifted among the lines of people streaming into the Dome. People of every gender, race, age, and other persuasion were positively gleeful, happy just to bask in a little of Michelle Obama’s light. Good will and laughter prevailed from concession stands to merch lines to ridiculously overpriced parking lots.

Pre-show, a series of light-hearted moments from Michelle’s public appearances played, including the time she did push-ups on “Ellen” and other memorable clips. Girl-power pop songs and a live feed of #IAmBecoming tagged photos on social media raised the excitement level. Next a small group took the stage and stepped one by one from darkness into a single spotlight, each answering the question “Who are you becoming?” Among the speakers were a local Girl Scout, an active duty green beret, and local heroes Sue Bird, Ciara, and Eddie Vedder.

With an elegance and poise that are by now second nature, Michelle appeared and settled in to chat amicably with Jimmy Kimmel on a variety of subjects for over an hour and fifteen minutes. Spanning her childhood in Chicago to the personal losses

of a college friend and her father, she spoke openly and thoughtfully about the self-examination that shaped her decision to alter her career trajectory after achieving early success in corporate law. There were moments of humor and levity (when asked if the Obamas had returned to the White House, she replied “no, we haven’t been anywhere near that house” with a wry smile), but stopped short of saying anything disparaging about the current administration.

She described the kids’ last sleepover the night before the inauguration and the chaos of moving day (“grab your blankie, grab your biscuit, because the Trumps are coming and ya’ll got to go”), as well as her 30-minute collapse into exhausted tears as she departed. During their time in the White House, the Obamas were held to an incredibly high standard, one with zero margin for error. Living under brutal scrutiny for eight years, with so many detractors eager for the slightest misstep, did not break her spirit or that of her family. Yet as a mother, wife, and human being, it would be impossible not to be marked by them. And leadership through fear – fear of your neighbors, fear of each other, she admonished – is not the answer.

Everyone has a story and context (a sentiment she shared earlier with members of the Balanced Black Girl Book Club at the Tacoma Public Library). Her life preWhite House forms the bulk of her memoir, she said, and her focus was to convey the importance of communicating that context. “I’m an ordinary person who found herself on an extraordinary journey. In sharing my story, I hope to help create space for other stories, and other voices. There’s power in allowing yourself to be known and heard, in owning your unique story and using your authentic voice, and there’s grace in being willing to know and hear others. This for me, is how we become.”

The Becoming tour was much more than an appearance in support of a best-selling book. In many ways, it was a reminder that the unifying energy in the room, the inspiration and hope, is a legacy the Obamas left behind that cannot be undone. It was also a peek into the real woman behind the public figure – the funny, sarcastic, brilliant, beautiful, and relatable woman. Through her memoir and tour, she can be herself, laying the chaos of the White House years to rest. Her new work will be in increasing awareness

and fighting for accessibility for education in young women – education is power, she said. Just two days after her sold-out appearance at the Tacoma Dome, it was widely reported that the former First Lady’s

DOJ will argue that Obamacare is unconstitutional

Change in policy was opposed by AG Bill Barr, GOP House leader

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

The Trump administration said its Department of Justice (DOJ) will now back a suit seeking to overturn the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or Obamacare).

The case, Texas v. United States, is one of several suits brought by Republicancontrolled states arguing that the ACA is unconstitutional. Their claim was upheld by US District Judge Reed O’Conner and is now before the 5th Circuit Court.

The DOJ’s announcement marks a significant change for the department. Under former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the department said it would not send lawyers to support the ACA but would not join the states in opposing it. Now DOJ attorneys will join Texas lawyers to argue against the law before the 5th Circuit.

“The Department of Justice has determined that the district court’s comprehensive opinion came to the correct conclusion and will support it on appeal,” said DOJ spokesperson Kerri Kupec, explaining her department’s change of stance.

Strangely enough, the change in policy was opposed by the current head of the DOJ, Attorney General Bill Barr, according to Politico. Barr and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar reportedly argued against the change.

They were joined by House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, who phoned the president to complain that the administration’s decision “made no sense – especially after Democrats killed Republicans in the midterms in part over the issue of preexisting conditions,” according to Axios

Politico reported that the policy change was led by the administration’s domestic policy chief, Joe Grogan, and the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russ Vought. Both are close allies of White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, who helped to engineer the move.

What will happen if the courts strike down the ACA?

While little might happen immediately to some people who are covered by employerprovided health insurance, the stakes for millions of Americans who rely on the ACA could not be greater:

• 133 million Americans with preexisting conditions, including people living with HIV, could lose their health insurance or find that their premiums have increased to such a level that they are no longer affordable.

• 171 million people, including some people insured under employer-provided plans, will face restored lifetime caps on insurance payouts, meaning they could lose coverage for treatment of chronic diseases like HIV, cancer, or hemophilia at some point.

• 21 million people who buy insurance on ACA exchanges could lose coverage completely.

• 12 million adults could lose Medicaid coverage.

• 60 million people covered by Medicare could face significant premium increases and changes to their coverage plans.

• 2 million young people could lose the right to be covered under their parents’ insurance.

Rep. Jayapal’s statement on Attorney General Barr’s summary of the Mueller report

WASHINGTON, DC (March 25, 2019)

– Today, Rep. Pramila Jayapal released the following statement regarding Attorney General William Barr’s summary of the Mueller report:

“It is clear that, even after a 22-month investigation, Special Counsel Mueller was not able to exonerate the president from the charge of obstruction of justice. Equally disturbing is the fact that Attorney General Barr took less than 48 hours to determine that he will take no further action on this very serious charge. The attorney general has made it clear – through his broad support for sweeping presidential power

and authority and his past criticism of the special counsel’s inquiry – that he is not an unbiased participant. It is, therefore, even more urgent that Congress immediately receive the full report and all the underlying documentation and evidence so that we can make our own determinations.

“The special counsel’s investigation is one critical piece of a much broader set of investigations, including the work of the Southern District of New York, that have already revealed a shocking level of wrongdoing. Mueller has held Trump’s top personal, campaign, and White House advisors to account – five of whom have been found guilty and a sixth who is on trial for lying and other offenses. The House Judiciary Committee has the responsibility to investigate and conduct oversight into abuse of power, public corruption, and obstruction of justice. As a member of that committee, I look forward to immediately receiving the full Mueller report and the underlying evidence and continuing to ensure that we uphold the Constitution.”

Courtesy of Rep. Pramila Jayapal

The legal arguments

Although the US Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of the ACA before, the latest case claims that new factors make the law unconstitutional.

In Texas v. United States, Judge O’Conner ruled that the prior Supreme Court decision upholding the ACA was based on Congress’s taxing authority, a legal authority that no longer applies since Congress repealed the IRS penalty for individuals who fail to buy health insurance.

Therefore, since January 1, 2019, the ACA’s individual mandate requiring people to have health insurance “can no longer be sustained as an exercise of Congress’s tax power,” O’Conner wrote in his opinion.

O’Connor ruled that the ACA could remain is force while his judgment is under appeal to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. Most legal experts think the 5th Circuit will affirm the district court ruling, but the action of the Supreme Court is less predictable.

“No matter how the appeals court rules, the matter is certain to move on to the Supreme Court,” said Edward Fensholt, senior vice president and director of

compliance services at Lockton, a benefits brokerage and consulting firm, told SHRM Online

However, Andrew Douglass, an attorney with Reed Smith in Chicago, predicted that if the 5th Circuit reverses the district court decision, the Supreme Court is unlikely to review the case. But he predicted that the 5th Circuit, which he characterized as conservative, would affirm, in which case Supreme Court review would be likely.

Politics

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced plans on March 27 to force a vote on a measure to protect the ACA. The legislation would be attached as an amendment to the disaster aid bill the Senate is now considering.

“It will very simply prohibit the Department of Justice from using any funding to litigate the downfall of the ACA in the Circuit Court. Let’s see if all of our Republican colleagues who have said they don’t want to take away protections for preexisting conditions,” Schumer said on Wednesday. “Let’s see how our Republican colleagues will vote on this.”

If the amendment comes to the Senate floor for a vote, it would put vulnerable Senate Republicans in a difficult position on health care politics. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) would be unlikely to approve such a vote given that it would pit GOP senators against the Trump administration.

“Will the leader do what he’s so characteristically doing in the majority? Block this amendment?” Schumer challenged. “Will any Republican on the other side stand up and say don’t block it?”

Meanwhile, Wisconsin’s newly elected Democratic governor, Tony Evers, and Democratic attorney general Josh Kaul withdrew their state from the lawsuits challenging the ACA. His Republican predecessor, Scott Walker, was a leading opponent of the law.

Rep. Smith’s statement on conclusion of the Mueller investigation

WASHINGTON, DC (March 25, 2019)

– Congressman Adam Smith released the following statement in response to the release of Attorney General Barr’s letter summarizing Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s final report:

“It is imperative that the American people and the United States Congress see the entire Muller report. Thus far, we have not seen a single word that we know for a fact Special Counsel Mueller wrote, only Attorney General Barr’s opinion of that report. We must see the full report.

“Conspiracy and obstruction are very difficult to prove, and have an incredibly high bar. Apparently, Special Counsel Mueller did not think there was sufficient evidence for conspiracy, and he could not offer a clear opinion on obstruction. That is distinctly possible, but it does not mean that the president and his campaign didn’t do anything wrong. The Mueller probe resulted in the indictment of 34 individuals, including seven guilty pleas and four people sentenced to prison. For anyone to say this report shows no wrongdoing is a gross misstatement of the facts.

“According to Attorney General Barr, the report does say unequivocally that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election in order to elect Donald Trump

president. This is something the president has denied over and over again. The Mueller report shows the president is wrong. It is way past time for the president to personally take steps to hold the Russians accountable for their interference. The fact that Trump refuses to do so is a blot on his presidency and undermines the credibility of our democracy.

“We now also know that the Russians made attempts to influence the election and had contact with people in the Trump campaign to offer to help. The Trump campaign was aware of these offers and aware of what the Russians were doing. The Trump campaign took no steps to alert any authorities, failed to contact the FBI, and didn’t try to stop the Russians in any way. That is not a crime, but it definitely leaves the campaign morally culpable for the result. In terms of the president’s leadership in dealing with the Russian interference in our election, and in terms of what his campaign had to do with the interference, even his own attorney general has put out a set of facts that make it clear that the president behaved at a minimum in an unethical way. At a minimum this is clearly a failure of leadership by the president.”

Courtesy of Rep. Adam Smith

Sen. Murray demands answers from Defense Department following transfer of $1 billion in military personnel funding to pay for President Trump’s border wall

WASHINGTON, DC (March 27, 2019)

– Following notification from the Department of Defense that it transferred $1 billion in military personnel funding to the Drug Interdiction and Counter-narcotics Activities account to be used to build part of President Donald Trump’s wall on the southwest border, even though it was not approved by Congress, Sen. Murray joined every Democratic member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies to press the Department of Defense for information on how this transfer will impact military readiness initiatives this year.

“We strongly object to both the substance of the funding transfer, and to the Department implementing the transfer without seeking the approval of the congressional defense committees and in violation of provisions in the defense appropriation itself,” the senators wrote in a letter to Defense Secretary Shanahan.

“As a result, we have serious concerns that the Department has allowed political interference and pet projects to come ahead of many near-term, critical readiness issues facing our military.”

In their letter, the senators noted a growing list of substantial funding shortfalls, including unanticipated ship maintenance costs for the Navy that total at least $400 million this year, and could be as high as $1 billion, and costs for the Air Force to meet its readiness directive to increase its fighter aircraft rates to 80%, which could exceed half a billion dollars. Additionally, last week the Defense Department sent Congress a list of more than $10 billion worth of military construction projects that could be delayed in order to pay for President Trump’s border wall, including military projects in Washington state like a new confinement facility at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and a new tactical equipment maintenance facility at the Army’s Yakima Training Center. Previously, Sen. Murray slammed President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency to bypass Congress’s “power of the purse” and condemned the President’s efforts to raid funds from critical military assets to build his wasteful border wall.

The full text of the letter is available below:

March 25, 2019

Dear Secretary Shanahan:

We have received your notification of the transfer of $1 billion in military personnel funding to the Drug Interdiction and Counter-narcotics Activities account, to be used for building miles of wall on the Southwest border that was not approved by the Congress. We strongly object to both the substance of the funding transfer, and to the Department implementing the transfer without seeking the approval of the congressional defense committees and in violation of provisions in the defense appropriation itself. As a result, we have serious concerns that the Department has allowed political interference and pet projects to come ahead of many near-term, critical readiness issues facing our military.

The $1 billion reprogramming that the Department is implementing without congressional approval constitutes a dollarfor-dollar theft from other readiness needs of our Armed Forces. As you are aware, each year, the military Services request billions in mid-year transfers to address unexpected shortfalls in paying our troops, providing training, maintaining their equipment, and accelerating new technologies.

While the Department of Defense has been unwilling to share complete estimates

of its readiness shortfalls for this year despite repeated requests, we are aware of substantial shortfalls that currently total $5 billion – and the list is growing. Examples of these shortfalls include:

The Air Force and Marine Corps have working drafts of more than $1.5 billion in proposals to speed cleanup and reconstruction of Tyndall Air Force Base and Camp Lejeune.

The Navy has annually reprogrammed large sums to address shortfalls in ship maintenance, averaging $671 million over each of the last nine years. We believe that the unanticipated ship maintenance costs this year are at least $400 million, and could be as high as $1 billion.

The National Guard has a shortfall in pay and operations that, according to Department estimates provided to Congress, could total $308 million in this year. Failure to address these costs would jeopardize National Guard drills across the country beginning this summer.

The Navy is currently exceeding its endstrength goals, which may result in a pay shortfall as much as $216 million.

The Air Force was directed by former Secretary Mattis in October 2018 to increase its fighter aircraft rates to 80 percent. The cost of meeting this readiness directive may exceed half a billion dollars.

The Air Force has identified a $632 million shortfall in the next-generation of

satellites to detect the launch of nuclear missiles from hostile nations. Absent these funds, the program may be delayed by years, at a time when our adversaries are increasing their capabilities to strike the US homeland.

We are seriously concerned that the diversion of funds for the border wall will cause the Department to allow readiness initiatives to go unaddressed this year. To better understand the impacts of this shortsighted policy on our troops, we ask you to provide by April 15:

1. A comprehensive list of all shortfalls identified by the military Services and other components of the Department to date;

2. An updated list of shortfalls following completion of the Department’s midyear budget review in the coming weeks;

3. Your funding strategy for addressing these shortfalls given your remaining reprogramming authority; and

4. A list of shortfalls that you will be unable to address this year.

We also believe the Department has not complied with section 8005 of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2019, which prohibits the transfer of funds “where the item for which reprogramming is requested has been denied by the Congress.” As you are aware, the White House requested $5.7 billion for 234 miles of wall in a letter dated January 6, 2019. As Congress opposed this request for hundreds of miles of wall, the President kept major portions of the Government closed for weeks after this letter was sent. The appropriations bill which reopened Government denied major portions of this request for hundreds of miles of border wall – prompting the President to declare an emergency and order the Department to take unprecedented action to override the denial of funds for this senseless project. As a result, the Committee has sought a legal judgment from the GAO on this matter, and we expect the Department to comply with its findings.

We look forward to your response as soon as possible.

Courtesy of Sen. Patty Murray

75th US Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus to speak at nation’s largest LGBTQ military event of the year

WASHINGTON, DC (March 22, 2019)

– Today, the American Military Partner Association (AMPA) – the nation’s largest organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) military spouses and their families – announced that the 75th United States Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus will speak at the 6th annual AMPA National Gala on Saturday, May 11, in Washington, DC. Mabus served as Secretary of the Navy from 2009 to 2016, the longest tenure as leader of the Navy and Marine Corps since World War I. AMPA will honor Mabus with the organization’s National Leadership Award for his tremendous advocacy for the LGBTQ military community.

Set to take place only one month after the Trump-Pence administration’s trans-

gender military ban takes effect, the event comes at a challenging moment for the LGBTQ military community. The ban will impact thousands of active-duty transgender service members and qualified recruits who want to serve. More than 500 LGBTQ

service members, veterans, military spouses, and allies will gather at the event in a show of solidarity.

“Throughout his time leading the US Navy and Marine Corps, Secretary Ray Mabus was a champion of fairness and equality for all who serve – including LGBTQ service members and their families,” said AMPA President Ashley Broadway-Mack. “Secretary Mabus knows that what matters is a service member’s ability to accomplish the mission, not who they are or where they come from. As a leader with a legacy of positive change in the military, we are honored to welcome Secretary Mabus to the 6th annual AMPA National Gala. As we face a transgender military ban threatening thousands of active-duty service members and qualified recruits,

the evening will be an important moment of solidarity and mutual support for the LGBTQ military community in the face of unconscionable discrimination.”

“I’m honored to speak to and be recognized by the largest organization representing LGBTQ military spouses and their families, real heroes who sacrifice so much on behalf of our nation,” said Mabus. “It should be easy to stand up for these patriots when they are willing to risk themselves to protect us.”

As Secretary of the Navy, Mabus set the tone from the top in support of greater diversity throughout the military and building a force that relies on the strength that every service member brings to the fight. He was a leading voice for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” which he called “one of

HRC partners with award-winning directors

Dustin

Lance

Black and Paris Barclay

on

star-studded “Americans for the Equality Act” public education and advertising campaign

WASHINGTON, DC (March 25, 2019)

– Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, announced the launch of a star-studded Americans for the Equality Act public awareness and advertising campaign, filmed by award-winning directors Dustin Lance Black and Paris Barclay. The series, which launches today with a debut video featuring Academy Award–winning actress Sally Field and her son Sam Greisman, will feature prominent figures in entertainment, sports, and beyond speaking about the need for the Equality Act – a crucial civil rights bill that would extend clear, comprehensive nondiscrimination protections to millions of LGBTQ people nationwide.

Currently, 50% of LGBTQ Americans live in one of the 30 states without statewide legal nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people – leaving millions at risk of being fired, denied housing, or refused service because of who they are or whom they love. The Equality Act would guarantee existing civil rights laws apply to LGBTQ people by providing clear, consistent nondiscrimination protections based on sexual orientation or gender identity

across key areas of life, including employment, housing, credit, education, public spaces and services, federally funded programs, and jury service.

Reintroduced in Congress on March 13, the measure has unprecedented support from nearly 70% of Americans, more than 280 members of Congress, 170 major businesses, and more than 300 social justice, religious, medical and child welfare organizations. Recent polling finds that a growing majority of Americans support federal nondiscrimination protections and LGBTQ equality. A recent survey by PRRI found that nearly seven in 10 Americans support laws like the Equality Act, including majorities in every single state and majorities of Republicans, independents, and Democrats alike.

Over the coming days and weeks, the HRC will roll out videos from a powerhouse lineup of supportive film and television actors, influencers, musicians, and professional athletes, including Adam Rippon, Shea Diamond, Alexandra Billings, Blossom Brown, Charlie and Max Carver, Dustin Lance Black, Paris and Christopher Barclay, Gloria Calderon Kellett, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jane Lynch, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Justin Mikita, Justina Machado, Karamo Brown, Marcia

barring discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Gay Harden, and Nyle DiMarco. The new series is modeled after the HRC’s successful Americans for Marriage Equality campaign. The campaign will continue as the legislation is considered in Congress, with additional videos being produced.

“This is an exceptionally important effort, and I’m so proud to have had the opportunity to both direct this series and participate with my family,” said Emmy Award–winning director Paris Barclay. “So much of the progress of the LGBTQ movement has hinged on our ability to tell our stories and move people — and that’s the same spirit with which we’ve approached this compelling project. I was moved by the stories from the talented people participated in this campaign. We join them in working to make history again by passing the Equality Act.”

“Every American deserves a fair shot at a job to support themselves and their family, and the security of a roof over their head,” said Academy Award–winning director Dustin Lance Black. “These are key ingredients in what we’ve long cherished as our ‘American Dream.’ But until the Equality Act is signed into law, this dream may not be a reality for far too many Americans in many areas of our wild and wonderful coun-

try. I believe we must all share our personal stories and struggles with our fellow Americans in order to help this great dream become a reality for more of our loved ones, co-workers, and neighbors.”

“The advocates and artists featured in the HRC’s ‘Americans for the Equality Act’ video series amplify the chorus of voices urging Congress to pass the Equality Act,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “The harsh reality is that LGBTQ Americans still face real and persistent discrimination in their everyday lives, and Congress must pass the Equality Act to protect them. We’re grateful for these incredible champions for using their voices and platforms to help ensure every person is treated equally under the law, no matter who they are or who they love.”

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organizations working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and in every community.

Courtesy of the HRC

all Americans, particularly members of the LGBTQ community.”

The organization previously supported the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, a law signed by Barack Obama that expanded federal hate crime laws to include LGBT+ people.

The NAACP also backed marriage equality and anti-discrimination protections for the LGBT community in the Affordable Care Act and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

Currently 30 US states have no laws

The Equality Act was reintroduced by Democrats in the House of Representatives earlier this month. The bill will certainly pass the House, where Democrats hold a majority, but it faces an uphill battle in the Republican-controlled Senate.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that “While the president betrays our values with his [transgender military] ban, Congress is bringing our nation closer to equal liberty and justice for all with the Equality Act.

“Sexual orientation and gender identity deserve full civil rights protections – in the workplace and in every place, education, housing, credit, jury service, [and] public accommodations.”

In the Senate, however, Democrats have only 45 seats, meaning the bill must unite all Democrats and win over several Republicans to stand any prospect of becoming law.

Forty-four Democratic senators have backed the bill, but West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin has said he will not do so. Manchin has also opposed previous LGBT rights legislation.

“I strongly support equality for all people and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind,” Manchin said in a statement.

“No one should be afraid of losing their job or losing their housing because of their sexual orientation.

“After speaking with local education officials in West Virginia, I am not convinced that the Equality Act as written provides sufficient guidance to the local officials who will be responsible for implementing it, particularly with respect to students transitioning between genders in public schools.”

Manchin said he would “continue working with the sponsors of the bill to build broad bipartisan support and find a viable path forward for these critical protections so that I can vote in support of this bill.”

On the Republican side, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine is considered the most likely to vote for the Equality Act.

the dumbest laws you can possibly have or have had.” He has been an outspoken critic of the Trump administration’s transgender military ban, saying, “...it’s not the way to treat patriots, it’s not the way to build a great military force either.” In condemning the trans military ban, Mabus said, “The way I approached it was you set standards, jobspecific standards. Once you’ve done that, then gender and race and sexual orientation ... [don’t] matter. The only qualification to get a job ought to be the ability to do the job. A more diverse force is a stronger force.”

Ray Mabus has been a governor, ambassador, and Secretary of the US Navy. As Secretary of the Navy under President Obama, he revolutionized the Navy and Marine Corps, making operations more energy efficient and diversifying their fuel supply, and developed the Gulf Coast Restoration Plan after the Deepwater Horizon

oil spill. Before his appointment by President Obama, Mabus was Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 1994 to 1996. From 1988 to 1992, Mabus served as governor of Mississippi, the youngest elected to that office in more than 150 years. Mabus is CEO of the Mabus Group, a consulting firm focused on helping businesses, governments, and organizations prepare for, recover from, or take advantage of change through resiliency. Mabus also serves as senior advisor to Google Ventures and is a director of several public companies, a lecturer at Harvard Law School, an executive fellow at Harvard Business School, and a visiting fellow at the Institute of Politics and the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. He is a native of Ackerman, Mississippi, and received a bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Mississippi, a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University, and a law degree, magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School. Mabus served in the Navy as an officer aboard the cruiser USS Little Rock.

AMPA is an organizational plaintiff, alongside the Human Rights Campaign and Gender Justice League, in a lawsuit brought by Lambda Legal and OutServe-SLDN and joined by the State of Washington challenging the constitutionality of the discriminatory transgender military ban. In January, the US Supreme Court denied petitions from the US Department of Justice (DOJ) asking that the Court review preliminary federal district court rulings that have kept the Trump administration from implementing its discriminatory ban. However, in a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court granted the DOJ’s request for a stay on the preliminary rulings, allowing the administration to move forward in implementing its ban. On March 12, the Department of Defense announced the ban will go into effect on April 12, 2019.

The 6th annual AMPA National Gala is presented by Comcast NBCUniversal and USAA. Additional confirmed sponsors include Airbus, the Palm Center, OutServeSLDN, the Human Rights Campaign Foun-

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

dation, American Airlines, Wells Fargo Advisors, and Finnegan. The Army and Air Force Exchange Service is a national advertising partner. Tickets and further information are available at www.MilitaryPartners. org/Gala

Media interested in covering the event must request media credentials in advance by emailing their name, outlet affiliation, and role to partners@militarypartners.org.

The American Military Partner Association (AMPA) is the nation’s largest organization of LGBTQ military spouses, their families, and allies. A nonprofit organization with more than 50,000 members and supporters, AMPA is committed to education, advocacy, and support for “modern military families.” For more information, visit www.MilitaryPartners.org

Courtesy of AMPA

Puerto Rico’s governor issues historic executive order protecting youth from dangerous “conversion therapy”

WASHINGTON, DC (March 27, 2019) –Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, released [a] statement on Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló’s historic executive action protecting LGBTQ youth across Puerto Rico from the dangerous and discredited practice of so-called “conversion therapy.”

“We commend Gov. Rosselló for his leadership in issuing this order to protect LGBTQ minors in Puerto Rico,” said HRC Senior Legislative Counsel Xavier Persad. “The dangerous and debunked practice of so-called ‘conversion therapy’ not only doesn’t work – it can have life-threatening consequences. This is why it has been condemned by every major medical association in our country. Puerto Rico now joins 15 other states and the District of Columbia in protecting LGBTQ minors from this despicable practice and sending a message that these youth should be affirmed and embraced.”

American Medical Association.

Since July 2018, transgender people in the US commonwealth have been able to update the gender marker on their birth certificates, and the commonwealth’s employment nondiscrimination laws include sexual orientation and gender identity. Despite progress, homophobia and transphobia continue to pose a threat to LGBTQ Puerto Ricans.

This decision adds Puerto Rico to a growing number of states across the nation and Washington, DC, that have protections against “conversion therapy” for minors. In January, New York became the 15th state to enact legislation to protect youth from the dangerous practice.

The governor’s executive order takes effect immediately and requires the Secretary of Health, the administrator of the Mental Health and Addiction Services Administration, and the Secretary of Economic Development and Trade to issue regulations within 90 days restricting licensed health care facilities and workers from engaging in the harmful practice.

CHECHNYA

persecution,” and that those responsible be held accountable. Since news of the Chechen atrocities first broke in April 2017, the Trump-Pence White House has refused to publicly condemn the anti-LGBTQ attacks.

“The Trump-Pence administration has once again shamefully chosen to not speak out against the barbaric, anti-LGBTQ attacks occuring in Chechyna,” said HRC Global Director Ty Cobb. “It’s unconscionable that the United States is not joining with these more than 30 nations in publicly condemning these Chechen anti-LGBTQ crimes against humanity and calling for those responsible to be held accountable. The absolute failure of human rights leadership from this White House is staggering.”

In December, a report released by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), detailed the systematic torture, abuse and murder of LGBTQ people in Chechnya, stating that there is “overwhelming evidence that there have been grave violations of the rights of LGBTI persons in the Chechen Republic.” The report refuted denials from Chechen and Russian authorities and called on

There is no credible evidence that “conversion therapy” can change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. To the contrary, research has

Russia to establish a special investigative committee to “undertake an effective, impartial and transparent investigation of the allegations” and “bring to justice the alleged perpetrators.”

The Trump-Pence White House has refused to publicly condemn the antiLGBTQ attacks, even as Vladimir Putin licensed the violence to continue. While the U.S. Treasury Department did place sanctions on certain Chechen officials in response to their human rights violations, and U.S. diplomats supported the OSCE fact-finding mission, President Trump, Vice President Pence, and Secretary Pompeo have never once spoken out publicly against what has taken place there.

While former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson did reportedly write a private letter to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov raising the human rights abuses, that letter was never released publicly nor was it accompanied by any public statement on Chechnya. In October 2017, HRC filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the U.S. Department of State for all records regarding that letter – a request that has yet to be fulfilled. While the White House has remained silent, both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate have passed bipartisan resolu-

clearly shown that these practices pose devastating health risks for LGBTQ young people, including depression, decreased selfesteem, substance abuse, homelessness, and suicidal behavior. The inhumane practice is widely condemned by every major medical and mental health organization, including the American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association, and

tions condemning the atrocities.

HRC has worked to shine a spotlight on the dire situation in Chechnya through the organization’s #EyesOnChechnya campaign. In March 2018, HRC also released a letter from HRC President Chad Griffin to Trump calling on him to end his deafening silence and publicly condemn the attacks as crimes against humanity. In June 2018, a gay Chechen refugee joined HRC in Washington for a series of meetings with U.S. government officials, where he shared how he had been brutally tortured in Chechnya and managed to flee to safety in Canada with the help of the organization Rainbow Railroad. HRC also shared the first-hand story of one of the Chechen survivors on World Refugee Day. In July 2018, on the eve of the TrumpPutin summit in Helsinki, HRC projected an enormous message on the Presidential Palace demanding that Trump and Putin immediately condemn and investigate the ongoing anti-LGBTQ crimes against humanity occurring in Chechnya.

On April 1, 2017, Novaya Gazeta, a Russian independent media outlet, first broke the news that Chechen authorities had rounded up and detained in secret prisons more than 100 men who were suspected of being gay or bisexual. Chechen leaders

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. The HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and in every community.

Courtesy of the HRC

have denied these accusations, going so far as to deny the very existence of LGBTQ people in Chechnya – a claim the Russian government astonishingly repeated. Nonetheless, there were numerous verified reports of torture and at least three and possibly as many as 20 men had been killed. The anti-LGBTQ attacks have also brought about a surge in lesbian women sharing stories about humiliation, abuse, and threats they have faced from male relatives or from others. Transgender Chechens have also fled violence.

There are also reports of renewed persecution against LGBTQ Chechens. Approximately 40 people have been detained and two killed in a “new wave of persecution” that started at the end of 2018, according to a statement from the Russian LGBT Network. The Russian LGBT Network, which has helped more than 140 people escape Chechnya since the crackdown began in 2017, has stated law enforcement officers have detained individuals suspected of being LGBTQ in Argun, a city more than a dozen miles outside the Chechen capital.

Courtesy of the HRC

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