SGN Nov 2, 2018 - Part 1

Lambda Legal responds to Tree of Life massacre, week of white supremacist violence

NEW YORK (October 29, 2018) – In response to the massacre on [on October 27] of 11 people at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Lambda Legal issued the following statement:

“Our hearts go out to the family, friends, and community of the Tree of Life congregation following the anti-Semitic massacre on Saturday. We share in the grief and anger of people everywhere in response to this latest act of hate violence at the end of one of the most painful weeks in recent

memory. We stand with other marginalized and targeted communities, united in our determination to beat back bigotry.

“Last week, bombs were mailed to 13 individuals and news outlets deemed ‘enemies’ of the Trump administration. On Wednesday, a white man tried to enter a predominantly Black church in Kentucky, and when he was unsuccessful, he unleashed his hate on two Black customers at a nearby grocery store. We also know that, in addition to the murderous rage aimed at Jewish people, the Pittsburgh shooter’s bigotry was directed at the refugees and migrants hoping to seek safety in the US.

“We stand opposed to the white supremacist violence convulsing our nation and stand in solidarity with all those who have been targeted by it. We stand in solidarity

Statement of GLAD Executive Director

Janson Wu on the shooting at Tree of Life Synagogue

“We are saddened and horrified by the shooting [on October 27] at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. Our hearts and our thoughts go out to the families and friends of those who lost loved ones, those who were hurt by this violence, and to all those in our Jewish communities who are reeling from this news. We denounce hate in all its forms, and condemn the antiSemitism that motived this incident. It is our collective responsibility to do the work of mending our world. That work includes

both fighting to end gun violence and striving to create a culture where the hateful rhetoric and action that occurred today at Tree of Life – and has become far too prevalent in our country – is both unacceptable and unheard of.”

Through strategic litigation, public policy advocacy, and education, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders works in New England and nationally to create a just society free of discrimination based on gender identity and expression, HIV status, and sexual orientation. www.GLAD.org

Courtesy of GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders

with the Jewish community of Pittsburgh, and with Jewish people everywhere across this country. We stand in solidarity with the African-American community of Louisville, and with people of color everywhere across this country. We stand in solidarity with immigrants.

“We know that all of these attacks are connected, each part of a larger web of hate that is being spun in an effort to undermine civil rights and intimidate people. And we know that LGBTQ people are targets in that larger web. Last week began with news of a memo being circulated within the federal government that sought to erase transgender, intersex, and gender-nonconforming people by literally defining them out of existence for purposes of federal law.

“This effort to undermine our democ-

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responders who bravely rushed into danger to save lives, the people of Pittsburgh, and all those impacted by this tragic act of hate violence. After Newtown, our nation called for action. After Tucson, Virginia Tech, Aurora, San Bernardino, Charleston, and Alexandria, we called for action. After the shooting at Pulse nightclub more than two years ago, we called for action. After Parkland and Las Vegas, we called for action. Yet, in the face of these mounting tragedies, many of our lawmakers have refused to act on meaningful gun safety legislation. And it is no surprise how these tragedies so often intersect with vile hatred, this time against the Jewish community. As these politicians fail to act, [eleven] people were killed and numerous others injured while gathered in prayer. It’s time for Congress and the White House to act. We need leadership now, not more victimblaming and divisive rhetoric that could result in more senseless deaths. We must continue to demand action until our lawmakers either hear us – or we have new lawmakers.”

racy through violence and repression must not be allowed to succeed. We refuse to be intimidated or silenced in the face of these threats; rather, we are more committed than ever to fighting for all of the communities of which LGBTQ people are a part, and to bringing our country closer to its aspiration of being a place of liberty, equality, and justice for all.”

Lambda Legal is a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people, and everyone living with HIV through impact litigation, education, and public policy work.

Courtesy of Lambda Legal

This tragedy comes more than two years since 49 lives – most of them Latinx – were taken in a mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando.

The HRC backs common-sense gun violence–prevention measures and policies aimed at addressing the epidemic of hate that has fueled anti-LGBTQ-motivated murder, assault, and discrimination. For decades, LGBTQ people have been a target for bias-motivated violence, and easy access to deadly weapons has compounded this threat. Common-sense gun violence prevention measures endorsed by the HRC include banning access to assault-style rifles, expanding background checks, and limiting the ability for suspected terrorists and those with a history of domestic abuse to access guns. According to Everytown for Gun Safety, more than 33,000 gun deaths happen every year.

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

National LGBTQ Task Force condemns the anti-Semitic attack at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh

WASHINGTON, DC – On the antiSemitic attack at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh [on October 27], National LGBTQ Task Force Executive Director Rea Carey said the following:

“Today, the National LGBTQ Task Force joins others in outrage and heartbreak at the attack on the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. The attack on Jews, particularly during Sabbath worship, is horrific and unconscionable. Our hearts are with the victims, their families, and

community. We condemn this attack. Whether at the hand of a shooter, or from the mouth of Trump and other elected officials, anti-Semitism and defense of white supremacy is unacceptable. We will continue the work to ensure that all people can worship, and that all people can be who they are without fear of violence.”

The National LGBTQ Task Force works to secure full freedom, justice, equality, and equity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-

Jayapal statement on Pittsburgh shooting

SEATTLE – After attending a service and vigil at Temple de Hirsch Sinai [Monday evening, October 29], Congresswoman Jayapal issued the following statement:

“Earlier this evening at Seattle’s Temple de Hirsch Sinai, I stood proudly with over

Like so many across our nation, we are both saddened and shocked by this hate crime and act of terrorism. Our houses of worship should be safe, not scenes of bloodshed and pain. And we must say out loud and not minimize in any way that every one of the congregants died only because of their faith in the god they worshipped. They were targeted because they were Jewish.

We are holding the victims, their families, first responders, and the Jewish community in Pittsburgh in our hearts – and we share in their deep grief. Last night at Seattle’s Temple De Hirsch Sinai, I joined with thousands of community members from across our region as we came together to remember those lives taken on Saturday.

Once more, we have seen what happens when hatred and bigotry are emboldened.

2,000 people who gathered to show our deepest support for the Jewish community as we remembered the 11 men and women murdered in Pittsburgh at the Tree of Life synagogue. These men and women who went to pray were unacceptably targeted simply for being Jewish. Through song, prayer and the rituals of the Jewish tradition, we rejected anti-Semitism, honored those who lost their lives and recommitted ourselves to a world without hate. Powerful speakers reminded us of one of the central tenets of Judaism: that it is only through the collective action of all us that we can truly repair a broken world. We can never be silent in the face of evil, for to do so is to be complicit. It is not a choice, but an obligation to stand against hate and bigotry wherever it appears.

The tragedy at Tree of Life did not spring from a void. Rather, it was birthed by enabling actions of hate. A little over one year ago, the voices and acts of hate echoed in Charlottesville, with symbols of hate and burning torches displayed for all to see. We did not heed the warning. So the last week brought us the tragedy at Tree of Life, the murder of two black Americans in Kentucky in an act of terrorism, and the attempted assassinations of public figures, including two former Presidents, Attorney General, and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. All these acts of hate are antithetical to who we are.

We must be honest: Emboldened expressions of hate are on the rise in America. Sadly, Seattle has not been immune from this troubling trend. In the first nine months of 2018, there have been over 400 documented acts of hate crimes and bias in Seattle: assaults, harassment, threats, and more. This is nearly more than all of last year combined. We have seen places

“It cannot be lost on any of us that the shooter targeted the Jewish community in part for its strong support of refugees and immigrants. He explicitly repeated the lies perpetrated by this administration about the so-called dangers of the migrant caravan. Bill Swersey, a spokesman for the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, which was referred to by the shooter, said the shooter was ‘responding to the idea of the Jewish community supporting other people coming to live here. This is an elevation of the issue of anti-immigration, and it’s a concern to us and should be a concern to all Americans.’

“As one of only a dozen members of Congress who is an immigrant myself, and proudly representing a district that believes wholeheartedly that immigrants are essen-

of worship, and too many of our residents, targeted because of the color of their skin, their heritage or faith, or who they love.

This is a time of deep grief and fear. But we cannot let our sorrow and anger pull us into the grasping power of darkness. As a City committed to race and social justice, we must reject hate. That’s why today, I hope you’ll join me in translating what we feel today into action. Today, we must recommit together to fighting for safety, dignity, and justice.

We will protect and lift up our Jewish neighbors, our neighbors of color, our immigrant and refugee neighbors, our LGBTQ neighbors, our neighbors with disabilities – everyone we have the privilege of serving as City of Seattle employees. Your active participation in the Race and Social Justice Initiative is an important vehicle to doing so.

Please know that during this painful time for our country, our work together to

gender, and queer (LGBTQ) people. For over forty years, it has been at the forefront of the social justice movement by training thousands of organizers and advocating for change at the federal, state, and local level. www.thetaskforce.org

Courtesy of the National LGBTQ Task Force

The assault against anyone perceived as “other” are coming so swiftly, we can barely catch our breath. We were raised to believe “words can never harm” but, of course we know differently. Words not only hurt, but when hateful speech comes from the highest office in our land, they are interpreted as the go-ahead to commit carnage. Some no longer see the common humanity in each of us, but are guided by fear and distrust and, especially for less grounded people, may strike out against anyone who looks or lives differently from them.

This past couple of weeks, I have felt like a Mama Bear, standing up, roaring mad and ready to fight back because one of my family

members is being threatened and attacked. I know, we all know too well, that when one of us is attacked, we are all attacked. That “all” is not only all of us in the LGBTQ or Jewish communities, but in any marginalized community. Not only because we can be the next target, but because we are one human family and we must stand up, fight back and never allow any one of us to be a target of division and hate.

To those of us in our LGBTQ family who identify as trans, gender expansive, gender nonconforming or non-binary, we are furious you are the object of a hateful, narrow-minded, vindictive government searching for vulnerable people to use as a target to deflect attention away from their destructive leadership. To those of us who are Jewish and, like me, may also be LGBTQ, it uncovers wounds not healed,

fears not far below the surface, and sadness too profound to focus on for very long.

However, we are a resilient people. To those who think that this cowardly strategy will work, we need to be clear that we will stand up, stand together, and fight back. Fighting back is not new to us, we are a tight community, we are organized, and we vote. I know this doesn’t make it any easier right now for those directly experiencing this attack, and for that I am heartbroken. I hope that each of us who are in the direct line of this ugly attack, know that your community is with you and ready to do all in our power to provide refuge and safety wherever it is needed. We are a community built on love and that is what nourishes us and keeps us strong.

To our allies, I implore you to stand with us and demonstrate the true meaning of ally. After all, we are all allies, especially

tial to our country’s history, present and future, I will continue to stand up with everything I have against hatred, discrimination, xenophobia and bigotry of all kinds. Tonight’s moving vigil at Temple de Hirsch Sinai reminds us of the loving community we live in and the urgent need for us to speak out loudly and clearly against those who seek to divide us with fear of some false ‘other.’ Each of us has our own important role to play in this work of repair and healing in the coming days, months and years. Justice does not come easily, but together, I know that we will defeat the evil at the root of the hate and violence we see around us and create a world worthy of our best ideals.”

combat hate is more important than ever. Greet every person you serve with warmth and kindness.

I also want you to know that there are resources available to all City employees, including our Employee Assistance Program, http://sdhrweb/benefits/eap.asp or 1-888-272-7252. If you would like more information, please contact your manager or your human resources representative, http://www.seattle.gov/personnel/benefits/ pubs/BenefitsandHRRepresentativeContactList.pdf.

I appreciate all you do to help Seattle unite around our common humanity and to make our City a safer, more equitable place for all who call Seattle home.

Thank you,

Jenny

in a time when there is a concerted effort to divide us. Whether you are walking thousands of miles to find safety in the U.S., frightened that even an officer of the law can be life threatening, peacefully gathered in a house of prayer to worship, or simply trying to live your life as your own true self, I am you, and I am your ally.

In solidarity,

Louise Chernin GSBA President and CEO

HRC sends FOIA request to HHS for all records of Trump-Pence administration’s attempt to redefine “gender”

WASHINGTON – [On October 29], the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, sent a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for all records related to the Trump-Pence administration’s efforts to redefine the word “gender” in order to exclude transgender people from federal civil rights protections and enable discrimination against LGBTQ people in general.

On October 21, 2018, the New York Times published a report that “the Trump administration is considering narrowly defining gender as a biological, immutable condition determined by genitalia at birth.” According to the report, HHS drafted a memo to establish the legal definition of “sex,” and the “agency’s proposed definition would define sex as either male or female, unchangeable, and determined by the genitals that a person is born with [...] Any dispute about one’s sex would have to be clarified using genetic testing.”

“This effort by the Trump-Pence administration to erase transgender people in the public square and exclude them from federal civil rights protections is horrific and alarming,” said HRC Legal Director Sarah Warbelow. “It is impera-

tive we understand the key players pushing for this destructive action along with their motivations, analysis, and rationale.”

HHS will likely also encourage other federal agencies to follow suit in their severely restrictive and narrow definition of sex. The administration’s deci-

sion could have severe consequences for LGBTQ people across the federal government. For example:

• A transgender person could have their insurance deny them coverage for transition-related care

• Same-sex couples and their families

could be turned away from emergency shelters

• A transgender woman could be turned away from a hospital for a broken ankle

• A gay man could be harassed about being gay at a job skills training

• An elderly transgender person or samesex couple could be denied in-home meal service

• A transgender girl could be forced to live in a youth shelter for boys

The Equality Act would finally add clear, comprehensive nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people to our nation’s civil rights laws. In addition to having bipartisan support in Congress with 246 cosponsors, 121 major corporations have also joined the HRC’s Business Coalition for the Equality Act. Discrimination is a real and persistent problem for far too many LGBTQ Americans. HRC polling has found that nearly two-thirds of selfidentified LGBTQ Americans report experiencing discrimination.

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

1,500 parents of Transgender children send letter to Trump-Pence denouncing attempt to erase Transgender people from civil rights laws

WASHINGTON – [On October 26], the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, released a letter to Donald Trump and Mike Pence denouncing their administration’s proposed regulations narrowly defining “sex” to exclude transgender people and to eliminate federal civil rights protections for LGBTQ people in the process. The letter, signed by more than 1,500 parents from all 50 states and Washington, DC, was organized by the HRC’s Parents for Transgender Equality Council, a coalition of the nation’s leading parentadvocates working for equality and fairness for transgender people.

“As the parent of a beautiful and bold transgender child, our families deserve the full and equal protection of the federal government and our nation’s civil rights laws,” said Jodie Patterson, a member of the HRC’s Board of Directors and the HRC’s Parents for Transgender Equality Council. “Our government has an obligation to assist and protect young people, not to erase them. I’m proud to join with other parents across our nation in condemning this

administration’s proposal, and our families need all fair-minded voters to turn out between now and November 6 to make sure we elect leaders who will defend the rights of our children.”

“The Trump-Pence administration’s latest anti-LGBTQ proposal is a direct attack on the fundamental equality of transgender people, and it is constitutes an unconscionable betrayal of young people by their nation’s leadership,” said HRC National Press Secretary Sarah McBride, a transgender advocate. “This administration has heartlessly targeted the rights and well-being of transgender young people since their first days in office, but Trump and Pence should know that families and friends and allies of all ages will not stand by or be silent. This November, they’ll be hearing from all of us on Election Day.”

The parents, speaking for the thousands of families of transgender children across the country, write, “As parents, all we want is for our children to be safe, healthy, and fulfilled. Our children have our unconditional love, and many have the support of a loving community of friends, peers, teachers, coaches, and other allies. Sadly,

however, our children also face ostracization and discrimination in far too many places. We fear every day that our children will encounter bullies – but we never imagined that the most threatening bullies would be in the White House.”

The HRC’s Welcoming Families Program released a resource this week for educators who may have questions about what this proposal means for their students: https://www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-releasesfaq-on-supporting-transgender-and-nonbinary-students-in-k-12.

A recent survey by the HRC and the University of Connecticut of more than 12,000 LGBTQ youth found that 50% of transgender, nonbinary, or otherwise noncisgender youth never use the restroom in school because they are prevented from using facilities that align with their gender identity. Only 18% report that they are always referred to with the correct pronouns at school, and only 30% are able to completely dress and express themselves in a way that matches their gender identity.

In 2017, when the Trump-Pence administration rescinded lifesaving guidance promoting the protection of transgender

students, the HRC’s Parents for Transgender Equality council sent a letter to the administration from more than a thousand parents demanding that the Obama-era guidance be preserved. And earlier in 2018, the Parents council sent a letter to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos condemning her failure to protect transgender students and calling on her to recognize the basic human and civil rights of transgender young people in our nation’s schools.

To read the full letter, [go to https:// assets2.hrc.org/files/assets/resources/ Letter_to_Trump_and_Pence_from_ Parents_of_Transgender_Children.pdf].

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organizations 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