SGN Oct 4, 2019 - Part 1

PNB’s Agon and Carmina Burana an exciting evening of dance

Trump administration bullies Ames, Iowa Rainbow crosswalks must go, feds say

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

The Trump administration has ordered the city of Ames, Iowa, to remove its newly installed rainbow crosswalks.

Ames is the home of Iowa State University, whose students make up about half the city’s 66,000 people. The rainbow crosswalks had been installed this year to commemorate Pride month.

see IOWA page 5

HRC President Alphonso David, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, Ricky Martin, and Dominique Jackson at the 2019 HRC

National Dinner

WASHINGTON, DC (September 28, 2019) – Tonight, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, held its 23rd annual HRC National Dinner at the Washington Convention Center in Wash-

ington, DC. Giving his first remarks on the HRC National Dinner stage since taking the helm of the organization, HRC President Alphonso David was joined by more than 3,500 guests from across the country

see HRC DINNER page 11

Seattle Queer Film Festival preview with director Kathleen Mullen

SEC 2 PG 1 SEC 2 PG 1

Seattle Gay News

HRC announces major expansion in fight for transgender equality and justice

New partnership with Trans Can Work to address employment gap

Expanded capacity-building programs for transgender advocates

Targeted community task forces to combat anti-trans violence and advance public safety

Increased public education through new communications and resources

WASHINGTON, DC – [On September 27, 2019] the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, announced it is significantly expanding its work dedicated to justice for the transgender community. The organization will advance new inisee HRC page 5

HRC joins thousands of advocates and allies at National Trans Visibility March

WASHINGTON, DC (September 27, 2019) – The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), led by HRC President Alphonso David, will join thousands of transgender advocates and allies at the National Trans Visibility March and Rally tomorrow in Washington, DC.* David and HRC Founda-

tion Co-Chair Jodie Patterson will deliver remarks. HRC staff, supporters, and volunteers will march and rally alongside national and local civil rights organizations, and thousands of registered attendees.

see TRANS MARCH page 6

Seattle Gay News

Gay pulp fiction

by Jesse Monteagudo SGN Contributing Writer

The Stonewall National Museum & Archives in Wilton Manors is a valuable resource for anyone interested in LGBT history and culture. Until November 8, Stonewall features an exhibit, “PULP: Erotic Paperbacks in Gay Male Culture,” researched by Skip Moskey and organized by Joe Madura. “From the late 1950s, a robust gay publishing industry produced a steady stream of cheap paperback books exploring homosexuality as a practice and a burgeoning culture. Pulp fiction prompted men to navigate imaginatively their own sexual impulses and curiosities, many for the first time. Gay male pulp fiction, as it is now known, was a key element in the evolution of a diverse gay male identity and self-expression in the United States. Using SNMA’s extensive archival collection, this exhibition highlights several late twentieth-century authors and contextualizes their books as cultural artifacts within the rise and fall of pulp fiction.” Like physique magazines, gay pulps played an important part in LGBT culture of the 20th Century.

The rise and fall of gay pulp fiction is the topic of The Golden Age of Gay Fiction and 1960s Gay Pulp Fiction, both edited by Drewey Wayne Gunn. In his introduction to the first book, Gunn wrote about the historical importance of fiction that was “for, by, about and out” gay men. Contrary to popular belief, the gays who populated pre-Stonewall pulps were not always doomed “to suicide, institutionalization or (assumed) celibacy.” Rather, gay pulp heroes “never practiced celibacy (quite the contrary!), did not kill themselves, and were institutionalized, if at all, only in prisons (in order to have lots of sex with guards and fellow convicts). Even more extraordinary, they often fell in love, and though monogamy was seldom part of their vows, they fully intended to live lives committed to others unto death.” Critic David Seubert described the world of gay pulps as a “homotopia ... where everything is imbued with sexual content, no one is straight and characters stumble into one sexual encounter after another without danger, fear, or for that matter, without even really trying.”

But gay pulp fiction did more than make gay sex writing possible. According to Gunn, “it is among the pulps that such distinctive genres as gay horror, the gay gothic, the gay mystery, the gay spy story,

the gay cop story, and the gay western developed.” The Golden Age of Gay Fiction includes examples of gay science fiction, gay mystery, gay horror, gay western and gay military fiction, genres that were already well-established by the time the militants faced the cops at the Stonewall Inn. The Stonewall Museum exhibit honors such pulp greats as Vin Packer (Marijane Meaker), Samuel Steward and John Preston. Other writers who were prolific in the genre include Victor J. Banis, who wrote pulps using various pen names – Don Holliday, Victor Jay and J. X. Williams, among others – and Larry Townsend, who specialized in SM and leather fiction.

One of the most important gay books of the 20th century, which set the tone for all gay pulp novels, was Richard Amory’s Song of the Loon: A Gay Pastoral in Five Books and an Interlude (Greenleaf Classics). While of doubtful literary value, Song of the Loon made gay literary history with its explicit depictions of gay male sex, its positive portrayal of male love and its poetic, almost mystical vision of a gay brotherhood that transcends racial and

cultural barriers. For this gay western, Amory took characters from the novels of Jorge de Montemayor and Gaspar Gil Polo, painted them gay, and transplanted them to the American wilderness. Angelo d’Arcangelo compared Song of the Loon to James Fenimore Cooper’s Last of the Mohicans and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “Hiawatha,” while this humble critic described the book’s protagonist, Ephraim MacIver, as “Natty Bumppo after Stonewall.” Song of the Loon was so popular that it inspired a soft-core porn movie of the same title, two sequels – Song of Aaron and Listen, The Loon Sings – and even a parody, Fruit of the Loon by “Ricardo Armory.” Long out of print Song of the Loon returned to print a few years ago, in a handsome edition published by Vancouver’s Arsenal Pulp Press as part of its Little Sister’s line of LGBT classics.

This article owes its existence to the late Drewey Wayne Gunn, to American Gay Erotic Paperbacks: A Bibliography by Tom Norman, and to the author’s collection of pulps.

GenPRIDE holds workshop for LGBTQ elders “Finding Home”

by Tony Krebs GenPRIDE Center Volunteer

Seattle and its surrounding towns are facing an affordable housing crisis, one that hits LGBTQ elders especially hard. Many LGBTQ elders appreciate the urban region’s access to services, transit, historic gay neighborhoods, and pro-gay climate. Yet, these same elders feel financially squeezed by the rapid increase in Seattlearea rents and property taxes, with many having to cope on a fixed income, whether as renters or homeowners.

On Tuesday, October 8th at 6pm, GenPRIDE Seattle is offering a free workshop addressing this issue, called “Pro-Active Aging: Finding Home”. Come meet with

other LGBTQ elders from the area and explore what you want in your next home, as you age.

In the Oct 8th workshop:

• Learn about different models for shared housing and intentional community living, such as: “in-law” apartments & backyard cottages, “Golden Girls”-style homesharing, group-buying of adjoining properties, cohousing communities, co-living rental suites, subsidized senior housing, assisted living facilities, ex-pat living overseas, etc.

• Compare the pros & cons of each approach, especially for LGBTQ elders.

Next, in two optional follow-up sessions on Oct 15 & 22, participants will compare and discuss the different shared-housing models and decide which seem best-suited for their own needs and interests. Then you’ll draw up a personal housing plan to proactively move toward the home you want, and find others who share a similar vision.

All sessions are free and open to LGBTQ elders, caregivers, friends & loved ones. Sessions are held at the GenPRIDE office above the Broadway Market QFC, 401 Broadway E # 223, Seattle, WA. 98102.

To reserve your spot or for more information, contact GenPRIDE: (206) 393-3400 or info@gapseattle.org, www.gapseattle.org

Capitol Hill Business Alliance launches:

New GSBA program for the economic vitality of Capitol Hill kicking off on October 8

SEATTLE (October 1, 2019) – GSBA will launch the Capitol Hill Business Alliance (CHBA), a new GSBA program in support of the Capitol Hill business community, at a celebratory event on October 8.

GSBA has worked with key stakeholders and the City of Seattle’s Office of Economic Development (OED) to create this new program committed to serving the Capitol Hill neighborhood, the largest business district in the state of Washington.

The CHBA is dedicated to ensuring a healthy, vibrant, diverse neighborhood business community and to provide business development, engagement, and advocacy for Capitol Hill businesses and nonprofits located in, doing business in, or committed to the economic vitality of Capitol Hill.

“The OED is excited to partner with GSBA and the newly formed Capitol Hill Business Alliance,” said Bobby Lee, director of the OED. “We are proud to support equitable economic development in a neighborhood with an important historical role in Seattle’s LGBTQ community and

that serves as a strong foundation for small businesses, arts, and culture.”

GSBA has planned a slate of programs, open to everyone, dedicated to the mission and goals of the CHBA, including the following:

• Annual State of the Hill: This annual celebration, started in 2011 by the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce, will bring together CHBA members, local businesses, and Capitol Hill residents to hear the “State of the Hill Address” and celebrate all things Capitol Hill while enjoying food and drinks from neighborhood bars and restaurants. It’s a chance for GSBA and CHBA members to mingle, meet other business owners, hear a recap of the year, and look ahead to what’s happening in the areas of small business, advocacy, and community.

• CHBA Power Connect: Hosted by rotating CHBA member businesses, CHBA Power Connect events are a forum for the Capitol Hill business community to discuss important issues and make meaningful business and social connections.

• Business Empowerment Workshops: Designed to empower small and microbusinesses to succeed in a competitive environment, these workshops provide hands-on accessible knowledge and feedback from experts in a myriad of business-related fields. They will elevate and fine-tune one’s

entrepreneurial skills at any stage of the business life cycle.

“Capitol Hill has been GSBA’s home for over a decade, and we have supported many of our Capitol Hill small business members through advocacy, events, and engagement,” said Louise Chernin, president and CEO of GSBA. “It made perfect sense to create this program in support of the economic prosperity of this important business district and the historic home of Seattle’s LGBTQ community.”

The CHBA will have access to a dedicated business development manager, focused on Capitol Hill, and will receive guidance from the Capitol Hill Business Alliance Advisory Committee, whose members are as follows:

• Joey Burgess, Burgess/Hall, Committee Chair

• Dani Cone, Cone & Steiner

• Monica Dimas, Milkwood & Co.

• Danielle Hulton, Ada’s Technical Books

• Akeyla Jimerson, Capitol Hill Housing

• Christy Lillard, Laughing Buddha Tattoo

• Alex Oh, Aluel Cellars

• Jeff Pelletier, Board & Vellum

• Sarah Wyan, The Derschang Group

• Tracy Taylor, Elliott Bay Book Company

Celebrate a new era of business on Capitol Hill and learn about the CHBA at a launch party and celebration on Tuesday,

October 8 at 9:00 a.m. at Ada’s Technical Books & Café on 425 15th Ave. E., Seattle, WA, 98122. Coffee and other beverages will be provided by Ada’s Technical Books & Café and baked goods by Nuflours Bakery. This event is free to attend, but registration is preferred at www.thegsba. org/events/event-details/2019/10/08/gsbaevents/2010

To learn more about the Capitol Hill Business Alliance or to become a member, please visit www.thegsba.org/CHBA

Established in 1981, GSBA is Washington State’s LGBTQ and allied chamber of commerce. It represents over 1,400 small business, corporate, and nonprofit members who share GSBA’s values of promoting equality, equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace. GSBA is widely respected throughout the region for its effectiveness in business development, representing the business voice, connecting community through business, advocating for civil rights and business, promoting LGBTQ tourism through Travel Out Seattle, and investing in the next generation of leaders through the GSBA Scholarship Fund. For more information on GSBA, visit www.thegsba.org

Courtesy of the CHBA and GSBA

Historic Seattle & Georgetown Art Attack:

A Group Show & Sale | Call to Artists

(Not an artist? Register to attend this free event, or forward this call to a friend!)

The event will take place Saturday, December 14, from 4pm to 8pm, at The Palace Theatre & Art Bar (5813 Airport Way S) in Georgetown. This event coincides with Georgetown Art Attack’s December event, and Equinox Studios’ A Very Open House.

This is a call for visual art submissions for the event. (https://files.constantcontact. com/e5d61230401/c3e2415b-5329-4cc3a56b-ce667662d816.pdf)

Concept and About the Organizers

Historic Seattle’s mission is to save meaningful places that foster lively communities. At this benefit for Historic Seattle, selected regional artists will have the opportunity to present art themed around “historic Seattle.”

Beyond being a benefit for Historic Seattle, the event is intended to promote the unique historic character of the Georgetown neighborhood and its establishments, its thriving art scene, and individual artists alike. Both emerging and established exhibiting artists are encouraged to apply.

Interpreting the Theme

“Historic Seattle”: You can get creative here. Think depictions of places/people/ events tied to the history of Seattle. These can be places or people that have been lost, or ones that are still standing; historic Seattle icons celebrated for their grandeur and fame, or the quirky, unique, vernacular, and lesser known. Show us historic places that have meaning to you personally, and/ or artwork that represents communities tied to our collective history. Just be sure to include a short (a paragraph will do!) description of how your artwork relates to theme when you make your submission.

About The Event Venue: The Palace Theatre & Art Bar, AKA “Georgetown’s first gay bar,” emerged last fall out of a partnership between proprietors Sylvia O’Stayformore and Carlos Paradinja Jr. Visit Historic Seattle’s blog, Preservation in Progress ( https://historicseattle.org/bringing-the-communitytogether-one-event-at-a-time/ ) to learn how this flourishing community gathering place came to be and how it fulfills its mission to bring the community together one event at a time.

The deadline for submissions is November 1, 2019.

For full details including how to submit, conditions for entry, accepted artwork, and pricing and sales information visit our event web page at https://historicseattle. org/event/historic-seattle-georgetown-artattack/

Courtesy of Historic Seattle

HRC supports formal impeachment inquiry of Donald Trump

WASHINGTON, DC (September 27, 2019) – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, announced support for a formal inquiry into Donald Trump and an investigation of any other persons, up to and including Vice President Mike Pence, [for] asking the government of Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, leveraging the withholding of foreign aid from the United States.

HRC President Alphonso David said,

“These are serious allegations that, if true, thoroughly compromise the national security of the United States, the constitutional process, and the integrity of our electoral framework. The safety and well-being of our democracy is at stake. The US House is right to launch a formal inquiry and investigate all others who may have played a role in these alleged crimes or were aware of them. As the Speaker said, no one is above the law, and that includes the President of the United States.”

On September 18, the Washington Post

reported that an official in the US intelligence community filed a formal whistleblower complaint after observing Donald Trump making a “troubling” promise to the head of a foreign government. Over the past week, it has been alleged that the TrumpPence administration withheld foreign aid to the government of Ukraine as leverage over a demand that [it] investigate Joe Biden and his family, a leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination and chief political rival of Trump.

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

Thank you, Mayor Durkan, for extending the permits to keep our Tiny House Villages open

We are grateful to the City of Seattle for the continued support of the Tiny House Villages. Mayor Jenny Durkan recently approved six-month extension permits for three villages: Othello, Georgetown, and Camp Second Chance. This will allow the villages to remain open through the winter when shelter capacity is especially strained.

Together, these three villages offer safe and dignified shelter for approximately 150 people, including families, couples and singles.

Over the next few weeks we are completing an expansion of Othello Village that includes the addition of 13 new tiny homes. Georgetown Village has welcomed many volunteer groups, most recently, Boeing employees, to help paint and make improvements. Next, there are plans to renovate and upgrade the communal kitchen at Camp Second Chance.

RealNetworks’ $10,000 Grant Provides Critical Support for LIHI’s Urban Rest Stops

The RealNetworks Foundation awarded a $10,000 grant for LIHI’s Urban Rest Stop (URS) program. RealNetworks Foundation representatives presented the check to

IOWA

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In a letter to the city government, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) charged that the crosswalks were in violation of federal rules. The letter ordered the City of Ames to remove the rainbow crosswalks, as they fail to comply with federal traffic control standards. Federal rules dictate that crosswalks must only use white paint, FHWA said.

HRC

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tiatives that address the urgent needs of the transgender community, with specific attention to community members deeply impacted by racism, sexism and transphobia. This major effort will include a focus on economic empowerment; capacitybuilding programs; targeted task forces in communities hardest hit hard by the epidemic of anti-trans violence; and expanded public education campaigns.

“We are in the midst of a national crisis. People are dying, and the response must be swift, strong and rooted in solutions the transgender community is rightfully demanding,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “In meetings with activists all over the country, time and again I have heard about systemic failures that are pushing many transgender people out of a job, on to the streets and into desperate and dangerous situations for survival. Through this new initiative, we aim to help change these realities. Change will not come overnight and it will not come from any single organization or person. But the Human Rights Campaign will be a part of the work to help build the capacity of leaders already on the frontlines of this fight.”

Over the last 10 years, the Human Rights Campaign has dramatically deepened its transgender justice work. From passing critical gender identity non-discrimination protections and combating anti-transgender bills to sounding the alarm on the epidemic of violence targeting transgender people – especially Black and Latinx women, the organization’s advocacy and programs have been increasing in scope and impact. Still, significant work remains to ensure that every transgender

LIHI Executive Director Sharon Lee at the downtown Urban Rest Stop last week.

The URS facilities in downtown Seattle, the University District, and Ballard help meet the critical, urgent, and growing need for hygiene, health, and information and referral services for people who are homeless. We serve over 10,000 individuals annually. URS patrons can take showers, do their laundry, and use the restroom facilities free of charge.

This is our first grant from the RealNetworks Foundation and we thank them for their support!

Tiny House Villages: A Proven Model

LIHI’s tiny house villages are gaining wide recognition for moving homeless people into housing at impressive rates. In 2018, LIHI moved more than 50 percent of people living in villages into permanent or transitional housing. We’re on track to top that rate this year.

Georgetown Village site coordinator Andrew Constantino spoke to the Seattle P-I recently about why the villages are so successful at moving people out of homelessness and into housing. The Seattle Times also wrote last week about the strong

rate tiny house villages experience moving people into housing. Each village has one or two case managers located on site to help people with their housing search, services, and employment.

A new report from the City of Seattle confirms that tiny houses are performing better than shelters for exits into permanent housing.

Councilmember Kshama Sawant is sponsoring legislation to expand tiny house villages throughout Seattle by allowing the City to issue permits for up to 40 villages. Permits will continue to be for one year, but can be renewed each year. LIHI manages nine tiny house villages in Seattle.

Georgetown Village is just one of the tiny house villages with strong success rates of moving people into long term housing compared with other shelters.

Sincerely,

“Crosswalk art has a potential to compromise pedestrian and motorist safety by interfering with, detracting from, or obscuring official traffic control devices,” the FHWA letter read.

“The art can also encourage road users, especially bicycles and pedestrians, to directly participate in the design, loiter in the street, or give reason to not vacate the street in an expedient or predictable manner.

“It also creates confusion for motorists, pedestrians, and other jurisdictions who

person is protected from discrimination and safe from violence.

The challenges facing the transgender community demand action and change at all levels. This national crisis is made shockingly clear by the fact that at least 18 transgender people have been victims of fatal violence this year, 17 of whom have been Black transgender women. According to the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey, 21% of Latinx transgender people and 20% of Black transgender people are unemployed, compared to 15% of transgender people overall and 5% of the overall U.S. population. 43% of Latinx transgender people and 38% of Black transgender people were living in poverty, compared to 29% of transgender people overall and 14% of the U.S. population. And 40% of transgender people overall have attempted suicide in their lifetime, compared to 4.6% overall – nearly nine times the attempted suicide rate in the U.S.

The Human Rights Campaign’s expanded work will seek to address many of the persistent and insidious barriers to employment, housing and safety faced by transgender people, especially transgender women of color. The expansion includes four main pillars:

Economic empowerment is a central part of true lived equality. HRC’s annual Corporate Equality Index has helped reshape the workforce for transgender people – but far too many still can’t access pathways to employment.

• HRC will leverage our strengths and partnerships to deliver new economic opportunities.

• HRC will engage in a partnership with Trans Can Work to join with communitybased organizations and corporate America to address the employment gap through trainings and career fairs in up to five major U.S.

may see these markings and install similar crosswalk treatments in their cities.

“Allowing a noncompliant pavement marking to remain in place presents a liability concern for the City of Ames in the event of a pedestrian/vehicle or vehicle/ vehicle collision.”

According to Ames City Attorney Mark O. Lambert, the federal government does not have jurisdiction over the roads where the rainbow crosswalks are placed. He also said that they were unlikely to face monetary penalties for keeping the Pride cross-

cities over the next year. A Los Angeles-based nonprofit founded in 2016 by restaurateur Michaela Mendolsohn, Trans Can Work is committed to empowering gender diverse communities through career navigation, workforce development, and job placement.

The march toward justice for transgender people must be led by transgender people, which is why HRC is expanding our training and professional development programs for transgender advocates, activists and community leaders of color.

• This year, HRC launched ELEVATE, which focuses on professional and leadership development for trans people of color in public health fields. Ten fellows will participate in the first class of this program, which provides intensive in-person training and a series of interactive webinars throughout the year.

• HRC is also announcing the creation of ACTIVATE, a fellowship program that launches in 2020 and will focus on enhancing the core skills needed to access and succeed in leadership roles in the nonprofit sector. The first fellows will be chosen from jurisdictions that have experienced high documented anti-trans violence.

This is an urgent crisis of public safety and government officials must respond as such.

• HRC will be working on the ground with community leaders to pilot task forces to address violence in five to seven communities hit particularly hard by this epidemic.

• Legislation must be a part of this solution too. The fact that the Violence Against Women Act hasn’t been reauthorized is inexcusable. LGBTQ panic defenses should be outlawed in every state in this country. HRC will, of course, con-

ings in place. Lambert informed the city’s mayor and city council of his findings in a memo.

The Ames City Council discussed the issue at a meeting and decided to take no action whatsoever on the FHWA’s letter.

“Can we just accept the letter and say thank you?” Councilmember Chris Nelson asked at the body’s meeting.

At Nelson’s suggestion, the council decided simply to ignore the Trump administration.

tinue to push for comprehensive state and federal legal protections like the Equality Act to ensure transgender people have legal recourse when facing discrimination where they work, where they live and when seeking crucial social services. And several other bills making their way through legislatures, including bills decriminalizing sex work in New York and Washington, D.C., will be required to shift the reality for transgender people in the United States.

The public needs to be educated in a much more robust way than it is today, rooted in the real stories of trans people of color.

HRC will be ramping up efforts to create more conversation about this epidemic of violence through national media and our own platforms.

HRC will also leverage our programs to more expansively engage parents and faith communities of color in this public education effort.

Today’s announcement comes ahead of Saturday’s [September 28, 2019] historic National Trans Visibility March [https:// transmarchondc.org/] in Washington, D.C. HRC President Alphonso David will be speaking alongside other advocates, activists and community members.

To learn more about HRC’s work on transgender justice, visit HRC.org/transgender.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization 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 HRC

Conversion therapy can be deadly for Trans people, Harvard study says

Associated with suicide attempts

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

A new study by researchers at Harvard Medical School shows that exposure of Transgender people to conversion therapy is associated with thoughts of and attempts at suicide. The study was recently published in JAMA Psychiatry

Dr. Jack Turban, the study’s lead author and a resident physician in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, said it was the first study “to show that gender identity conversion efforts are associated with adverse mental health outcomes, including suicide attempts.”

Turban said that previous reports showing the negative effects of conversion therapy have focused on efforts to change the patient’s sexual orientation, but the new information shows it is at least equally damaging to Trans people, if not more so.

“The rate of previous suicide attempts among transgender people in the United States is extremely high, with 41% reporting that they have had that experience,” said study co-author Dr. Alex Keuroghlian, director of the National LGBT Health Education Center at the Fenway Institute and the Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Gender Identity Program.

“What this new study shows is that transgender people who are exposed to conversion efforts anytime in their lives

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“We must speak out and demand action at all levels to end the senseless epidemic of violence that has taken the lives of at least 18 transgender people this year,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “At a time when the Trump-Pence administration and antiequality forces are actively working to discriminate against transgender, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming people, we must stand up and fight back to support and protect our community. From the trailblazing advocates at Stonewall and Compton’s Cafeteria to the powerhouse advocates at the forefront of our movement today, the strength, diversity, and resilience of the transgender community has driven so much of our progress for equality. We cannot and will not go backward, and we will remain united in the fight for equal justice for all.”

The National Trans Visibility March and Rally, which will feature a powerful line-up of speakers, including businesswoman, actress, and advocate Angelica Ross, is part of a weekend of action, education, celebration, and remembrance. This evening, HRC SVP of Programs, Research & Training Jay Brown will also be honored at the National Trans Visibility March’s Torch Awards, which recognize distinguished achievements and honor individuals whose work has impacted the lives of transgender, gender-nonconforming, and nonbinary communities across the nation.

The event comes at a critical time for the transgender and broader LGBTQ community. Transgender people in the US are also facing an epidemic of violence that disproportionately affects transgender women of color. There have been 18 known transgender victims of fatal violence in 2019; 17 of these victims were Black transgender women. Since 2013, there have been at least 150 known cases of fatal anti-transgender violence. Just last Friday in Dallas, a transgender woman was shot multiple times in what police are describing as a hate crime. Politically, transgender people are being

have more than double the odds of attempting suicide compared with those who have never experienced efforts by professionals to convert their gender identity,” he said.

Turban said one of the most alarming findings from the study was the evenhigher risk of psychological distress for those who reported exposure to conversion therapy during childhood. Those who were subjected to the practice before age 10 were four times more likely to report lifetime

targeted by the Trump-Pence administration with a wave of egregious attacks, including banning transgender troops from serving openly in the military, refusing to defend the rights of transgender students in schools, and attempting to erase transgender people from our nation’s civil rights laws. Trump and Pence have also stacked their cabinet and our courts with opponents of LGBTQ equality.

In their call to action, organizers of Saturday’s march said: “Today, recognizing our diversity, we speak out and demand our rights with one voice. The time has come for us to ignite and initiate change at every turn. The time has come for us to amplify our voices in the nation’s capital, our local communities, and other cities across the globe.”

The HRC will continue to advocate for legal, policy, and programmatic reforms to improve the lives and welfare of transgender people in this country and to defend this community and all LGBTQ people from anti-equality leaders who oppose our progress. Earlier today, the HRC announced a significant expansion of its work dedicated to justice for the transgender community by advancing new initiatives specifically addressing the urgent needs of the community, especially of community members deeply impacted by racism, sexism, and transphobia. This major effort will focus on economic empowerment, capacity-building programs, targeted task forces in communities hardest hit hard by the epidemic of anti-trans violence, and expanded public education campaigns.

* NOTE: This event was held on Saturday, September 28, 2019.

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

suicide attempts than the general Transgender population, according to the findings.

“This is important because some experts continue to advocate for gender identity conversion efforts for young children,” Turban said in a statement.

“We hope our findings contribute to ongoing legislative efforts to ban gender identity conversion efforts.”

Turban added that his new study was especially significant because of its large

sample size, with more than 27,000 Transgender people included in the survey.

Seventy-one percent of respondents recalled speaking to a religious adviser or secular therapist about their gender identity, and of those, about 20% said these interactions involved efforts to change their gender identity from Transgender to cisgender.

The study found no difference in the outcome based on whether the effort to change a person’s gender identity was conducted by a religious adviser or secular professional. According to the findings, the vast majority of conversion therapy is conducted by secular professionals, like psychologists or counselors, with religious efforts accounting for roughly a third of all conversion therapy efforts reported by this cohort.

“Current training of mental health clinicians in the US does not usually include gender-affirming care as standard curriculum,” Keuroghlian said. “We hope this study will inspire clinical training programs to revise their standard curricula.”

“All clinicians need to be trained in concepts and terminology related to gender identity, how stigma is related to mental health disparities and best practices for gender affirmation grounded in scientific evidence,” he added.

Paula Abdul and Dan Levy pay emotional tributes to the LGBTQ community and their families

during acceptance speeches at GLAAD Gala San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO (September 29, 2019) – GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, honored global superstar Paula Abdul; Emmy-nominated star, co-creator, and showrunner of “Schitt’s Creek” Dan Levy; and entrepreneur and business executive Ali Rosenthal at the 2019 GLAAD Gala San Francisco on September 28 at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco. The event was hosted by “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alum and Broadway star Peppermint and featured celebrity guests, including Adam Rippon, the cast of “Schitt’s Creek,” Alicia Garza, Eva Gutowski, Justin Tranter, Ariadne Getty, and August Getty. Singer Garrett Clayton also performed a musical medley during the event.

The GLAAD Gala San Francisco celebrates and features storytellers and tech innovators who accelerate LGBTQ acceptance and helps fund GLAAD’s digital advocacy work to grow LGBTQ inclusion in digital and social media. The 2019 GLAAD Gala San Francisco is presented by Gilead, Ketel One Family-Made Vodka, and Wells Fargo, with official partner Google.

Photos from the night are available at https://drewaltizer.com/event/19267-glaadawards-gala-lgbtq-paula-abdul-dan-levyadam-rippon/.

Video of Dan Levy’s acceptance speech can be found at https://youtu.be/r15_ sRscVfU.

At the event, celebrities sported blue “&” pins for GLAAD’s Together movement – GLAAD’s campaign to represent the power of solidarity and great accomplishments that occur when marginalized community groups – including women, Muslims, Black Americans, immigrants, people of color, and LGBTQ people – stand together.

During the event, American pop star Paula Abdul was honored with the Ariadne Getty Ally Award. Abdul is only the second person to receive this honor. Throughout her career, Abdul has been a dedicated ally to the LGBTQ community by bringing awareness to issues affecting LGBTQ people, specifically HIV/AIDS.

Olympic champion Adam Rippon introduced Abdul, where he highlighted her dedicated allyship to the LGBTQ community: “Allies like Paula inspire others to follow in her footsteps. Tonight we get to show her how grateful we are that she has used her voice to accelerate acceptance for the LGBTQ community.”

In her acceptance speech, Abdul paid an emotional tribute to her LGBTQ fans, as well her friends she lost during the HIV/

AIDS epidemic: “It was extremely devastating when we lost so many members of our family during the HIV/AIDS crisis. I lost so many beautiful colleagues and friends… It was a heart-crushing time. People who’d contributed their creativity and talent were passing away at an alarming rate. I could not sit back and be quiet. I was – and will always be – passionate about raising funds and awareness to help people learn the facts about HIV and AIDS, and about our fellow human beings in need of help.”

Abdul also honored her late parents: “I’ve experienced the highest of highs this year – including this evening – and on the complete opposite end, I also experienced extreme sorrow in losing both of my parents. But what my parents taught me that matters most is empathy, compassion, gratitude, and acceptance for all – these are the fundamental traits that they instilled in me that have made me the woman I am today.”

Emmy-nominated showrunner, writer, director, producer, and actor Dan Levy was honored with the Davidson/Valentini Award at the [gala]. “Schitt’s Creek” costars Emily Hampshire, Sarah Levy, Annie Murphy, and Noah Reid introduced Levy, highlighting Levy’s dedication to accelerating acceptance for LGBTQ people.

After speaking out in support of the National Transgender Visibility March, which took place in Washington, DC, ear-

lier in the day. Dan Levy used his acceptance speech to talk about the importance of creating “Schitt’s Creek” to bring greater visibility and representation to LGBTQ people on television: “It was a small way of paying back the generosity that had been shown to me, while at the same time creating space on television for queer characters that I could relate to. The result was ‘Schitt’s Creek.’ A place where everybody fits in. Where love is celebrated and people’s differences are a reason to start a conversation, not end one. It’s a place where my character, David, a pansexual man with really intense pants and sweaters, can fall in love with his now-fiancé, Patrick, a gay man, without fear of consequence. It’s a place where acceptance incubates joy and creates a clarity that allows people to see themselves and each other more deeply.”

During the evening, host Peppermint made a powerful speech about the National Trans Visibility March. In her remarks, Peppermint talked about the ongoing cycle of violence faced by trans people, specifically trans women of color: “This unrelenting cycle of despair puts one in three trans women in extreme poverty and leads many of us to substance abuse, which subjects many of us to violence and survival sex work. Trans women of color are twice as likely to be unemployed and live in extreme poverty as our white counterparts, more than 40 percent of us experience homeless-

ness, and nearly half of Black trans women attempt suicide.”

Peppermint continued, “Nineteen trans women have been murdered already this year, and 18 of those 19 victims have been Black trans women. Many of us escaped murder only to remain inside a cycle of poverty, abuse, and oppression that seems unbreakable. But it’s not unbreakable.”

Ali Rosenthal, the founder of Leadout Capital, was also honored with the Ric Weiland Award for her work as an innovator in tech and new media who is advancing equality and recognition of the LGBTQ community.

During the event, GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis drew attention to the recent Presidential Candidate Forum on LGBTQ Issues hosted by GLAAD and the ongoing fight to ensure that LGBTQ Americans are protected under the law: “On October 8th, just ten days from now, GLAAD will be on the steps of the Supreme Court, where justices will hear oral arguments in three cases affecting employment rights, and we all need to send one message: firing someone just for being LGBTQ should not be up for debate. The GLAAD Media Team will be in front of the courthouse sharing stories, informing the media of the risks at stake, and making sure our voices are heard. GLAAD will not stop until our rights are fully protected.”

During the GLAAD Gala San Francisco, singer and actor Garrett Clayton performed a medley of “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” and “Cabaret.”

YouTube sensation Eva Gutowski introduced the GLAAD Rising Star Grant, presented by Netflix. This year’s recipient is Giselle Ariel Bleuz, a young trans writer, actor, and filmmaker. The GLAAD Rising Stars program empowers and invests in the next generation of LGBTQ change makers, whose advocacy is changing their local communities and the culture at large. Grants are awarded annually to LGBTQ youth and support initiatives that champion intersectional LGBTQ issues, including racial justice, immigration rights, and transgender equality.

GLAAD rewrites the script for LGBTQ acceptance. As a dynamic media force, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. GLAAD protects all that has been accomplished and creates a world where everyone can live the life they love. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org or connect with GLAAD on Facebook and Twitter.

Courtesy of GLAAD

and around the world. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer delivered remarks, actress Dominique Jackson received the HRC National Equality Award, and global superstar Ricky Martin received the HRC National Visibility Award.

Additional speakers and special guests included actor Jake Choi, openly bisexual NFL veteran Ryan Russell, actress Ana Ortiz, disco legend Thelma Houston, singer/songwriter Alice Smith, actor Dyllón Burnside, the 22nd US Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning, Tony Award–winning music collaborator Jason Michael Webb, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC, the Heritage Signature Chorale, comedian Dana Goldberg, and DJ Nhandi, among many more.

A strong advocate for the LGBTQ com-

munity, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer was one of the first national politicians to march in the New York City Pride Parade. Throughout his career, Sen. Schumer has been a tireless advocate for equal rights for those in the LGBTQ community. He earned a perfect 100% on the HRC Congressional Scorecard for the 115th Congress. Elected to the Senate in 1998, he had previously served in the US House of Representatives. In 2017, Sen. Schumer was elected Senate Democratic Leader by his colleagues, and he has helped lead the fight against the Trump-Pence administration’s efforts to roll back LGBTQ rights.

Global music icon Ricky Martin continues to soar in his third decade as a leader in the entertainment industry. Since his first solo album release in 1991, Martin has appreciated a worldwide fan base, sold over 70 million records, and won multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy awards.

Martin’s success is rooted in his passion for music, his instinctive rhythmic style, and a zest for performing. He is a multitalented phenomenon as an actor, a New York Times best-selling author, and a passionate philanthropist and humanitarian. Martin came out as gay in 2010. Recently, he was publicly involved in the protests against the former governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rosselló, who used homophobic and other bigoted language in private conversations.

Dominique Jackson is a TobagonianAmerican transgender actress, author, model, and reality television personality, most famous for her performance as Elektra Abundance in FX’s television series “Pose.” She is a great advocate for social change, transforming her community through her partnership with nonprofit organizations such as Destination Tomorrow in the Bronx to advocate for transgender and LGBTQ+ rights. The star has an

extensive social media following, with a fan base of over 100,000 combined followers on Instagram and Twitter. In an interview with Forbes magazine, Jackson said, “If we can tap into our minds both scientifically and spiritually, we can reach unthinkable heights. Such heights let us more clearly assess successes and failures, and provide us with direction.”

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

HRC and Stacey Abrams’ Fair Fight announce partnership to combat voter suppression

WASHINGTON, DC (September 28, 2019) – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, and Stacey Abrams’ Fair Fight announced that they are partnering to help combat voter suppression in the critically important upcoming 2020 election. This new partnership will bring together the organizations’ expertise in voter protection and voter mobilization to ensure fair and open elections in 2020 and beyond.

“The Human Rights Campaign is thrilled to partner with Stacey Abrams and Fair Fight to ensure that all of us are able to vote, and that all of our votes are counted,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “The right to vote is fundamental, but it has been weaponized against underrepresented minorities throughout our nation’s history. This weaponization has primarily targeted voters of color, but it has also harmed

LGBTQ Americans. That’s why we’re making this significant investment and why we can’t wait to get to work with Stacey and her team.”

“I am so proud to be building a partnership with the Human Rights Campaign –because this fight is all of our fight,” said Stacey Abrams, founder of Fair Fight. “We must make sure that LGBTQ voters and all voters across the country are able to register, to vote, and to have their vote counted –no matter who they are, what they look like or whom they love.”

Through this new partnership, the HRC will make a six-figure investment in Fair Fight’s crucial work and leverage the existing resources and staff power the HRC brings to bear. Founded by Stacey Abrams, Fair Fight promotes fair elections in Georgia and around the country, encourages voter participation in elections, and educates voters about elections and their voting rights. Fair Fight brings awareness to the public on election reform, advocates for election reform at all levels, and engages in targeted voter registration and other voter outreach programs and communications.

Voter suppression is a scourge our country faces in states across the nation. Georgia’s 2018 elections shined a bright light on mismanagement, malfeasance, irregularities, and more, and Fair Fight works to expose both recent and decades-long actions and inactions by the state to thwart the right to vote. Voter suppression also impacts LGBTQ people, who far too often

NBJC statement on National Gay Men’s

HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

WASHINGTON, DC (September 27, 2019)

– In recognition of the 2019 National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NGMHAAD) and to call public attention to the disproportionate impact of the AIDS epidemic on gay men, bisexual men, same-gender-loving (SGL) men, and other men who have sex with men (MSM), David Johns, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), released the following statement:

“This year, we want to encourage the Black community to recognize National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and ‘Start Talking. Stop HIV.’

“Gay and bisexual men, especially

Black gay, bisexual, and same-gender-loving men, are disproportionately affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Because Black people still experience the highest infection and mortality rates from this treatable condition, it’s important to encourage Black same-gender-loving men and our loved ones to share their unique stories and celebrate Black people thriving with HIV so we can all thrive.

“Stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ/SGL people and communities still prevents far too many of us from having critical conversations about prevention and accessing resources that already exist, but National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness

Day should be a reminder that there are resources dedicated to dismantling stigma, like the NGMHAAD Toolkit, and preventive measures, like PrEP, which minimizes the risk of HIV by 99% when taken daily.

“We’ve made great strides in knowledge, treatments, and antiretroviral therapies, but there is still no cure for AIDS. To thrive and survive in a world with HIV/ AIDS, we have to know our status [and] connect to and stay in care to keep the virus under control.

“Finding solutions to this enduring epidemic, so that all Black people can thrive, is on all of us. The National Black Justice Coalition will not stop working within our

Nominees announced for Victory Institute’s 2019 Tammy Baldwin Breakthrough Award

WASHINGTON, DC (September 26, 2019) – Today, the LGBTQ Victory Institute announced its nominees for the 2019 Tammy Baldwin Breakthrough Award – an annual award given to an up-and-coming state or local LGBTQ elected official whose promising political career will move equality forward for LGBTQ people. Victory Institute supporters can vote for the nominee they believe is most deserving of the award via online ballot now through Monday, October 7. The winner will be announced on October 9 and be honored with the award at the International LGBTQ Leaders Conference in Washington, DC, this November.

The 2019 nominees are:

• Maryland delegate Gabriel Acevero

• North Carolina state representative Deb Butler

• Peru congressman Alberto de Belaunde

• Colorado state representative Leslie Herod

• Nebraska state senator Megan Hunt

• Pennsylvania state representative Malcolm Kenyatta

• Eau Claire (WI) school board Member Joe Luginbill

Brief bios of each nominee are below.

The award is named after US Senator Tammy Baldwin because of her storied career as an LGBTQ elected official –first as an out elected official on the Dane County (WI) Board of Supervisors, then as a Wisconsin state representative, US rep -

resentative and now US senator. The Victory Institute works to build a pipeline of LGBTQ leaders who continue to move up the ladder in their public service careers.

Past recipients of the Tammy Baldwin Breakthrough Award include Florida state representative Carlos Guillermo Smith and Virginia delegate Danica Roem.

The International LGBTQ Leaders Conference, held in Washington, DC November 13–16, attracts more than 550 LGBTQ elected and appointed officials, advocates, and community members each year. It is the largest annual gathering of LGBTQ elected officials in the world.

Brief nominee bios

• Maryland Delegate Gabriel Acevero: After focusing on criminal justice reform and raising the minimum wage as a union organizer and political activist, Gabriel Acevero has brought his passion for social change to the Maryland House of Delegates. Since his election in 2019, he has introduced legislation reforming school funding and complaints against police. He is the first openly LGBTQ Afro-Latinx elected to the Maryland House.

• North Carolina state representative Deb Butler: As the Democratic whip of the North Carolina House, Deb Butler is a warrior for North Carolina’s LGBTQ community. Under the rallying cry of “I will not yield,” Butler recently derided Repub -

licans’ underhanded voting tactics, even resisting arrest to pursue justice. During her time in the House, she has fought for causes ranging from fair districts to common sense gun reform.

• Peru congressman Alberto de Belaunde: One of two openly LGBTQ congressmen in Peru, Alberto de Belaunde is also a constitutional lawyer, university professor, author, and contributor to Correo, and secretary of the Congressional Committee on Science, Innovation, and Technology. He has also led the charge to legalize marriage equality in Peru [and] is working to overhaul the justice system and legalize medical cannabis.

• Colorado state representative Leslie Herod: The first openly LGBTQ AfricanAmerican elected to Colorado’s state legislature, Leslie Herod is a staunch defender of the LGBTQ community. She has co-sponsored a diverse slate of legislation, tackling topics from banning conversion therapy to prison and police reform to creating child college saving accounts, and seen much of it signed into law.

• Nebraska state senator Megan Hunt: Despite being the first and only LGBTQ person ever elected to the Nebraska state legislature, Megan Hunt is an unabashed fighter for pro-equality causes. Working within her own caucus and reaching across the aisle, she has tackled food stamp reform [and] conversion therapy reform and

face disproportionate barriers in accessing their right to vote. For example, a transgender woman may be turned away from voting because she is unable to get her name changed legally in the state where she lives. These types of challenges are often compounded for LGBTQ people of color who face additional barriers that Fair Fight is dedicated to exposing and changing.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. Theh 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

community, to reverse negative trends that save lives, literally. Whether engaging with local health clinics or elected officials on Capitol Hill, we will continue to fight for the health and well-being of our community.”

The National Black Justice Coalition is (NBJC) is America’s leading civil rights organization dedicated to the empowerment of Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and same-gender-loving (LGBTQ/SGL) people, including people living with HIV/AIDS.

Courtesy of the NBJC

addressed hate crimes legislation since her 2018 election.

• Pennsylvania state representative Malcolm Kenyatta: A born-and-bred Philadelphian, Malcolm Kenyatta upholds a family legacy of civil rights activism and social justice work, receiving the President’s Volunteer Service Award in 2016. Since being elected the first openly LGBTQ person of color in the Pennsylvania state legislature in 2018, Kenyatta has blocked anti-LGBTQ legislation while advocating for issues ranging from environmental justice to economic reform.

• Eau Claire (WI) school board member Joe Luginbill: Despite his young age, Joe Luginbill already enjoys accomplishments as an advocate for children and youth with UNICEF and the United Nations. In 2015, he became the youngest and first openly LGBTQ member elected to the Eau Claire (WI) School Board, where he has authored over 155 policies and resolutions dictating course options, budget management and much more.

The Victory Institute works to increase the number of LGBTQ people in public office and provides programming, services, and other support to ensure their success. victoryinstitute.org

Courtesy of the Victory Institute

Most Americans falsely believe that there are federal nondiscrimination protections in place for LGBT Americans

WASHINGTON, DC (October 3, 2019) – On October 8, the Supreme Court will hear three cases that seek to answer “whether federal employment discrimination laws, first passed by Congress in 1964, that bar discrimination ‘because of sex’ protect gay, lesbian, and transgender employees.”

Recent Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) data shows that most Americans falsely believe that there are federal nondiscrimination protections in place for LGBT Americans. A majority of Americans across ideologies, age, and religious affiliation in all 50 states also show broad support for LGBT nondiscrimination protections and for transgender rights.

PRRI data [shows the following]:

Knowledge of Federal Nondiscrimination Laws for LGBT People

• Although there are no federal nondiscrimination protections for LGBT individuals, the PRRI’s survey “America’s Growing Support for Transgender Rights” [https://www.prri.org/research/americasgrowing-support-for-transgender-rights/] demonstrates that a large majority of Americans falsely believe that there are protections in place. Clear majorities

believe it is illegal at the federal level for a doctor or health care professional to refuse treatment (79%), for a business to fire or deny someone a job (67%), for a property owner to refuse to rent a house or apartment (60%), or for a business owner to refuse to provide products or services to someone (55%) because the individual is lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.

• However, the proportion of Americans who correctly know that there are no federal nondiscrimination protections in place to prevent a business from firing or refusing to hire someone because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender has doubled over the last three years, from 14% in 2016 to 28% today.

Support for LGBT Nondiscrimination Protections

• A 2018 PRRI survey [https://www.prri. org/research/fifty-years-after-stonewallwidespread-support-for-lgbt-issues-findings-from-american-values-atlas-2018/] finds that Americans are widely supportive of nondiscrimination protections for LGBT people. Nearly seven in ten (69%) favor laws that would protect them from discrimination in jobs, public accommodations, and housing. Support has remained steady

over the past few years, with 70% of Americans reporting that they favor nondiscrimination provisions for LGBT people in 2017, compared to 72% in 2016 and 71% in 2015.

• There is widespread bipartisan support for LGBT protections, with majorities of Democrats (79%), independents (70%), and Republicans (56%) in favor of protections. However, Republican support has fallen five percentage points over the past few years, from 61% in 2015.

• Notably, this drop in Republican support is concentrated among those who showed the highest support a few years ago. Since 2015, support has declined around 10 points among young Republicans (ages 18-29), from 74% to 63%, and among liberal Republicans, from 68% to 59%.

• Solid majorities of all major religious groups support nondiscrimination protections, with the highest support from Unitarian Universalists (90%), Jews (80%), and the religiously unaffiliated (78%). Hispanic Catholics (72%), white Catholics (71%), white mainline Protestants (71%), Mormons (70%), and other religions (67%) show majority support as well. White evangelical Protestants (54%) and Jehovah’s Witnesses (53%) are the least likely to support protections.

Support for Transgender Rights

• The PRRI’s June 2019 LGBT Survey [https://www.prri.org/research/americasgrowing-support-for-transgender-rights/] shows that more than six in ten (62%) Americans say they have become more supportive toward transgender rights than they were five years ago, while only 25% say they have become more opposed.

• About three-quarters (76%) of Democrats report they have become more supportive of transgender rights in the last five years, compared to 64% of independents and only 47% of Republicans. Increased support crosses ideological divides within the parties; conservative Republicans (40%) stand out as the only ideological group with less than half reporting increased support for transgender rights.

• Majorities of every major religious group report becoming more supportive of transgender rights over the last five years. Even among white evangelical Protestants, slightly more than half (52%) report becoming more supportive of transgender rights over the last five years.

Courtesy of the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI)

113,000 LGBT people in Oklahoma lack statewide protections from discrimination

LOS ANGELES (September 24, 2019)

– An estimated 113,000 LGBT adults in Oklahoma are vulnerable to discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, according to a new report by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law.

The Oklahoma Anti-Discrimination Act does not explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in employment, housing, and public accommodations. Oklahoma’s workforce includes approximately 74,000 LGBT people age 16 and older.

Researchers estimate that local ordinances protect 29% of adults in Oklahoma from housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. One broader local ordinance in Norman also

protects 3% of adults in Oklahoma from this type of discrimination in employment and public accommodations. Absent a statewide law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, LGBT people in Oklahoma are vulnerable to discrimination and are disadvantaged economically.

Findings

• 25% of LGBT adults in Oklahoma report that they do not have health insurance compared to 16% of non-LGBT adults.

• 36% of LGBT adults in Oklahoma report not having enough money for food compared to 19% of non-LGBT adults.

• 11% of LGBT adults in Oklahoma report being unemployed compared to 5% of non-

LGBT adults.

• 28% of LGBT adults in Oklahoma report having a household income below $24,000 compared to 24% of non-LGBT adults.

“Prior research has linked socioeconomic disparities for LGBT people to geographic regions, such as the South, where there are fewer legal protections and a poorer social climate for LGBT people,” said lead author, Christy Mallory, State and Local Policy Director at the Williams Institute. “Adding sexual orientation and gender identity to Oklahoma’s nondiscrimination law would protect thousands of people and would add only about 42 new complaints each year, which could be addressed without the need for additional staff or resources.”

A 2018 poll found that 55% of Okla-

homa residents support laws that would protect LGBT people from discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations.

Read the report [at https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/ Oklahoma-ND-Report-September-2019. pdf].

The Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, a think tank on sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy, is dedicated to conducting rigorous, independent research with real-world relevance.

Courtesy of the Williams Institute

Over 70 LGBTQ and allied organizations call on the DC Council to support the decriminalization of sex work

SAN FRANCISCO (October 2, 2019)

– Today, LGBTQ advocates hand-delivered a letter signed by over 70 local, state, and national LGBTQ and allied organizations to members of the Council of the District of Columbia in support of the Community Safety and Health Amendment Act of 2019 (B230318), which would remove criminal penalties from the buying and selling of sex in DC while maintaining existing laws on sex trafficking. It would also create a task force to monitor the implementation and effects of the act.

The letter explains that the current law “serves no valid purpose and is dramatically out of step with current research and knowledge, including about how best to combat the transmission of HIV.” As a result, by removing it, “the bill would improve safety, public health, and law enforcement’s ability to address both violent and property crimes.”

The letter states that passing this bill would be “critical to the health and wellbeing of the LGBTQ community, including by improving public health and decreasing the vulnerability of marginalized sex workers, particularly transgender women of color.”

On Thursday, October 17, the DC Council Judiciary Committee will hold a historic hearing on the act.

Tyrone Hanley, senior policy counsel at the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) said, “Discrimination in employment, education, and housing against LGBTQ people, and especially transgender women of color, leads to increased participation in sex work by LGBTQ people. Criminalizing sex work punishes people for their survival, threatens their health and well-being, and exacerbates poverty. Rather than investing in more policing, DC would be better served by investing in our communities.”

Naseema Shafi, Whitman-Walker Health CEO, said, “The criminalization of commercial sex between consenting adults creates barriers to health and wellness for many members of our community. The District of Columbia should do everything in its power to increase access to health, justice, and dignity, for all its residents.”

Puneet Cheema, staff attorney at Lambda Legal, said, “Criminalizing adults engaging in consensual sex work, often for survival, impedes sex workers’ access to health care services, puts them at risk of

physical abuse from clients and police, and increases their vulnerability to exploitation by third parties. The Community Safety and Health Amendment Act of 2019 is urgently needed to remove this brutal and outdated penalty for consensual sex work. Sex workers need resources, not criminal penalties.”

Richard Rosendall, former GLAA president, said, “We as a society cannot reasonably criminalize a choice that our discrimination has led many trans women to make. Decriminalization is but one needed step if our purpose is to help them, instead of merely putting them out of sight. Better job training and employment opportunities are further steps.”

The National Center for Lesbian Rights is a national legal organization committed to advancing the human and civil rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education. www. NCLRights.org

Whitman-Walker Health is a federal qualified health center (FQHC) that offers affirming community-based health

and wellness services to all, with a special expertise in LGBTQ and HIV care. It empowers all persons to live healthy, love openly, and achieve equality and inclusion. It strives to be a place that sees the person first, a healthcare home where people are treated with the dignity, respect, and love.

Founded in 1973, Lambda Legal is the oldest and largest national legal organization whose mission is to achieve 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.

Founded in 1971, the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington DC (GLAA) is an all-volunteer, nonpartisan, nonprofit political organization that defends the safety, health, and civil rights of sexual and gender minorities, including LGBTQ people, in the nation’s capital.

Courtesy of the NCLR