SGN Oct 5, 2018 - Part 1

Seattle Gay News

WASHINGTON, D.C. – [On Tuesday, October 2], the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, responded to a new policy by the Trump-Pence administration that denies visas to same-sex partners

New study shows who is impacted by Florida’s HIV criminalization laws HRC responds to Trump-Pence attack on LGBTQ foreign diplomats

of U.N. employees and foreign diplomats. It also requires those currently in the U.S. to get married by the end of the year or be forced to leave the country. First reported on by the Washington Blade in August, the new policy went into effect on Monday.

see DIPLOMATS page 13

LOS ANGELES (October 2, 2018) –Florida laws that criminalize people living with HIV directly affected 614 people from 1986 to 2017, according to a new report by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law. Researchers found that women were disproportionately affected by HIV criminalization. White women were disproportionately arrested for HIV offenses in Florida, and black women were most likely to be convicted for HIV offenses related to sex work.

Out & Equal Workplace Summit brought Rippon, DiMarco and more to the Washington State Convention Center

by MK Scott SGN Contributing Writer

With over 6,000 attendees, the Out & Equal Workplace Summit was the place to be to celebrate equality and diversity. The four-day conference spanned from

Oct. 1-4. Out & Equal Workplace Advocates is the largest conference dedicated to LGBTQ Workplace Equality in the world, attended annually by LGBTQ & ally professionals.

see WORKPLACE SUMMIT page 6

North Carolina law does not ban

Trans people from restrooms, federal judge says

Lawsuit against state preemption may go forward

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

A federal judge has ruled that North Carolina state law does not forbid Transgender residents from using restrooms and other public accommodations. The judge also

cleared the way for a lawsuit aimed at striking down provisions barring municipalities in the state from passing nondiscrimination ordinances that cover public accommodations or private business practices.

see NORTH CAROLINA page 13

Seattle Gay News

2018 Seattle AIDS Walk & Picnic Sept.

by Tom Rasmussen Special to the SGN

For some of us this is an annual event. For over 30 years it’s a tradition in September to join the AIDS walk. And this may be the best weather we have ever had!

The first years were horrible. Our community was being decimated.

Every week the pages of the Seattle Gay News were filled with the names and photographs of those who died.

In less that 15 years over 3,000 young gay men died.

We will never forget.

Today, many people, including many young gay men, do not know our history.

This walk was started by compassionate and angry people who marched by the thousands with banners and signs demanding government action for research and help for families and friends with AIDS.

This is not ancient history. This is recent history. This is our history. If we don’t tell it, who will? If we don’t record the stories, they will be lost.

The Seattle AIDS Memorial Pathway was formed by people who are determined that those early years and the lives of so many people will not be forgotten. We were there then and we are here now!

We believe that we have the duty TO RECORD THE HISTORY AND TO TELL THE STORY. This is a history of profound tragedy and of success and hope.

We will tell the stories of how those marches and that anger was turned into action to create the Northwest AIDS Foundation; Chicken Soup Brigade; People of Color Against AIDS Network (POCAAN) and so many more organizations in the face of hostility and indifference.

The AIDS Memorial Pathway will be a beautiful place of remembrance at the Light Rail Station on Broadway and at Cal

Anderson Park.

We will record the stories of people who were there and of the lives lost and of the survivors. You will be able to see them online.

We call ourselves the AIDS Memorial Pathway because this story is not over.

There is no vaccine and still no cure. Today nearly 8,000 people live with HIV or AIDS in King County.

The AIDS Memorial Pathway will be a voice – a call to action to end HIV/AIDS, and to educate and to fight discrimination and stigma.

We have a table over there where you

can learn more.

You can help. We need people who will help us record the stories.

I hope you are angry. I am. Angry about discrimination. Angry that people still have to fight for decent healthcare. Angry that a homophobic, sexist, abuser of women is being nominated to the Supreme Court. I hope you take action. One of the enduring lessons of the early days of AIDS is it will only get worse if we don’t fight back. You are heroes, just like those who marched in the first years. You can and are making a difference.

Thank you for being here.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Seattle Area Support Groups (SASG) loses Capitol Hill tree lot fundraiser

Dear Editor:

Back in 1989, the SASG board of directors and staff launched a small Christmas tree lot fundraiser in the backyard of the house on 17th Ave. E. and E. Thomas St. to fund peer services programming for people impacted by HIV/AIDS. Nearly thirty years later, this fundraiser has grown to be a Capitol Hill tradition and a large revenue source for SASG lovingly produced by a couple of staff members and several hundred community volunteers and SASG members. In 2018, this fundraiser was supported by more than 3,300 households, grossing $268,000 in sales and netting $130,000 in revenue that has been essential in supporting SASG’s mission of providing peer emotional support services to the LGBTQ community impacted by addiction, mental health, and/or chronic illness.

SASG is very sad to share with you that this tradition appears to have come to an end. Our longtime partnership with Kaiser Permanente of Washington (formerly Group Health Cooperative) has been essential to our efforts in executing this fundraiser each year. Since 2014, they have graciously provided us with use of their parking surfaces at the same corner that the house was located on along with a generator to power our lights and portable office. In May, we received a call from Kaiser informing us that use of that parking surface would no longer be possible due to significant changes underway at their Capitol Hill campus. We are so very appreciative of their support over the years in making this fundraiser a continued success and look forward to possible opportunities to collaborate with them for the betterment of our shared membership. Efforts to find a location on Capitol Hill to move our fundraiser

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

to have been fruitless. For this to continue to be a fundraiser, we rely on the efforts of our volunteers and long-time supporters, making location essential to producing a justifiable return on investment.

The good news is that the loss of this fundraiser will not impact programming or staffing at SASG. We have been fortunate during our rapid growth over the past couple of years to build diversity in our funding. Proceeds from this year’s event were intended to be used for expansion of space. We will be looking for other oppor-

tunities to replace that funding. We are so grateful to our longtime supporters of this fundraiser, some of whom have been purchasing their trees and greenery from us from the very beginning. We are saddened at the prospect of not seeing each of your faces again this year, but we would love to have your continued support as we move forward with our important work. If you would like to continue your support of SASG programming, please consider making a donation or become a recurring supporter of SASG

through our donation portal at sasgcc.org or by contacting me, the executive director, at josh@sasgcc.org.

With gratitude,

Joshua A. Wallace

Executive Director

Seattle Area Support Groups 115 15th Ave. E., Suite 201 Seattle, WA 98112

Regarding Queer Activism After Marriage Equality

Dear Editor:

I twice read Scott Rice’s “Book Review: Queer Activism After Marriage Equality ” in the SGN ’s Sept. 21st issue and feel the need to respond. I note it ran in the first section instead of the Arts & Entertainment section, so it likely is a piece SGN editors feel readers should reflect on.

This book, edited by DeFilippis et al., is similar to Martin Duberman’s Has the Gay Movement Failed? Both seem edited/written by principled radicals who are disappointed that the majority of the queer community isn’t marching behind their drummers. The issue to consider is whether a cadre of theorists should be shaping the agenda for us or if they admit progress is also made by broadly based, single-interest groups, each chipping away at the patriarchal, racist, money-powered society we live in.

With due respect to the life work of DeFilippis and Duberman, I would argue they feel frustrated that their theory-led work hasn’t won more recognition because it wasn’t based on observing, and conversing with, those whom they desire to lead. It’s also important for the reader to ask why the theory-based Queer Liberation Movement didn’t last more than a few years after Stonewall.

Let’s take the issue of marriage equality. It is always a good analytical principle to “follow the money,” but let’s also consider the principle of “talk with those affected.” These authors should have interviewed 100 gay marrieds who have chil-

dren and ask them, “What difference has marriage equality made for your lives?” And then interview 100 kids in their teen years, or shortly afterwards, [and ask] the same. Without taking on the issue of whether society will be better off tomorrow when the church is no longer involved in marriage, let’s just look at the issue of these 100 queer couples and 100 children of such marriages. Do they feel they are better off?

My daughter shared her story at our

marriage reception in 2013 [of] how her friends asked her, “Isn’t it exciting to have two dads?” “Definitely not,” she responded. “It’s boring. Now I’ve got three parents asking me where I’m going and what I’m doing all the time.” Every village could benefit from three parents raising a child.

Now to consider the issue of sexual minorities in the US military. Without taking on the issue of how soon we can abolish standing armies and win world

peace, let’s look at the transformative impact “gays in the military” has wrought. The leadership in Congress and in the highest echelons of the military who initially opposed inclusion have lost and are now gone or on their way out. Women in the military and sexual minorities both symbiotically caused significant changes. The public debate won over a majority of the American voters. Now the military and government leaders (minus one president) are preparing, however slowly, how to integrate transgender and HIV-infected enlisted personnel.

The basic premise of these authors, and unfortunately Scott Rice, is that the tens of thousands of folks in the Gay Rights Movement think the work is done. A very unsubstantiated premise. Even as queer supporters of marriage equality and gays in the military worked on those issues, they also were and still are involved in the #MeToo movement, #BlackLivesMatter, prison and bail reform efforts, stopping climate change, etc. And they lead their daily lives, going to work, raising families, and voting on November 6th. Hopefully those in the radical wing of the queer movement will contribute their insights and energies without dismissing the value of what is happening around us. This all is hard work. We need everyone doing their part as they see fit.

Chuck Richards Ballard

Entre Hermanos launches voter education and get-out-the-vote drive

Entre Hermanos es una organización LGBTQ Latina sin fines de lucro en el estado de Washington. Nuestra misión es promover la salud y el bienestar de la comunidad LGBTQ en un ambiente culturalmente apropiado a través de prevención de enfermedades, educación, servicios de apoyo, abogacía y construcción comunitaria. Hemos estado ayudando a la comunidad latina desde 1991. Entre Hermanos está alentando a nuestros clientes y comunidad a participar y/o votar en estas elecciones de mitad de período.

Todos podemos participar en movilizaciones masivas y acciones directas sin importar nuestro estatus legal. La votación es importante para permitir que los responsables políticos crean leyes e instituciones que beneficien y representen a las personas gobernadas. Aunque sólo los ciudadanos pueden votar, gente indocumentada y las personas que residen en los Estados Unidos pueden hacer oír su voz a través de abogacía, registro de votantes, peticiones, marchas, protestas y por medio de muchas otras acciones impulsadas por la comunidad e individualmente. Tú cuentas. Tu voz

importa. Incluso cuando estás legalmente prohibido votar, puedes motivar a los que sí pueden. Inspira. Haz que tus experiencias sean escuchadas.

Comuníquese con Omar Aguirre – omar@entrehermanos.org o (206) 274-8334 – si tiene preguntas sobre nuestros esfuerzos de educación electoral o como involucrarse.

Fechas límite para esta elección: 8 de octubre: Registro en línea o por correo, o para actualizar su información de registro.

17 de octubre: Boletas y folletos electorales son enviadas por correo. Se abren los centros de votaciones, accesibles, en Seattle y Renton.

18 de octubre: Se abren las urnas electorales.

29 de octubre: Registró en persona para nuevos votantes de Washington.

6 de noviembre: Día de las eleccioneslas boletas deben ser enviadas por correo postal a más tardar ese dia o llevarlas a una urna electoral antes de las 8 p.m. Este es el último día en que los centros de votación accesibles están abiertos.

Entre Hermanos is a Latino LGBTQ non-profit in the State of Washington. Our mission is to promote the health and well-being of the LGBTQ community in a culturally appropriate environment

through disease prevention, education, support services, advocacy and community building. We have been helping the Latino community since 1991. Entre Hermanos is encouraging our clients and community to participate and/or vote in these midterm elections.

We can all participate in mass mobilizations and direct actions regardless of our legal status. Voting is important to allow policymakers to create laws and institutions that benefit and represent governed people. Although only citizens can vote, undocumented people and people residing in the United States can make their voices heard through advocacy, voter registration, petitions, marches, protests and through many other community-driven and individual actions. You count. Your voice matters. Even when you are legally prohibited from voting, you can motivate those who can. Inspire. Make your experiences heard. Contact Omar Aguirre – omar@ entrehermanos.org or (206) 274-8334 – if you have questions about our voter education efforts or how to get involved.

Deadlines for this election:

October 8: Deadline to register online or by mail, or to update your registration information.

October 17: Ballots and voters’ pamphlets must be sent by mail. The voting centers are open, accessible, in Seattle and Renton.

October 18: Ballot boxes open.

October 29: Deadline for new Washington voters to register in person.

November 6: Election Day – ballots must be postmarked by today or returned to a ballot drop box by 8pm. This is the last day the accessible voting centers are open.

Courtesy of Entre Hermanos

Christian homeless shelter sues for right to turn away Trans people

by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer

A Christian homeless shelter in Alaska has filed a lawsuit alleging it has First Amendment religious freedom rights to bar Transgender people from seeking refuge on its premises.

The Downtown Soup Kitchen Hope Center in Anchorage filed the suit after a local Trans woman made a discrimination complaint against the shelter. Allowing Trans women in could make the women-only shelter unsafe, the lawsuit claims.

According to the lawsuit, a Trans woman identified only as “Jessie Doe” was first refused a space in the women’s shelter because she “smelled strongly of alcohol,” and the center does “not accept individuals who [are] inebriated.”

Doe returned to the shelter the next day but once again was turned away. The lawsuit says she was rejected because she “had not stayed the previous evening, which is required by Shelter policy and because Doe sought entry at a time when the shelter was not accepting new guests.”

Doe complained to the Anchorage Equal Rights Commission, charging the shelter with discriminating against her because of her gender identity, which would be a violation of city law.

The lawsuit is challenging the City of

Anchorage, the Anchorage Equal Rights Commission, and the commission’s executive director.

“It would not only be dangerous and against common sense but it would violate the Hope Center’s sincerely held religious beliefs to admit biological men into its shelter and allow them to sleep side by side and disrobe next to women, some of whom have been assaulted by men and fear for their safety,” the

lawsuit states.

The Downtown Soup Kitchen has been running for more than 30 years, providing services including shelter, food, and showers to homeless people.

The shelter is being represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a notoriously anti-LGBT organization that also represented Colorado baker Jack Phillips in the Masterpiece Cakeshop case.

In that case, the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of Phillips after he refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple because of his religious opposition to same-sex marriage.

David Dinielli, deputy legal director for the Southern Poverty Law Center, told Anchorage news station KTUU that the religious freedom argument was merely a cover for anti-LGBT bias.

“What they are doing is trying to use their own purported religious beliefs to impose them on others and kick LGBT people out from spaces, from schools, from bakeries, and apparently now in Anchorage also from shelters,” Dinielli said.

“In our most vulnerable moments, they think that their right to hate should trump our right to live. This is not the Alaska way. This is not the Anchorage way.”

The lawsuit was quietly filed by the ADF on August 16 and only recently came to light. According to KTUU, the City of Anchorage will respond to the lawsuit later in September. Studies do not support the claim that trans women could cause safeguarding issues for female-only spaces.

Recent research by the prestigious Williams Institute showed that there is no empirical evidence to support the claim that allowing Transgender people to use public facilities of their choice would increase violations of privacy and crime.

WORKPLACE SUMMIT

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New Out & Equal Workplace Advocates CEO, Erin Uritus urged change especially in this current political climate as well as for our allies around the world. Other speakers included Bank of America’s Cynthia Bowman, Rev. Dr. Rob Hardies from All Souls Church Unitarian (Washington, DC) , JP Morgan’s Ken Janssens, and inspirational speakers Amber Hikes, Ash Beckham and Trystan Anger Reese. Tuesday’s Brunch brought Olympian, Adam Rippon and Wednesday’s Power Lunch brought Model and Deaf Activist, Nyle DiMarco. Each of these speeches (along with a performance by Northwest bred, Broadway star, Shoshana Bean) can be found in video format on

HRC launches powerful campaign to mark 30th annual National Coming Out Day

WASHINGTON – Ahead of the 30th anniversary of National Coming Out Day (NCOD) next Thursday, October 11, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) – the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization – is launching a powerful new digital campaign highlighting inspirational stories of celebrities and influencers who have come out over the past year, including singer Janelle Monáe, actress Josie Totah, soccer player Colin Martin, singer Kehlani, actress Tessa Thompson, musician Brendon Urie, model Reece King, and many more. NCOD is an opportunity to emphasize the importance of coming out and creating a safe world in which LGBTQ people can live openly as their authentic selves.

The HRC launched the campaign this week with videos and graphics featuring the powerful coming out stories of Janelle Monáe, Bex Taylor-Klaus, and Alyson Stoner,

and the organization will continue sharing coming out stories from the past year throughout the next week. Additionally, the HRC will mark the actual anniversary on October 11 with major coming out moments of the last three decades.

“Coming out can be one of the most courageous acts an LGBTQ person makes, and that courage is inextricably tied to our continued progress toward full equality,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “Visibility matters, and research shows that when people know someone who is LGBTQ, they are far more likely to support full equality under the law. Coming out and sharing our stories is essential to advancing LGBTQ equality and fighting back against attempts to turn back the clock on our progress.”

The HRC Foundation – the educational arm of the HRC – has launched several resources to encourage and support individuals in their coming out journey,

including the organization’s latest guide, “Coming Out: Living Authentically as LGBTQ Asian and Pacific Islander Americans.” The HRC’s additional coming out tools include resources on coming out in communities of faith, among different racial and ethnic identities, in the workplace, to one’s doctor, and a variety of other contexts. Visit hrc.org/comingout for more information.

With the Trump-Pence administration’s onslaught of attacks on LGBTQ equality, it’s as important as ever to recognize the power of coming out and ensure that the voices of the LGBTQ community are heard – especially at the polls. With only 33 days until Election Day, the HRC is working harder than ever to mobilize more than 10 million LGBTQ voters and 52 million “equality voters” to #TurnOUT in November. Last year, the HRC announced a coast-to-coast campaign to mobilize these

voters for the midterm elections called HRC Rising, which represents the largest grassroots expansion in the organization’s 38-year history. For more information and resources on NCOD, visit HRC’s Coming Out Center [at https://www.hrc.org/explore/topic/comingout].

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

HRC partners with Billy Eichner and Funny or Die’s “Glam Up the Midterms” on swing-state early-vote tour

WASHINGTON – [On October 4], the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, and Funny or Die announced a three-stop early vote tour featuring “Billy on the Street” host Billy Eichner and HRC President Chad Griffin. The tour will include stops in Phoenix, Ariz., on Saturday, October 13; Las Vegas, Nev., on Saturday, October 20; and Milwaukee, Wisc., on Saturday, October 27, and is aimed at encouraging millions of “equality voters” nationwide to take advantage of early voting and make their voices heard this November. In addition to more than 10 million LGBTQ voters across the nation, the HRC has identified 52 million “equality voters,” who make issues of equality a deciding factor in their vote.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Funny or Die and Billy Eichner on the road this month

HIV CRIMINALIZATION

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HIV criminalization is a term used to describe laws that either criminalize otherwise legal conduct or increase the penalties for illegal conduct based upon a person’s HIV-positive status. More than two-thirds of US states and territories have enacted HIV criminal laws.

“Our study shows that certain communities, whether defined by gender, race/ ethnicity, or sex worker status, are bearing more of the weight of these laws,” said lead author Amira Hasenbush, the Jim Kepner Law and Public Policy Fellow at the Williams Institute. “What’s more, these HIV criminal laws, which were originally intended to control the spread of HIV by prosecuting individuals who expose others, don’t require proof of transmission or even exposure in most cases. So the laws are not doing what they set out to do.”

Key findings

Individuals were arrested under HIVrelated statutes in 47 out of the 67 counties in Florida. The highest prevalence of HIV in the state is found in Miami-Dade (24%) and Broward Counties (18%), but those counties represent only 4% and 3%, respectively, of the HIV-related arrests. On the other hand, Duval County is home to only 6% of the people living with HIV in Florida but 23% of all HIV-related arrests in the state.

Over half (56%) of all individuals arrested under an HIV-related offense were women. As a point of comparison, in 2017, 27% of people living with HIV in Florida were women.

More than four in ten people arrested under an HIV-related offense were black (43%), and none of the people arrested were recorded as Latino/a.

to energize equality voters as early voting begins. Equality voters will be crucial in winning back pro-equality majorities in Congress and electing pro-equality leaders in these states,” said Griffin. “These events will be an opportunity for young people and LGBTQ voters to hear more about what’s at stake on the ballot this year and make their voices heard.”

“Phoenix! Las Vegas! Milwaukee! We’re coming for you!!! I’m so excited to hit the road and visit these great American cities with my friends at Human Rights Campaign,” said Eichner. “Everyone’s invited to join us for these fun get-out-thevote pep rallies, where we’ll be walking, marching, skipping, and/or dancing over to the polls together to participate in early voting all over the country! See you there!”

The HRC has identified millions of “equality voters” across the country –voters who support LGBTQ-inclusive

When considering the demographics of people living with HIV in Florida, white women were more likely to be arrested for an HIV-criminal offense than other groups. They made up only 4% of the population of people diagnosed with HIV in Florida, but they were 39% of HIVrelated arrests in the state.

In HIV offenses involving sex work, black women were significantly more likely to be convicted for the disease-specific offense and significantly less likely to be released without a conviction than all other groups.

Black men were more likely to be convicted of an HIV-related offense than white men and white women.

Convictions for HIV arrests were twice as likely when there was a concurrent sex work arrest than when the HIV offense occurred outside of the context of sex work.

The study analyzed data obtained from the Criminal Justice Information Services at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement on the criminal history of all individuals who have had contact with the criminal justice system under six of the state’s HIV-related criminal laws. These data record any contacts an individual may have had with the criminal justice system, from arrest through conviction and sentencing, to provide a full chronological record of how these laws are being used.

Read the report [at /https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/ HIV-Criminalization-Florida-Oct-2018. pdf].

The Williams Institute at the 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

policies – including more than 800,000 voters in Arizona, more than 600,000 voters in Nevada, and more than half a million voters in Wisconsin. The HRC has prioritized investments and organizing in each of these three states – and several more – in the 2018 cycle, and has staff and resources on the ground as part of the largest grassroots expansion in the organization’s 38-year history.

Early voting begins in Arizona on October 10 and Nevada on October 20. In Wisconsin, where early voting dates and hours are set by individual municipalities, voting began in many towns and cities in September. Election Day is Tuesday, November 6.

Details on each event are below. Media interested in attending and covering must RSVP to nick.morrow@hrc.org.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13 –PHOENIX, ARIZONA

Venue: Tempe Improv

Address: 930 E University Drive, Tempe, AZ

Time: 1:30 pm

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20 –LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

Venue: East Las Vegas Community Center

Address: 250 N Eastern Ave, Las Vegas, NV

Time: 9:30 am

SATURDAY, OCTOBER, 27 –MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN

Venue: University of WisconsinMilwaukee Student Union (Wisconsin Room)

Address: 2200 E Kenwood Boulevard, Milwaukee, WI

Time: 10:30 am

Actor, comedian, and writer Billy Eichner is a multifaceted force to be reckoned with. The new season of “Billy on the Street” just premiered, and Eichner can be seen in Ryan Murphy’s FX anthology series, “American Horror Story: Apocalypse.” In 2019, Eichner will be in two Disney features: he will voice the character of Timon in Jon Favreau’s highly anticipated live-action remake of The Lion King, slated to be released on July 19, and he will also star in the Christmas film Noelle, the story of Santa’s daughter who has to take over the family business, set for a winter 2019 release. Eichner’s TV credits include Hulu’s critical darling “Difficult People,” NBC’s “Parks and Recreation,” and Netflix’s “Friends From College.” Additionally, Eichner lends his voice as “Mr. Ambrose” on Fox’s popular animated comedy “Bob’s Burgers.” In addition to on-screen work, Eichner partnered with Funny or Die to launch “Glam Up the Midterms.”

The HRC 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.

“Glam Up The Midterms” is a nonpartisan campaign to encourage and energize young people to vote during the November 2018 midterm elections. You can learn more at GlamUpTheMidterms.com.

Courtesy of the HRC

Image courtesy of The Williams Institute

DIPLOMATS

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“This is an unconscionable, needless attack on some LGBTQ diplomats from around the world, and it reflects the hostility of the Trump-Pence administration toward LGBTQ people,” said HRC Government Affairs Director David Stacy. “It is unnecessary, mean-spirited, and unacceptable. The White House must immediately go back to a policy that is fully inclusive and takes into account the dangers faced by LGBTQ foreign diplomats, U.N. employees, and their families.”

The new policy would place an extraordinary burden on LGBTQ diplomats and families from countries without marriage equality. Since 2009, under an order intro -

NORTH CAROLINA

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The ruling affects HB142, the measure passed by the North Carolina legislature last year as a substitute for the infamous HB2, which barred Trans people from using restrooms that are appropriate for their gender identity.

HB2 had required Trans people in government buildings and schools to use restrooms, locker rooms, and showers that correspond to the genders listed on their birth certificates. The measure, passed in 2016, and was immediately met with a backlash.

The passage of HB2 provoked a nationwide series of boycotts, including conventions, sporting events, and concerts, and many prominent companies scuttled plans for expansions in or relocations to North Carolina.

Several states and municipalities even instituted bans on official travel to North Carolina – including Seattle and Washington state – and some of them remain in effect to this day.

Republican governor, Pat McCrory, resulted in his defeat by a Democrat in the next election.

Following McCrory’s loss, Republican legislative leaders and newly elected Gov. Roy Cooper tried to reach a compromise to repeal the worst parts of HB2 and send a

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

duced by then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the United States has granted diplomatic visas to domestic partners of foreign diplomats and U.N. employees. These couples must now show proof of marriage by December 31st of this year or leave the country within 30 days.

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 the HRC

message to companies that North Carolina would be a business-friendly environment.

Almost exactly one year after it passed, HB2 was replaced by HB142, which repealed the most draconian provisions relating to bathroom use but included a ban on North Carolina cities and counties passing ordinances that explicitly allowed more rights to Trans people than state law did.

In his September 30 ruling, US District Judge Thomas D. Schroeder found that although state law forbade municipalities from explicitly protecting Trans people, it did not explicitly prevent them from using gender-appropriate facilities.

Schroeder also allowed a legal challenge to the part of HB142 that preempts municipal nondiscrimination ordinances. That part is likely to be found unconstitutional, he said, because it prevents people from seeking relief from discrimination through local governments.

“While HB142 does not prohibit plaintiffs’ efforts at advocacy, it plainly makes them meaningless by prohibiting even the prospect of relief at the local level,” Schroeder wrote in his opinion.

LGBTQ conference in Lebanon threatened by security forces

NEW YORK – On the 29th of September, Lebanese security forces from the General Security Directorate shut down a regional gender rights conference in Beirut, Lebanon. The conference, known as NEDWA, is organized annually by the Arab Foundation for Freedoms and Equality (AFE) and brings together over 100 activists from the Arabic-speaking Middle East and North Africa region.

General Security officers responded to a complaint filed by the Hay’at Al-Oulamaa el Mouslimin (Association of Muslim Scholars). The group had issued a statement accusing the conference of promoting perversion and drug use, and called for the conference to be cancelled on grounds of “incitement to immorality.”

Jessica Stern, executive director of OutRight Action International, who was at the conference, said, “In spite of ten years of positive court decisions, there have been several attacks on the basic rights of the LGBTQ community’s freedom of association over the past year. The crackdown on LGBTQ organizations is serious and the international community has to speak out.”

General Security forces initially tried to pressure Georges Azzi, executive director of the AFE, to sign a document that he would cancel all activities related to the event. When he refused, General Security forces informed the hotel management that they were shutting down the conference. The security forces also took down the names, details, and passport copies of all attendees. Attempts by the General Security forces to shut down the conference violate multiple human rights, including but not limited to

rights to assembly and freedom of expression.

Mr. Azzi commented on the incident, saying, “These kinds of attacks are expected. There is no activism without risks, but we need to be more prepared, stay united, and help each other to stand up and continue the fight.”

Lebanon is known to be the most liberal

place to be LGBTQ in the region [sic]; however security forces have escalated their attack on LGBTQ rights in the country. The General Security Directorate also shut down events that honored the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia in 2017 and events for Beirut Pride earlier this year in June.

The AFE managed to find a new hotel to hold the rest of the conference, though attendees were shaken by the incident. Many attendees came from even more repressive environments for LGBTQ people and feared arrest or persecution upon their return home.

Jessica Stern’s full account of her experience at the event can be read at https:// www.outrightinternational.org/content/ successful-organizing-face-attack-personalaccount-nedwa-conference.

Every day around the world, LGBTIQ people’s human rights and dignity are abused in ways that shock the conscience. The stories of their struggles and their resilience are astounding yet remain unknown – or willfully ignored – by those with the power to make change. OutRight Action International, founded in 1990 as the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, works alongside LGBTIQ people in the Global South, with offices in six countries, to help identify community-focused solutions to promote policy for lasting change. We vigilantly monitor and document human rights abuses to spur action when they occur. We train partners to expose abuses and advocate for themselves. Headquartered in New York City, OutRight is the only global LGBTIQ-specific organization with a permanent presence at the United Nations in New York that advocates for human rights progress for LGBTIQ people.

Courtesy

of OutRight