TOP STORIES
APRIL 14, 2016

NATIONAL

Turning Back Time
By Washington Post Editorial Board

“SOME DEGREE of backlash to the Supreme Court’s legalization of same-sex marriage was to be expected. That does not excuse the actions of several Southern states over the past few weeks.”

“Even as these skirmishes heat up, it is important to keep the big picture in mind. The cause of nondiscrimination has advanced rapidly over the past several years — further and faster than seemed possible only a decade ago. In 2008, politicians of all stripes, including then-Sen. Barack Obama, opposed same-sex marriage, which is now the law of the land.”

“Those pressing for essential civil protections are winning the war. But the battles they lose along the way will cause real harm to real people.”

Fighting Back Against Anti-Transgender Talking Points
By Brynn Tannehill, HuffPost Queer Voices

“Since the publication of Time‘s recent cover story “The Transgender Tipping Point,” there has been a spate of conservative op-eds in retort, including ones featured in the Chicago Sun-Timesand the Wall Street Journal, and online on conservative websites such as The Federalist. The attacks follow a predictable set of talking points that rely on the reader having no scientific knowledge of the issue. However, when examined from a perspective of peer-reviewed medical consensus and law, these talking points fail utterly.”

Choosing Love or the Mormon Church
By Frances Johnson, The Atlantic

“But Church leaders have also emphasized that simply being attracted to someone of the same sex is not a sin, and that God loves all of his children. The Church even supported anti-discrimination legislation in Utah that included protections for LGBT citizens and released a statement that members would not be punished for supporting same-sex marriage and other gay rights on social media or in other public forums. For LGBT Mormons who wished to be part of the Church, a careful balance between their identity and their faith seemed possible.”

“That changed in November when the Church introduced a new policy in the Handbook of Instruction, a guide for lay clergy: Members in same-sex marriages would be considered apostates, an excommunicable offense. Children living in same-sex households would be excluded from religious rites, such as baby blessings and baptism, until they turn 18. Once they reach that age, they have the option to disavow same-sex relationships, move out of their parents’ house, and ask to join the Church.”

“The backlash was immediate, even among conservative members of the Church not prone to championing LGBT rights or questioning Church policy. People were shocked by the policy’s extreme language and worried about the possible negative consequences for children. The incremental but significant progress the Church had made in its relationship with the LGBT community seemed undone. And for LGBT Mormons and their straight allies who disagree with the policy, the decision about whether—and how—to stay in the LDS Church got more complicated.”

Why Abandoning States With Anti-LGBT Legislation Is Not the Answer
By Rachel Charlene Lewis, Black Girl Dangerous

“I won’t cut ties with NC because, to me, that would mean leaving behind those who cannot leave the state, and more importantly, it means not building our movement at home.

“I know that living in an oppressive state is not easy. But I also know that my four years in North Carolina have been some of the most impactful and transformative moments as I came into my identities as a queer person of color. In NC, I attended my first pride parade, had my first queer relationships, and ultimately learned more about myself and the world than I ever expected.”

“What’s more important is for people outside of these states to ask what they can do, how they can support the incredibly important queer and trans activists, advocacy groups, and protesters who are putting their lives on the line to force North Carolina lawmakers and lawmakers in other states to recognize the reality: that we live here, too, and we’re not going anywhere.”

STATE

Nashville Musicians, Tennessee Attorney General Warn Of Fallout From Transgender ‘Bathroom Bill’
By Chas Sisk, Nashville Public Radio

“The state’s top lawyer is warning of potentially dire consequences to Tennessee and local school districts if lawmakers move forward with a plan to require transgender students to use the bathroom of their birth sex.”

“The opinion from Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery was released Monday at the request of state Reps. Mike Stewart, D-Nashville, and Harry Brooks, R-Knoxville.”

“In it, Slatery says House Bill 2414 opens local school districts to litigation. The measure, which is still making its way through the legislature, calls on transgender students in K-12 and college to use the bathrooms of their anatomical sex, rather than the gender they identify with.”

“The attorney general notes that the U.S. Department of Education has taken the position that ignoring gender identity violates Title IX, which bars sex discrimination in public education. That means districts could be stripped of federal funding if they try to enforce the law.”

North Carolina Governor Pretends To Fix Anti-LGBT Law With Symbolic Executive Order
By Zach Ford, Think Progress

“The very first point of the order doubles down on banning transgender people from using bathrooms and locker rooms in government buildings in schools. McCrory explains it using the smarmy ‘common sense’ rhetoric that he and other Republican lawmakers have used to describe the policy since its introduction. With that piece still in place, little matters in the other corrections.”

“The second point of the order does nothing except reiterate what is already true about the law. It ‘affirms the private sector’s right to establish its own restroom and locker room policies.’ HB2 did not ban private businesses from establishing LGBT protections, but that doesn’t mean businesses like PayPal want to operate in a state where their employees still experience discrimination in schools and government buildings.”

North Carolina may risk losing billions of dollars in aid with LGBT law
By Matt Apuzzo and Alan Blinder, The Charlotte Observer

“The Obama administration is considering whether North Carolina’s new law on gay and transgender rights makes the state ineligible for billions of dollars in federal aid for schools, highways and housing, officials said Friday.”

“Cutting off any federal money – or even simply threatening to do so – would put major new pressure on North Carolina to repeal the law, which eliminated local protections for gay and transgender people and restricted which bathrooms transgender people can use. A loss of federal money could send the state into a budget crisis and jeopardize services that are central to daily life.”

“Although experts said such a drastic step was unlikely, at least immediately, the administration’s review puts North Carolina on notice that the new law could have financial consequences. Gov. Pat McCrory had assured residents that the law would not jeopardize federal money for education.”

“But the law also represents a test for the Obama administration, which has declared that the fight for gay and transgender rights is a continuation of the civil rights era. The North Carolina dispute forces the administration to decide how aggressively to fight on that principle.”

‘We respect our fellow citizens’: Edwards issues LGBT protection order
By Julia O’Donoghue, Nola.com

“For the first time ever in Louisiana, a governor took formal action to protect transgender state workers and transgender people seeking state services from discrimination.”

“Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards issued an executive order Wednesday (April 13) that protects state workers and state contractors from being fired, discriminated against or harassed based on their gender identity as well as their sexual orientation. State agencies, departments and offices also wouldn’t be able to discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.”

“This means the nondiscrimination policy will not only cover gay, lesbian, and bisexual people but also transgender people for the first time. Most of the order was enacted immediately, though the parts that apply to state contractors won’t take effect until July 1.”

Senators hear emotional outpouring of opposition to transgender bathroom bill
By Maya T. Prabhu, The Post and Courier (South Carolina)

“The legislation directs South Carolina’s public schools, public universities and government agencies to require bathrooms or locker rooms be designated for use only by people based on their biological sex. South Carolina is among a majority of states that allow a person who has had a sex change to obtain a new birth certificate.”

“U.S. Attorney for South Carolina Bill Nettles said he was asked by Sen. Joel Lourie, D-Columbia, to talk at the hearing about the number of instances in which a transgender person had assaulted a straight person in a South Carolina bathroom. ‘There have been none,’ he said, adding that if it were to happen there are laws in place that deal with assault.”

“Charleston resident Chase Glenn, who chairs the transgender committee for the gay and transgender rights group SC Equality, transitioned from a woman to a man. He said he has used the men’s bathroom for the past year and never experienced any problems with those upset he was in there.”

“’This law, which is unenforceable, protects no one,’ Glenn said. ‘All it does is it serves to draw attention to trans people. Even the very introduction of this bill has highlighted this community and put a target on them.’”

LOCAL

Asheville City Council calls for HB2 repeal
By Emily Patrick, The Asheville Citizen-Times

“The Tuesday resolution calls for the speedy repeal of HB2 and encourages other municipalities, counties and boards of education to do the same.”

“‘The Asheville City Council urges the North Carolina General Assembly to repeal House Bill 2 at the earliest opportunity,’ Tuesday’s resolution reads. ‘Meanwhile, Council will look to the court system for remedy, seeking opportunities to partner with other local jurisdictions and advocacy organizations in taking appropriate legal action against this unconstitutional legislation.'”

“The Asheville resolution, which was passed as part of the council’s consent agenda, matches nearly word for word a resolution passed by Carrboro on March 26, three days after Gov. Pat McCrory signed HB2 into law.”

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Being Transgender in North Carolina: Reaction to HB2
By Elena Boffetta, The News and Observer