A new research study released from The Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law and Public Policy shows that employment discrimination against transgender residents of Massachusetts will probably cost the commonwealth millions of dollars each year, according to a press release. In calculating the cost, the study estimates that 6,600 Massachusetts residents have lost a job; 12,900 were not hired for a job; and 5,600 were denied a promotion—all because of anti-transgender bias.
Delaware Gov. Jack Markell signed a measure May 11 that legalizes civil unions for same-sex couples, according to an ACLU press release. The bill grants same-sex couples the same legal rights and protections that married different-sex couples have under state law. Delaware is the third state to pass a civil unions law in 2011, following Illinois and Hawaii. Ten other states provide civil unions or partnerships for same-sex couples, and five states plus the District of Columbia allow marriage equality. The law goes into effect Jan. 1, 2012.
In what is being hailed as a breakthrough in HIV prevention, a new study has shown that giving anti-AIDS drugs to HIV-positive people can reduce the transmission of the virus to spouses and partners by 96 percent, according to the Chicago Tribune. The results of the study of nearly 1,800 couples in the United States and southern Africa were so dramatic that the study's sponsors decided to terminate it prematurely—four years before its scheduled completion in 2015. The study shows that not only does early treatment of HIV infections benefit the patient's own health, but also "there is clearly a benefit of a profound decrease in the probability of … transmission to his or her own partner," Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in a news conference.
U.S. John Kerry, D-Mass., introduced legislation to reduce youth homelessness and specifically prevent homelessness among gay teens, according to a press release. The Reconnecting Youth to Prevent Homelessness Act would, among other things, improve training, educational opportunities, and permanency planning for older foster LGBT youth. Singer/activist Cyndi Lauper praised the move, saying, "As parents we need to be there for our children when they are struggling to come to terms with who they are; if passed, this bill will provide much needed support for families to do just that."
On May 2, Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed into law House Bill 546, which bans discrimination on the basis of gender identity or expression in employment and as a matter of public policy. According to an HRC press release, Hawaii became the 13th state to ban such discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations, marking one-quarter of U.S. states with such laws. Hawaii law has prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation since 1991.
Amazon.com will give the organizers behind the Lambda Literary Awards a $25,000 grant to support its annual Writer's Retreat for Emerging LGBT Voices, according to Advocate.com . The retreat was established in 2007 to give writers access to some of the top LGBT voices in literature. The retreat will take place Aug. 6-13 at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Molly Wei—one of two Rutgers University students who allegedly used a webcam on a same-sex encounter fellow student Tyler Clementi had—has been admitted into a pre-trial intervention program, allowing her to potentially avoid jail time, according to CBS News. The program, which Clementi's parents don't object to, involves 300 hours of community service and getting a job for three years. Clementi jumped off the George Washington Bridge into the Hudson River after news of the liaison came to light.
Caroline Kennedy is now among those urging President Obama to support same-sex marriage, according to USA Today. Kennedy, who endorsed Obama during the 2008 campaign, became the 100,000th signer of a letter by the Freedom to Marry advocacy organization urging the president to say "I do" to marriage equality. "Falling in love, getting married and building a family is part of the American dream," Kennedy said. "I believe that all Americans, including committed gay and lesbian couples, should have the opportunity to pursue that dream."
GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) has issued a statement praising Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper's signing of a comprehensive anti-bullying bill that enumerates personal characteristics often targeted for bullying, including race, religion, sexual orientation and gender identity. GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard said, "Bullying is a public health crisis in the United States, and GLSEN praises the actions of Colorado legislators, and the leadership of One Colorado, that will make a crucial difference in the lives of students throughout Colorado." Colorado is the twelfth state to pass an enumerated anti-bullying law.
Washington, D.C., Superior Court Judge Herbert Dixon unsealed records showing that District resident William X. Wren, 18, had been sentenced Jan. 26 to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to shooting gay Maryland resident Gordon Rivers five times at point-blank range inside Rivers' car during a botched robbery, according to the Washington Blade. The unsealed records show that Wren agreed to plead guilty in exchange for a government offer to lower the charge against him from first-degree felony murder while armed to second-degree murder while armed. Gay-rights leaders have expressed outrage at the length of Wren's sentence.
The 26th annual AIDS Walk New York (which took place May 15) attracted 45,000 participants and raised $6.2 million, according to a press release. The event began with a star-studded opening ceremony followed by a 10-kilometer walk, and raised an impressive sum for Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC) and 41 other AIDS service organizations in the tri-state area. Among the many celebrities involved in the event were Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell and Eric Stonestreet of TV's Modern Family; White Collar's Matt Bomer; The A-List's Mike Ruiz; and Private Practice's Audra McDonald, a two-time Tony winner who sang "You'll Never Walk Alone."
CNN anchor Don Lemon has come out of the closet. Lemon, 45, makes the admission about his sexuality in his new book, Transparent, although he reportedly never made a secret of his orientation. He told the New York Times, "I'm scared. I'm talking about something that people might shun me for, ostracize me for." Other national news anchors who have come out include Rachel Maddow and Thomas Roberts, both of MSNBC.
Angered at the progress that the proposed "Teachers Can't Talk About Gays" law has made in the Tennessee state senate, gay activists with the website FCKH8.com ( fckh8.com ) passed out hundreds of pro-gay T-shirts, wristbands, pins and stickers to school children to protest the law which would make it a crime for teachers to discuss homosexuality, according to a press release. The website distributed gear from its line of "Don't B H8N on the Homos" products to crowds of cheering kids. The website is also donating $25,000 to the Tennessee Equality Project to fight the anti-gay agenda of the bill's sponsor, state Sen. Stacy Campfield.
Media Matters kicked off its DropFox campaign May 16 by urging Orbitz (OWW), an online travel site, to pull its ads from the Fox News network. Three high-profile gay rights organizations—GLAAD, Courage Campaign and Equality Matters—signed a letter to Orbitz CEO Barney Harford asking that the company no longer support Fox News through ad revenue.
Walgreens is the first pharmacy to make the new female condom FC2 available, according to a press release from the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. FC2 is available at select locations nationwide, including Chicago, San Francisco, New York City and Washington, D.C. "The female condom is one of the only forms of barrier contraception that allow women to be in control over their own sexual health, allowing them protection against unwanted pregnancies as well as HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs)," says Carole Brite, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois. "It is a vital tool in the fight against HIV/AIDS."
In Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker has asked a court to let the state stop defending a new domestic-partnership registry law, according to Advocate.com . Democrats adopted the law two years ago when they controlled the legislature; however, the statute's opponents say that the law violates the state constitutional amendment that bans marriage equality.
Two teenage girls accused of an attack on a transgender woman at a Maryland McDonald's have been indicted on hate-crime and assault charges stemming from the April incident, according to the Washington Blade. The brutal beating of Chrissy Lee Polis, 22, garnered international attention when a McDonald's employee used his cell phone to capture the attack on video and posted it online. A grand jury indicted Teonna Brown, 18, on first and second-degree assault and classified the offenses as hate crimes; she is being charged as an adult. Apparently, another girl, 15, will face the same charges in juvenile court.
In Florida, a school district has cleared a high school principal accused of threatening two female students with suspension for holding hands, according to the South Florida Times. The two were holding hands while walking to class May 3 at Blanche Ely High School when school principal Karlton Johnson confronted them and took them to his office. North Area Superintendent Sharon Airaghi sent a letter to a complaining fellow student, saying that Johnson was within his rights to react the way he did.
Barnes & Noble and Borders will not display the latest issue of fashion magazine Dossier Journal because male model Andrej Pejic appears shirtless on the cover appearing "too much like a woman," according to Advocate.com . The bookstore chains want all copies of the magazine to be placed in plastic bags. Dossier Co-Founder and Creative Director Skye Parrott said that only U.S. bookstores are complaining.
The U.S. Marine Corps. reportedly blocked the webiste of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (May 17), according to an Advocate.com item. A civilian employee said that the site, HomophobiaDay.org, was blocked "in accordance with Marine Corps and DoN [Department of the Navy] policy governing the appropriate use of government information systems."
The Human Rights Campaign issued a statement praising the Nevada legislature for passing AB 211, a bill codifying prohibitions against discrimination in employment on the bases of gender identity and expression. HRC President Joe Solmonese said, "Being free from discrimination based on gender identity or expression, judged solely on your merits and quality of work, is the most common-sense approach to employment policies." The bill now moves to Gov. Brian Sandoval's desk for his consideration.
