Lambda Legal filed an amicus brief in Ballenger v. Providence Hospital, a case in which a transgender woman argues a Washington, D.C., hospital discriminated against her because of her gender identity, in violation of Section 1557, the Affordable Care Act's nondiscrimination provision, a press release stated. Lambda Legal's brief was authored by Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, Susan L. Sommer, Beth Littrell, and Demoya Gordon, along with Jennifer C. Pizer and Paul D. Castillo. The brief is at www.lambdalegal.org/in-court/legal-docs/ballenger_dc_20160608_amicus-lambda-legal.
In Pennsylvania, trans woman Kate Lynn Blatt claims that a Walmart employee prevented her from accessing a female fitting room at the store, according to Philadelphia Gay News. On May 28, Blatt was shopping for clothes with her wife, Lindsey Nowak, at a Walmart store when the alleged incident took place. Saint Clair Police Chief William M. Dempsey said witness statements are being reviewed, but declined to say whether LGBT-sensitivity training would be offered to police officers on the Saint Clair force; an officer allegedly did nothing to stop the obscenities and death threats hurled at Blatt.
Authorities in Santa Monica, California, on June 12 detained a "heavily armed" man who had plans to do harm at a major Los Angeles-area pride event, stirring concerns about safety in the wake of the early morning mass shooting at a gay club in Florida, The Washington Post reported. The armed individual, identified as James Howell, 20, appeared to be unrelated to the Orlando shooting, said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. "Any possible nexus with this individual and the Pride event in West Hollywood is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation," the sheriff's department said in its release. News of the arrest in California came hours after 50 people were killed and 53 others injured at Pulse, a gay bar and dance club in Orlando. The mass shooting was deemed the deadliest in U.S. history.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick deleted a tweet with a Bible verse posted as news broke of a mass shooting in an Orlando gay nightclub, according to On Top Magazine. At 7 a.m. on Sunday, June 12, Patrick tweeted from his personal account: "Do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." The Texas Democratic Party called on Patrick to apologize. Patrick's adviser, Allen Blakemore, called the tweet an unfortunate coincidence.
A pair of LGBT activists filed a lawsuit against Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, challenging a recently enacted law that allows therapists and counselors to decline to serve gay clients when doing so would violate their sincerely held beliefs, The Washington Times reported. Bleu Copas and Caleb Laieski said the new law unconstitutionally targets and discriminates against gay people. Laieski, a prominent gay-rights activist who lives in Washington, D.C., said in a statement the goal of the lawsuit is to "send a clear message to Tennessee that discrimination will not be tolerated, especially when it jeopardizes folks seeking mental health services."
In Texas, a U.S. resident is facing a capital-murder charge after killing a Kenyan man in cold blood, Zipo.co.ke reported. It was reported that Patrick Wayne Kemp, 18, was charged after he allegedly shot James Thotho 37, inside a bathroom. Thotho hails from Kiambu County and is said to have posted a same-sex advertisement online in the Houston area that lured Kemp. Kemp opened fire on the deceased after the Kenyan man allegedly made a sexual advance toward him.
A federal judge is permanently barring Alabama from enforcing state laws to block same-sex marriage, WKRG.com noted. U.S. District Judge Callie Granade of Mobile issued the order in litigation that followed the U.S. Supreme Court decision that effectively legalized same-sex weddings nationwide. In a statement, Shannon P. Minter, legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, said, "Today's ruling establishes clearly and finally that all state officials in Alabama must respect same-sex couples' freedom to marry. [The] ruling should put any confusion to rest."
Alabama is also ending common-law marriages, WVTM13.com reported. Gov. Robert Bentley recently signed a bill making it illegal for couples to enter common-law marriages starting in 2017. Attorney Brian Huff said there are three criteria for common-law marriages—both parties have to have the capacity to be married, meaning they can't already be married; evidence of intention to be married has to exist, like filing taxes jointly; and the marriage has to have been consummated.
The annual celebration of LGBT Pride Month started off on a less-than-joyful note in Pasadena, California, where an out Black Lives Matter organizer was convicted of a crime formerly known as "felony lynching" June 1, according to Advocate.com . Jasmine "Abdullah" Richards was sentenced to 90 days in jail with 18 days served, followed by probation. The lesbian and founder of Black Lives Matter Pasadena was found guilty of "taking by means of a riot any person from the lawful custody of any peace officer," a felony called "lynching" until last year. Richards is the first Black woman convicted under the state-specific statute.
The U.S. federal government has recognized as legally valid the April 1975 same-sex marriage of Richard Adams and Anthony Sullivan, approving the "green card" petition that Adams filed in 1975 for his husband, an Australian citizen, ThePrideLA.com reported. After Adams died in December 2012, Sullivan sought to have the Immigration Service recognize their marriage and grant a green card to him as the widower of a U.S. citizen. The green card, granting Anthony permanent resident status in the United States, was issued on the 41st anniversary of his Boulder, Colorado marriage to Richard—a same-sex marriage that remained in the record and that Colorado officials never invalidated.
Karen L. Parker, Ph.D., M.S.W., has been named director of the Sexual & Gender Minority Research Office at the National Institutes of Health, according to its website. In her new role, she also serves as co-chair of the trans-NIH Sexual and Gender Minority Research Coordinating Committee ( RCC ), and has served on the committee since its inception in 2011. Parker comes to the NIH Office of the Director from the National Cancer Institute, where she served as an acting branch chief in the NCI Office of Science Planning and Assessment and Women's Health Officer for the Institute.
Of the 14 out California statehouse candidates running this year, 10 survived the June 7 primary, where the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, advance to the general election in November, The Bay Area Reporter noted. As expected, gay San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener was in first place in his bid for the 11th Senate District seat. All four of the incumbent out Democratic lawmakers seeking re-election this fall landed in first place in their contests. The group includes gay Assemblyman Evan Low of Campbell; lesbian Stockton lawmakers Assemblywoman Susan Talamantes Eggman and Senator Cathleen Galgiani; and Sen. Ricardo Lara, who is unopposed for his Los Angeles-area seat.
A judge in Georgia has denied a transgender college student's request for a name change because it might offend the "sensibilities and mores" of Georgians, On Top Magazine noted, citing Project Q Atlanta. Rowan Elijah Feldhaus, a 24-year-old student at Augusta University, is appealing Columbia County Superior Court Judge J. David Roper's decision. Roper reportedly rejected Feldhaus' middle name of Elijah, saying that it was not gender-neutral enough.
The Human Rights Campaign and Equality NC jointly revealed that new emails obtained by the Charlotte Business Journal ( CBJ ) show that Rep. Dan Bishop—the lead author of North Carolina's HB2 law—compared LGBTQ people and supporters of equality to the Taliban, and made numerous other disparaging comments. Moreover, Gov. Pat McCrory, Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore have reportedly refused to release any of their communications about HB2 or their correspondence with anti-LGBT activists in the lead up to their special session in March that led to the law's passage.
The woman who allegedly administered a silicone injection to popular Atlanta transgender performer Lateasha Shuntel two days before she died last November has been charged by federal authorities with killing her, Project Q noted. Deanna M. Roberts, 46, was arrested at her home in Sanford, Florida. She faces charges of falsely claiming to be a licensed medical practitioner, illegally transporting liquid silicone from Florida to Atlanta, and causing the death of Shuntel last November by injecting the liquid silicone directly into her buttocks.
A Chick-fil-A restaurant in Orlando delivered sandwiches and iced tea to a blood drive supporting victims of the gay nightclub terrorist attack, The Washington Times noted, citing the DC Gazette. The restaurant on University and Rouse Road delivered the food free of charge to the One Blood donation center. The owners of the Christian-run organization, normally closed on Sundays, have been criticized for holding a view of marriage as strictly a heterosexual union.
The Christian conservative group American Family Association ( AFA ) criticized President Barack Obama for proclaiming June LGBT Pride month, On Top Magazine reported. "You know, one of the real ironies of this proclamation is the president here cites the need for more funding for HIV/AIDS," AFA President Tim Wildmon says between sips of coffee. "But, unlike Michelle Obama, who advocates that children stay off the sodas, he doesn't advocate behavior change when it comes to homosexual behavior affecting your health."
The chief of staff for Brian Sims, Pennsylvania's first elected openly gay state lawmaker, will leave his position June 17, Philadelphia Gay News noted. Mason Lane has served as Sims' chief of staff since December 2012, and he recently said in a mass email that he will be moving to a project outside government. Tim Keller will take over as Sims' chief of staff.
Shortly before the California primary election, Democratic presidential nominee hopeful Bernie Sanders took a walking tour of West Hollywood with GLAAD's Wilson Cruz and stopped by the iconic restaurant Hamburger Mary's to greet diners, The Huffington Post reported. According to Fox News junior reporter Lauren Blanchard, who tweeted a video from Hamburger Mary's, Sanders shook hands and encouraged the crowd to vote.
Apple, headed by out CEO Tim Cook, is the top tech company in this year's Fortune 500, an annual ranking of U.S. companies by revenue, according to Business Insider. It ranked third, with $233 billion in revenue. Apple beat out every other company besides Exxon Mobil and Walmart.
NLGJA: The Association of LGBT Journalists will present the 2016 Lisa Ben Award for Achievement in Features Coverage to Diane Anderson-Minshall at L.A. Exclusive on Thursday, June 23, a press release stated. The Lisa Ben award bears the pen name of Edith Eyde, the creator and distributor of the first known U.S. lesbian publication and the inaugural winner of the award in 2014. Cyd Ziegler, co-founder of OutSports.com, was presented with the award in 2015.
Zipcar and GLAAD are kicking off a new partnership during Pride month to help drive acceptance and equality forward for the LGBTQ community, a press release stated. Zipcar and GLAAD are working together to support the transgender community and raise awareness about anti-LGBTQ legislation. To find out more, visit GLAAD.org/zipcar; for more information about Zipcar's Pride program, visit zipcar.com/pride.
