Contact Us

Use the form on the right to contact us.

You can edit the text in this area, and change where the contact form on the right submits to, by entering edit mode using the modes on the bottom right. 

         

123 Street Avenue, City Town, 99999

(123) 555-6789

email@address.com

 

You can set your address, phone number, email and site description in the settings tab.
Link to read me page with more information.

Posts

Filtering by Tag: #civilrights

CELEBS TWEET IN SUPPORT OF TRANSGENDERS AFTER TRUMP LIFTS BATHROOM PROTECTION LAWS

Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

On Wednesday, the Donald Trump administration reversed Barack Obama’s federal protection laws that allowed transgender students to use whichever bathroom corresponds to their gender identity.  The White House explained Trump’s decision in a statement: "As President Trump has clearly stated, he believes policy regarding transgender bathrooms should be decided at the state level.  The joint decision made today by the Department of Justice and the Department of Education paves the way for an open and inclusive process to take place at the local level with input from parents, students, teachers and administrators."

The reversal sparked protests and angered several civil rights groups, such as the American Civil Liberties Union.  The LGBT project director for the ACLU, James Esseks, said: "Revoking the guidance shows that the president's promise to protect LGBT rights was just empty rhetoric.  But the bottom line is that this does not undo legal protections for trans students, and school districts can and must continue to protect them and all students from discrimination.  School districts that recognize that should continue doing the right thing; for the rest, we'll see them in court."

Obama’s decision to protect transgender rights in the bathroom had previously been celebrated among civil rights groups, including the ACLU.  The group wrote about Obama’s move: “This is a BIG deal – the federal government just made history and set clear standards to protect transgender people!”

Several celebrities took to Twitter to express their outrage at Trump revoking the protections, and show their support of the transgender community.  THE WANNA has gathered the reaction tweets below.

 

Ya Know You Wanna!

THE BOSS, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN CANCELS HIS NORTH CAROLINA CONCERT IN SUPPORT OF THE LGBT COMMUNITY!

Gina Giordan

Bruce Springsteen cancels North Carolina concert over 'bathroom law'

Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, praised the news that Bruce Springsteen is cancelling a concert this weekend in North Carolina due to the state’s radical and extreme new anti-LGBT law – HB 2 – that was rammed through the legislature on March 23rd.

“Bruce Springsteen is a hero and an icon because he gives voice, both through his music and his advocacy, to those who struggle against injustice and equality,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “It means so much that he has spoken out against this hateful bill on behalf of thousands of citizens whose rights and fundamental dignity are being trampled by the leadership of North Carolina.”

In announcing the decision, Springsteen said: “As you, my fans, know I’m scheduled to play in Greensboro, North Carolina this Sunday. As we also know, North Carolina has just passed HB2, which the media are referring to as the “bathroom” law.  HB2 — known officially as the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act — dictates which bathrooms transgender people are permitted to use. Just as important, the law also attacks the rights of LGBT citizens to sue when their human rights are violated in the workplace. No other group of North Carolinians faces such a burden. To my mind, it’s an attempt by people who cannot stand the progress our country has made in recognizing the human rights of all of our citizens to overturn that progress. Right now, there are many groups, businesses, and individuals in North Carolina working to oppose and overcome these negative developments. Taking all of this into account, I feel that this is a time for me and the band to show solidarity for those freedom fighters. As a result, and with deepest apologies to our dedicated fans in Greensboro, we have canceled our show scheduled for Sunday, April 10th. Some things are more important than a rock show and this fight against prejudice and bigotry — which is happening as I write — is one of them. It is the strongest means I have for raising my voice in opposition to those who continue to push us backwards instead of forwards.”

H.B. 2 has eliminated existing municipal non-discrimination protections for LGBT people and prevents such protections from being passed by cities in the future. The legislation also forces transgender students in public schools to use restrooms and other facilities inconsistent with their gender identity, putting 4.5 billion dollars in federal funding under Title IX at risk. It also compels the same type of discrimination against transgender people to take place in state buildings, including in public universities. Lawmakers passed the legislation in a hurried, single-day session, and Governor McCrory quickly signed it into law in the dead of night.

North Carolina is the first state in the country to enact a law attacking transgender students, even after similar proposals were rejected across the country this year -- including a high-profile veto by the Republican Governor Dennis Daugaard of South Dakota.

North Carolina school districts that comply with the law will now be in direct violation of Title IX, subjecting the school districts to massive liability and putting an estimated $4.5 billion of federal funding from the U.S. Department of Education, as well as funding received by schools from other federal agencies, at risk.

This section of House Bill 2 offers costly supposed solutions to non-existent problems, and it forces schools to choose between complying with federal law -- plus doing the right thing for their students -- or complying with a state law that violates students’ civil rights. Read more about how this bill puts federal funding at risk here.

As a result of North Carolina’s HB2 law, which puts thousands of youth, citizens, employees, and visitors to the state at risk, more than 130 business leaders are calling for a repeal effort during the upcoming legislative session and a number of businesses have begun to remove investments from the state.

###