JUDGE BLOCKS PART OF DISCRIMINATORY MISSISSIPPI LAW: In a ruling yesterday, U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves blocked a provision of Mississippi’s discriminatory H.B. 1523 that would allow county clerks to deny same-sex couples marriage licenses. The rest of the harmful law goes into effect on Friday. The ruling comes in a case litigated by Roberta Kaplan, the civil rights lawyer who argued in front of the Supreme Court of the United States in the landmark case United States v. Windsor. More from HRC.
GOOD DAY AT THE SCOTUS: Yesterday, the Supreme Court of the United States made two key decisions to protect Americans — including LGBTQ Americans. First, in a major victory, SCOTUS ruled to strike down Texas’ HB2 (the OTHER bad HB2) in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt. Health centers like Whole Woman’s Health ensure access to safe healthcare for millions of Texans, including family planning, HIV testing, transition-related care and countless other services the LGBTQ community relies on. SCOTUS also ruled in the case Voisine v. the United States that it is permissible for the federal government to keep guns out of the hands of those convicted of domestic violence, including where the domestic violence involves reckless conduct– a move that could protect countless people from injury or death. In the wake of Orlando, we should be doing more to create thoughtful gun violence prevention measures. More from The Washington Post and The Boston Globe.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STONEWALL: On this day in 1969, LGBTQ patrons of the Stonewall Inn, a New York City bar, took a stand and fought back against the brutal police intimidation and harassment they regularly faced simply for congregating. By refusing to resign themselves to the shadows of that bar, or the corners of American society, these early pioneers helped birth a movement to eradicate discrimination against all LGBTQ people. The following year, the first Pride marches took place in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles on June 28, commemorating the anniversary of this brave and historic stand against injustice. More from HRC.
- At yesterday’s powerful dedication ceremony for the Stonewall National Monument in New York City, Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to President Obama, praised the Administration for its steadfast dedication to LGBTQ rights. She also reflected on the Orlando massacre, and work left to be done to achieve LGBTQ equality, saying, “That night served as an excruciating reminder that though we have made immense progress — of which we should all be proud — our work remains to make the United States a more tolerant, safe, and just country for all Americans.” Read the full speech on the Huffington Post and see pictures from yesterday’s event here.
- New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed an executive order establishing an LGBT Memorial Commission tasked with building a monument in New York City honoring LGBTQ victims of hate and violence, including those killed in Orlando. More from WHAM.
SHOCKING POST-ORLANDO HATE FROM EXTREMIST PASTORS: While the response from U.S. religious leaders to the Orlando massacre has largely been supportive of the LGBTQ community, The New York Times chronicles the spate of hate-filled comments from extremist, anti-LGBTQ preachers — including the shocking assertion by an Arizona Baptist Church leader that the 49 innocent victims “all should have been killed.” The extremist pastors and their outrageous rhetoric have been roundly condemned, but the Southern Poverty Law Center warns that such hate speech “should not be dismissed as empty rhetoric,” the Times reports. Read more here.
ROY MOORE’S ETHICS VIOLATIONS: On August 8, disgraced Chief Justice Roy Moore will finally answer charges that he violated judicial ethics by repeatedly using his position on the Alabama Supreme Court to attempt to block marriage equality in the state in direct conflict with federal court decisions. The Court of the Judiciary announced the hearing date yesterday, and also asked Moore’s supporters to stop calling. More from The Montgomery Advertiser.
TIME FOR A CHECK-UP: A national health study reveals that LGBTQ people are more likely than their non-LGBTQ peers to experience chronic stress and report poor health and health behaviors, including heavy drinking and smoking. A study co-author says, “the experience of being part of a stigmatized minority population can lead to chronic stress, which, in turn, can have negative impacts on health and health behaviors.” More from U.S. News & World Report.
WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH, MEET THE TRANSGENDER FLAG: Planting Peace has expanded its rainbow-painted Equality House resource center across the street from the hateful Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka to include a house painted in the colors of the transgender flag. The project was inspired by Avery Jackson, a young transgender girl who said visiting the Equality House gave her joy and the confidence to speak about her transition. Read more about Avery and her mother Debi Jackson at HRC.
TAKE PRIDE IN KNOWING: Yesterday, to mark National HIV Testing Day, HRC encouraged individuals to get tested, know their status and speak out about HIV and AIDS. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in eight Americans does not know their HIV status. Read more at HRC.
LGBTQ DISABILITY DAY: To honor LGBTQ Disability Day, The White House yesterday hosted advocates for a Forum on LGBT and Disability Issues. Watch the full forum: The White House
READING RAINBOW
Vogue looks at how the LGBTQ community is looking at gun safety as an issue; TIME shares findings from the 2016 LGBT Financial Experience survey; Advocate showcases a self-guided NYC “Gay Bars That Are Gone” walking tour; Yahoo! reports the controversy surrounding the first openly non-binary prom queen; NBC News highlights the LGBTQ community uniting to celebrate Pride in the wake of the Orlando massacre.
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