Author: Lucas Acosta

Today, HRC released an open letter from 40 major employers calling for lawmakers in states across the cou…

After an inspiring campaign, earning praise and support across the country, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigi…

Today, HRC announced the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Angie Craig for re-election.

Rep. Angie Craig, as one of seven openly LGBTQ members of the U.S. House and the first openly lesbian mother to be elected to Congress, has been one of the community’s most impactful and vocal supporters of the Equality Act — crucial bipartisan legislation that would finally provide clear, comprehensive non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people nationwide. Over the next year, HRC will devote significant resources to turning out the 658,000 Equality Voters across the state of Minnesota to ensure pro-equality, LGBTQ leaders like Rep. Craig remain in, or are elected to office.

“The voters of Minnesota’s 2nd district made a wise choice in electing Angie Craig to Congress in 2018. She’s hit the ground running as a champion for civil rights, for good paying jobs, and for accessible and affordable health care,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “Angie Craig’s success in Congress has helped show LGBTQ children and youth that they can aspire to any job in America regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The Human Rights Campaign is proud to endorse Congresswoman Craig’s bid for reelection and we look forward to continuing to fight alongside her for full equality.”

“I’m honored to have the support of HRC. As the first LGBTQ mother in Congress, I know that having more voices represented only makes our nation stronger,” said Angie Craig, U.S. Representative for Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District. “We need all kinds of experiences and voices to be represented in order to move important policies, like the Equality Act, forward. It is my privilege to work with you to usher in a better future for the next generation.”

In the 2018 midterms, HRC helped register more than 32,000 voters and recruited more than 4,200 volunteers, who worked over 8,500 shifts and clocked more than 30,000 volunteer hours. In the critical final four days of the campaign, HRC staff and volunteers in get-out-the-vote efforts alone knocked on more than 80,000 doors, and held 36,400 conversations with voters at their doors and by phone on behalf of our endorsed candidates. HRC’s unprecedented grassroots mobilization represented an investment of approximately $26 million to recruit volunteers, mobilize constituents, register voters and grow the organization’s grassroots army in an all-out effort to pull the emergency brake on the hateful anti-LGBTQ agenda of the Trump-Pence administration and elect a Congress that would hold them accountable.

HRC announced our opposition to the newly announced U.S. Senate bid of former Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

“At every point in his career, Jeff Sessions has used his power to discriminate against LGBTQ people, people of color and anyone who doesn’t look or think like him,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “From his time as Alabama Attorney General to the Senate to his horrific leadership at the Department of Justice, Sessions has systematically worked the levers of government to deny the rights of others. In 2017, Alabama voters chose equality by electing Sen. Doug Jones. We are hopeful that Alabamians will continue along that path, and deny Jeff Sessions, Roy Moore, or any of the anti-equality politicians who are seeking this office as a means to discriminate.”

In the Alabama special election for U.S. Senate in 2017, HRC organized more than 20 GOTV events — including phone banks, canvasses, and community events in the closing weeks of the campaign. For two months, more than 160 HRC volunteers and 11 HRC staff worked to reach the nearly 200,000 “Equality Voters” across Alabama — a voting bloc comprised of not only the 100,000 LGBTQ voters in the state but also the thousands of additional allies HRC has identified statewide. HRC also partnered with allied civil rights organizations, including the NAACP of Alabama and others, to increase voter turnout.

For more on Sessions’ anti-LGBTQ record, go to HRC’s Sessions Report.

HRC responded to Arizona Governor Doug Ducey nominating Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery for a seat on the Arizona Supreme Court.

“Bill Montgomery has made a career of marginalizing the most vulnerable Arizonans, including the LGBTQ community,” said HRC Deputy Campaign Director Justin Unga. “He has shown that he’s unable to set aside personal biases and treat LGBTQ Arizonans with the dignity and respect that we deserve in our legal system. With LGBTQ Arizonans’ rights on the line, it’s more important than ever to ensure that the Arizona Supreme Court be comprised of unbiased jurists capable of deciding cases on merit and law rather than partisanship or anti-LGBTQ extremism. Montgomery’s appointment is a dangerous step in the wrong direction. HRC will continue to remain vigilant in order to hold Montgomery accountable, including when voters have the opportunity to decide whether he remains on the court.”

In 2015, as Maricopa County Attorney, Montgomery refused to provide legal assistance to LGBTQ couples seeking to adopt a child. This failure prompted the ACLU to sue him and his office in an attempt to earn LGBTQ Arizonans the equal treatment and legal assistance they deserve under the law. 

Earlier this year, the Arizona Supreme Court heard arguments in Brush & Nib Studio v. City of Phoenix. Despite a Phoenix city ordinance banning discrimination on the basis of gender identiy and sexual ortentation,  the Brush & Nib Studio is proactively seeking the authority to turn away LGBTQ people in violation of this established law. The Supreme Court received this case after the Arizona Court of Appeals issued a ruling denying the business owners the ability to discriminate against same-sex couples. HRC joined the ACLU in an amicus brief supporting LGBTQ rights and the City of Phoenix.

HRC announced the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher for reelection.  

Fletcher has been…

Today, HRC announced its endorsement of Gina Ortiz Jones in her historic bid to represent Texas’ twenty-third congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives.

If elected, Ortiz Jones will become the first openly LGBTQ member of Congress elected from Texas. She served in the U.S. military under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT), which banned gay, lesbian, or bisexual individuals from serving openly in the military. Repealed in 2010, the discriminatory law was in place for 17 years. Since serving, Ortiz Jones has spoken out about the fear she experienced under DADT and her desire to never again be forced back into the closet. Ortiz Jones has made LGBTQ equality a priority in her campaign platform. HRC was proud to endorse Ortiz Jones in her nailbiter 2018 bid. 

“Gina Ortiz Jones has the opportunity to make history in Texas and help grow the historic pro-equality majority in Congress,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “As an openly LGBTQ military service member who served under ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,’ Ortiz Jones will have a unique opportunity to share her story and fight back against the Trump-Pence administration’s continued attacks on LGBTQ people — and particularly on LGBTQ military service members. The Human Rights Campaign is proud to endorse Gina Ortiz Jones and fight alongside her as she works to make Texas a more fair and just place for all.”

“I’m honored to earn the HRC endorsement again this year,” said Gina Ortiz Jones. “As an LGBTQ veteran who served under ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,’ I know firsthand what is at stake when our elected officials don’t have the moral courage to ensure everyone is treated equally under the law. I am proud to partner with HRC in our fight for equality and fairness, and their support will be critical to our 2020 victory.”

“Gina Ortiz Jones will be a strong voice for all Texans, especially LGBTQ Texans in Congress,” said HRC Texas State Director Rebecca Marques. “Texas has an opportunity to make history in 2020 by electing our state’s first openly LGBTQ member of Congress. HRC will work tirelessly alongside her campaign to ensure Ortiz Jones is successful.”

In 2018, HRC deployed staff on the ground across the state to help elect Ortiz Jones and other pro-equality candidates across Texas. Alongside its three permanent full-time staff in Texas and four local volunteer steering committees, HRC deployed 13 additional staff and organizers for a major get-out-the-vote effort across the state. Over the last four days in Texas, HRC members and supporters knocked on over thousands of doors and texted over 27,000 Texans voting resources and reminders. In addition to robust door-to-door, mail and phone canvassing in partnership with local groups including Equality Texas, HRC hosted four Equality Action Academy trainings to give HRC members and supporters the tools they need to take action locally in legislative advocacy and in support of pro-equality candidate campaigns.

Donald Trump has continued his outright assault on LGBTQ people and our rights. One of the most dangerous…

President Trump might be launching a new campaign, but in reality, we know that it’s the same anti-equality Trump-Pence administration we’ve come to know.

Throughout Trump’s Presidency, this White House has led a coordinated assault on LGBTQ workers and our rights.  

Here are some of the lowlights of the Trump-Pence Administration’s attacks on LGBTQ workers:

1. Opposition to the Equality Act: Despite support from almost every segment of the US population and a majority of Republicans, President Trump opposed the Equality Act. Last month, the House passed the Equality Act, voting to guarnatee critical non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ workers and allowing them to be who they are openly on the job without risk of being fired.

2. Rollback of Obama-Era Non-discrimination protections: Trump’s Department of Justice upended previous DOJ interpretations of the Civil Rights Act that protects transgender and non-binary workers from employment discrimination and ceased enforcing nondiscrimination protections as well as taking a hostile stance to LGBTQ workers in court.

Planned New Rules to License Discrimination: Trump’s Department of Labor issued a directive that designed to allow federal contractors claim a religious exemption to fire LGBTQ workers because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.