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In the News:
Task Force, Inc., applauds House committee hearing on
transgender-inclusive ENDA
Task Force responds to death of the Rev. Dr.
D. James Kennedy
Task Force, Inc., denounces unequal treatment in
Craig and Vitter scandals
OutSpoken Blog: Setting the record straight for Tom DeLay
In the states
Task Force mourns death of D.C. activist
Cheryl Ann Spector
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Task Force, Inc., applauds House committee hearing on transgender-inclusive ENDA
“For far too long, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people have lived with the fear and loss of employment simply because of who they are.”
— Dave Noble, Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Inc.
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Inc., applauds the members of the House Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee for holding a hearing today on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which would protect against workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
[ Read our full statement ]
[ Visit the ENDA Action Center ]
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Task Force responds to death of the Rev. Dr. D. James Kennedy
The Rev. Dr. D. James Kennedy, founder of Coral Ridge Ministries, a $38 million-dollar-per-year cornerstone of the anti-gay industry, died today at the age of 76.
“Through his advocacy of ex-gay ministries, Kennedy called for the ‘transformation’ of LGBT Americans while ignoring scientific truths about the lack of efficacy and gross mental, physical and spiritual harm caused by so-called ‘conversion therapy’ programs. He used his media empire of television and radio programs to spread lies and misinformation to support his opposition to marriage equality, hate crimes legislation and employment nondiscrimination legislation.”
— Jason Cianciotto, Senior Fellow, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute
[ Read our full statement ]
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Task Force, Inc., denounces unequal treatment in Craig and Vitter scandals
Senate Republican leaders last week called for an ethics investigation into the Minneapolis airport arrest of U.S. Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) in a “lewd conduct” incident in a men’s public restroom. No such call was sounded by Senate GOP leaders following the scandal involving Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), who in July admitted to “a very serious sin in my past” after his telephone number appeared among those associated with a female escort service operated by the so-called “D.C. Madam.” Vitter even reportedly received “thunderous applause” from Senate GOP colleagues during a policy lunch held a few days after his admission.
“What explains the starkly different responses? I’d say rank and homophobic hypocrisy.”
— Matt Foreman, Executive Director, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Inc.
[ Read our full statement ]
[ Read related media coverage: Associated Press and USA Today ]
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OutSpoken Blog: Setting the record straight for Tom DeLay
“In another head-spinning spin session on the L’Affaire Craig, the disgraced former Congressman Tom DeLay appeared on NBC's Today Show on Aug. 30 to defend the Republican Party, newly embroiled in sex-related scandals of two senators: Larry Craig and David Vitter.”
— Sue Hyde, Director, Creating Change
[ Read and respond to the full blog entry ]
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In the states
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Inc., hails these three statewide LGBT rights victories that occurred last week:
An Iowa trial court ruled that the state’s constitution requires extending the freedom to marry to same-sex couples. The case was filed in December 2005 by Lambda Legal on behalf of six same-sex couples and their families who were denied marriage licenses in Iowa. Read our statement.
In Kansas, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius signed an executive order prohibiting discrimination against LGBT state employees. Kansas now becomes the fourth state (joining Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania) without a statewide nondiscrimination law protecting LGBT people to issue a transgender-inclusive executive order protecting state employees, and the seventh state (joining Alaska, Arizona, Delaware, Louisiana, Michigan and Virginia) to issue an order protecting state employees on the basis of sexual orientation.
Maine’s Law Court unanimously ruled that courts in that state may hear adoption petitions from unmarried couples, rather than restricting such petitions to either married couples or single individuals. The decision opened the door for a lesbian couple to adopt two siblings who have been in their care for six years. Learn more.
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Task Force mourns death of D.C. activist Cheryl Ann Spector
The Task Force mourns the loss of D.C. activist Cheryl Ann Spector, 49, who died yesterday of leukemia.
“Cheryl was not only a legendary witness to AIDS and queer activism in D.C. through her videotapes or photos of every AIDS or LGBT direct action, event and gathering, she was also a street activist, a strategist, a provocateur, a motivator.”
— Statement by Rea Carey, Deputy Executive Director, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
[ Read our full statement ]
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