Official News Outlet for the Rainbow Round Table of the American Library Association
By John Mack Freeman This week, the House of Representatives voted 277 to 147 (mostly along party lines) to approve the 2017 defense authorization bill. Included in that bill is a measure that would allow religiously-affiliated contractors to discriminate against GLBT people. This measure was put forward by Steve Russell and is targeted at undermining […]
By John Mack Freeman This week, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam signed a bill into law that would allow therapists and counselors to refuse to treat people because the patient is GLBT. Via LGBTQ Nation: The American Counseling Association called the legislation an “unprecedented attack” on the counseling profession and said Tennessee was the only state […]
By John Mack Freeman Governor Tom Wolf (D) signed two executive orders that ban anti-GLBT discrimination in the state of Pennsylvania. Via The Washington Blade: The first order prohibits discrimination against state employees based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, HIV status and other factors. The second mandate bans state contractors from discriminating against their LGBT […]
By John Mack Freeman Georgia Governor Nathan Deal has vetoed HB-757, a religious freedom bill that many believed would allow anti-GLBT discrimination to take place in the state. Via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Gov. Nathan Deal on Monday vetoed the “religious liberty” bill that triggered a wave of criticism from gay rights groups and business leaders […]
By John Mack Freeman North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper (D) has refused this week to defend the state’s new religious freedom law in court because he opposes the law and wishes to see it repealed. Although Cooper will not be defending the law, he is still named as a defendant in current and future […]
By John Mack Freeman Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe has vetoed a religious freedom bill in that state that would have allowed for anti-GLBT discrimination. The bill, SB-41, was introduced by State Senator Charles Carrico. Via the Washington Blade: McAuliffe said in a statement that Senate Bill 41 is “nothing more than an attempt to stigmatize.” […]
By John Mack Freeman The North Carolina legislature passed a law in a special session this week that bars cities and counties from enacting their own anti-discrimination laws. Governor Pat McCrory signed the law the same day. Via Associated Press: The Republican-controlled General Assembly took action after Charlotte leaders last month approved a broad anti-discrimination measure. […]
By John Mack Freeman U.S. District Court Judge Dean Pregerson ruled in Layana White and Haley Videckis v. Pepperdine University “that sexual orientation discrimination is not a category distinct from sex or gender discrimination.” The two students have sued the school saying that they were mistreated by their basketball coach at the Christian university because they were […]
By John Mack Freeman A Massachusetts court has ruled that a Catholic school discriminated against a gay man when they rescinded an offer of employment because they discovered he was married to a man. Superior Court Associate Justice Douglas H. Wilkins ruled that Fontbonne Academy violated that commonwealth’s anti-discrimination laws. This is believed to be one of […]
