ACLU: Turning up the volume to defeat LGBT attacks on equality

There are several significant news items that impact equality that have already broken early in the week and more expected to come:

• North Carolina, HB 2: The American Civil Liberties Union with partner organizations filed a lawsuit challenging North Carolina's sweeping new anti-LGBT law, HB 2. The case, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina against North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory, Attorney General Roy Cooper, and the University of North Carolina, is on behalf of two transgender North Carolinians, Joaquín Carcaño, a UNC-Chapel Hill employee, and Payton McGarry, a UNC-Greensboro student, and Angela Gilmore, a lesbian and North Carolina Central University law professor. More on the suit can be found at: https://www.aclu.org/cases/carcano-et-al-v-mccrory-et-al
  • Immediately following the passage of HB 2, businesses, universities, celebrities, community leaders, and thousands across the country took to social media denouncing the law.  Hundreds across NC joined rallies, protests, and vigils and tens of thousands signed petitions calling for the law's repeal.  Even the White House spoke out against the new law.
  • In advance of the North Carolina General Assembly's regularly scheduled session beginning on April 25th, the ACLU of North Carolina is calling upon Governor McCrory and the NCGA to repeal the discriminatory HB 2, replace it with comprehensive, LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination protections statewide in order to repair the state's damaged reputation as hostile to the LGBT community. 
• Georgia, HB 757: Early Monday morning, Republican Governor Nathan Deal announced that he would veto a broad religious exemptions bill that the legislature passed late last week. Of note, the NFL came out against this harmful measure. In the press event where he announced the veto, Governor Deal said that HB 757 "doesn't reflect the character of our state or the character of its people." 
• Mississippi, HB 1523: A broad First Amendment Defense Act (FADA) that also would allow anyone, including businesses and individuals, to act upon their discriminatory beliefs about marriage for same-sex couples, sexual relations outside of any marriage, or gender identity, passed the House and the Senate Judiciary Committee. A vote could occur as early as this week; the legislative session lasts until late April. 
• Kansas, SB 175: A bill that would require public colleges and universities to fund student groups even if they do not comply with a school's nondiscrimination policy, was carried over from the 2015 legislative session after having passed the Senate. This was carried over from the 2015 legislative session, after having passed the first chamber. The bill was revived, quickly passed the House, and was signed by Gov. Brownback. 
• Tennessee, SB 2387/ HB 2414: After a stunning defeat last week in a House committee, a bill that targets transgender students was revived and is now expected to be heard again before committees in both chambers over the coming weeks. The bill would force students to use restrooms and locker rooms that match the students' birth certificates regardless of the student's gender identity. Of note, Republican Governor Bill Haslam has concerns that the bill's passage could cause public schools to lose federal funding. 
• Missouri, SJR39: A broad FADA-like religious exemptions constitutional amendment would allow religiously affiliated organizations receiving state funds, businesses, and individuals to discriminate against LGBT youth, same sex couples, children of same-sex couples and more. Big companies including Dow Chemical and Monsanto came out against the bill, and the NCAA has raised concerns as well. The measure now moves to the House where timing remains up in the air. If the legislature passes this bill, it would go on the ballot for a public vote either in a special or general election, to be determined by the Governor. 
• Kentucky, SB 5: Last week, SB 5, a bill that would have required separate marriage licenses for same-sex and opposite-sex couples was amended so that there would be only one marriage license in Kentucky (New marriage license "would allow applicants to identify themselves as bride, groom or spouse and would not require the county clerk's signature. That could be done by a deputy clerk"). Both Governor Bevin and the Clerks Association are supporting this version. This may pass this week. 
• Virginia, SB 41: We are still awaiting to see whether Governor Terry McAuliffe will veto SB 41, which passed the legislature over 2 weeks ago. The governor has until April 10 to act on this bill, which would allow any person or religiously connected organization to refuse service to a married same-sex couple. This means, for example, that a religiously connected hospital could refuse to recognize a married gay or lesbian person as a spouse for medical decision-making or visitation rights, or a homeless shelter that gets government funding to offer housing assistance to families could refuse shelter to a gay couple and their children.

Quote from ACLU client in North Carolina, Payton McGarry:

"House Bill 2 was born from the idea that I, as a transgender man, am a threat to others safety. This is a hurtful and unfounded accusation based on bias and animus against LGBTQ people in North Carolina. Knowing that my friends or family could be denied employment, access to businesses, or admissions to certain programs based on nothing more than their own identities is nothing short of revolting. This was a clear overreach on behalf of our state legislators."                                            

We continue to track other bills which can be accessed by visiting our bill-tracking page.

The Gayly - 3/30/2016 @ 9:41 a.m. CST