LGBT Major Health Survey

A new analysis by the Center for American Progress found that a growing number of U.S. states & territories are incorporating questions about the health of LGBT people into the world’s longest continuously conducted health survey. In 2015 a record 25 states included sexual orientation & gender identity or SOGI questions in their Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System or BRFSS using a standard question module developed by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. An additional 11 jurisdictions asked different sexual orientation & or gender identity questions on their 2015 BRFSS. Kellan Baker, Center for American Progress Senior Fellow & author of the report stated, “Despite recent advancements, LGBT people & their families still face discrimination throughout daily life. By asking demographic questions about sexual orientation & gender identity on major surveys such as BRFSS, researchers, policymakers, community advocates & service providers gain important insights into health disparities experienced by vulnerable groups such as the LGBT population. It is time for all surveys to include questions that allow for a fuller understanding of the experiences of LGBT people & their families in health, employment, criminal justice, military service & other key areas of life.” BRFSS is an extensive nationwide system of telephone surveys conducted by all states, the District of Columbia & most U.S. territories. It is the premier source of health data that inform a wide range of funding decisions & activities conducted by both public & private players at the federal, state & local levels. The Center for American Progress analyzed the 2015 BRFSS questionnaires from all 50 states, the District of Columbia & the U.S. territories currently conducting the survey to determine how many asked about sexual orientation & gender identity & whether they used the standard SOGI module.
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Tennessee Anti LGBT Bills

Tennessee is currently considering passing two homophobic so-called “religious freedom” bills that targeted the state’s LGBT residents. The two bills are HB1840 which is anti-LGBT counseling legislation & the HB2414 bill targeting transgender students in Tennessee. Both HB1840 & HB2414 exemplify the most intrusive forms of government overreach, trafficking in fear-mongering, rather than facts, around LGBT issues. HB1840 would put the state in the position of micromanaging professional standards of the counseling profession a profession that already adheres to a strict code of ethics while also limiting the access of clients to counselors when they are most vulnerable. HB2414 would represent further state disruption of local school districts that are making common sense accommodations for their students & would go so far as to regulate a student’s access to restrooms. Both bills are backlash anti LGBT discriminatory legislation after the Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court ruling granted gay & lesbian couples the right to marry nationwide. Chris Sanders, Executive Director of the Tennessee Equality Project stated, “These bills represent not only a direct attack on the LGBT residents of Tennessee, but a direct threat to our state’s reputation as a place that is welcoming for business & tourism. We call on all Tennessee residents, businesses, and lawmakers who share our vision of a fair, hospitable & welcoming state to reject these discriminatory bills as the wrong direction for our state.” So the question is will Tennessee become “the next” state to enter into the contentious national debate surrounding LGBT equality & religious freedom legislation?
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LGBT Rights & Religious Freedom

With Georgia Governor Nathan Deal coming to his senses & announcing that he would veto Georgia H.B. 757 which is the so-called religious liberty bill that would sanction discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender Georgians we wish he would contact North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory & stop this senseless LGBT homophobic legislation. Winnie Stachelberg, Executive Vice President for External Affairs at the Center for American Progress stated, “Gov. Deal’s rejection of Georgia H.B. 757 provides an important reminder that religious liberty & equal protection under the law are complementary values. Religious freedom is already among the rights enshrined in the First Amendment of our Constitution. Maintaining a balanced approach to religious liberty is vital for fostering economic growth & reflecting the vibrant diversity of our communities & country. Unfortunately, in most of Georgia & a majority of states, many Americans remain unprotected from discrimination due to who they love, how they express their gender, their reproductive health care decisions & more. Guarding against the use of religion to discriminate not only requires resisting overly broad religious exemptions laws but also requires passing comprehensive nondiscrimination protections at the local, state & federal levels that ensure our communities remain welcoming for all Americans”. Hopefully North Carolina will wake-up & do the right thing & end their anti gay law which was passed last week. We must not become complacent in this very crucial election year with so much at stake for our LGBT community especially with the GOP candidates commitment to remove every civil right we have worked so hard to obtain.
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Georgia Anti Gay Bill Demise

Under pressure of losing billions of dollars in state revenue from the film & television industry & over 500 companies that joined Georgia Prospers a coalition devoted to opposing discrimination Governor Nathan Deal has just announced he will veto HB 757 the anti-gay "religious freedom" bill. Governor Deal stated, "I do not think we have to discriminate against anyone to support the faith based community. I believe it is about the character of state & the character of our people." Many major studios & media conglomerates including Disney, Time Warner, AMC & Viacom urged Governor Deal to veto the bill including 34 entertainment industry giants that made clear they will pull their business out of the state should it become law. The NFL also warned it might refuse to hold a Super Bowl in Georgia should the governor sign the bill into law. This homophobic attempt of using religion to discriminate against our LGBT community is continual backlash emerging from marriage equality becoming the law of the land nationwide. Hopefully North Carolina will wake-up & do the right thing & end their anti gay law which was passed last week. We must not become complacent in this very crucial election year with so much at stake for our LGBT community especially with the GOP candidates commitment to remove every civil right we have worked so hard to obtain.
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North Carolina March Madness

As you may have heard North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory has signed HB2 into law which removes vital anti-discrimination protections from LGBTQ people & other groups such as veterans. Rea Carey, Executive Director, National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund stated, "LGBTQ North Carolinians are waking-up to find that they are the targets of a new law designed to deny them basic protections. It's outrageous & immoral. Sadly the new law will deeply impact the economy, potentially federal funding & the reputation of North Carolina. The new law supersedes minimum wage & paid leave ordinances passed at the local level. It explicitly targets the transgender community in ways that impacts the most vulnerable such as transgender children & something as basic to human life as going to the restroom. This law is expansive & damaging to many beyond the LGBTQ community. The public will also be shocked at the fact that veterans who have put their lives on the line are now going to have vital protections removed from them through this law. It says a lot when the only thing certain politicians have to offer in the market place of ideas in the run-up to the general election are policies & laws based on hatred. The North Carolina state motto is 'To be, rather than to seem.' I urge all LGBTQ North Carolinian to be themselves, to be fully out & proud, 'be you' regardless of this ridiculous & spiteful law. Know that all LGBTQ people & our allies across the nation are with you. Know that freedom, justice & equality in your state has only been delayed but it will not be denied."
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Discharged Gay & Lesbian Military

Congressman Mark Pocan (D-WI) & Congressman Charles Rangel (D-NY) have sent a letter to Chairman Mac Thornberry requesting the House Committee on Armed Services hold a hearing on the challenges faced by gay, lesbian & bisexual service members who were discharged from the military on the basis of their sexual orientation. The letter states, “Unfortunately, too many service members still bear the scars of this discriminatory policy. Since World War II, more than 100,000 individuals are estimated to have been discharged from the military due to their sexual orientation. Today, the records of thousands of gay, lesbian & bisexual veterans are tarnished with discharge statuses other than honorable. This status affects both their access to benefits they have earned from their service & their opportunities in civilian life, potentially hindering employment opportunities and the right to vote. Even those discharged under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” who received an honorable discharge status risk facing discrimination & a violation of privacy because the Narrative Reason for their discharge may include “Homosexual Conduct,” “Homosexual Act,” or “Homosexual Marriage.” Representatives Pocan & Rangel previously introduced the Restore Honor to Service Members Act in July 2015, which would help service members discharged solely due to their sexual orientation correct their military records to reflect their honorable service & reinstate the benefits they earned. The Restore Honor to Service Members Act has 113 cosponsors, including 4 Republicans, in the House & 38 cosponsors in the Senate.
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Director Ang Lee To Be Honored

The Provincetown International Film Festival (PIFF) announced that fierce LGBT ally & Academy Award winning director Ang Lee will be honored with the 2016 Filmmaker on the Edge Award to be presented during its 18th edition running June 15th to 19th in Provincetown, MA. Lee will accept the award in conversation with resident artist John Waters on Saturday June 18th at Provincetown's historic Town Hall. The two time Academy Award-winning director (LIFE OF PI, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN) Lee's filmography also includes CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON & SENSE AND SENSIBILITY. He is currently in post-production on his next feature BILLY LYNN'S LONG HALFTIME WALK. Andrew Peterson, PIFF's Director of Programming stated "Given Ang Lee's beautiful artistry, remarkable versatility & towering command of craft, it's long been a dream of ours to honor him with our Filmmaker on the Edge Award & 2016 is the year that dream comes true! We are honored & thrilled to celebrate him & his already legendary career." Previous recipients of the Filmmaker on the Edge honor include David Cronenberg, Darren Aronofsky, Quentin Tarantino, Mary Harron, Todd Haynes, Gus Van Sant & Christine Vachon. Additionally the festival announced that prolific filmmaker Effie T. Brown whose credits include DEAR WHITE PEOPLE, IN THE CUT & BUT I'M A CHEERLEADER will host the third annual Evan Lawson Filmmakers' Brunch on Sunday, June 19th. Christine Walker, Executive Director of PIFF & CEO of the Provincetown Film Society concluded, "It is no coincidence that we chose to honor two filmmakers who have recently sparked serious discussion about diversity & racial stereotyping in the film industry. Through Ang Lee's masterful storytelling & Effie's behind-the-scenes fierceness both filmmakers remind us that a powerful bridge to the cultural divide is an empathetically-told story about our shared human condition."
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