Official News Outlet for the Rainbow Round Table of the American Library Association
By John Mack Freeman This week, two states passed legislation opposed to LGBT rights in the United States. In North Carolina, the legislature overcame a gubernatorial veto to pass a law that would allow registers of deeds and magistrates to decline to perform any weddings on religious grounds. Although broadly written, the measure is obviously […]
By John Mack Freeman Two pieces of news came down this week that are good news for same-sex marriage in Mexico. First, the Mexico Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional for the Mexican states to bar same-sex marriage. However, the ruling is a jurisprudential thesis and as such does not invalidate any existing laws. […]
By John Mack Freeman Riot Games announced this week that fines collected from disrespectful or offensive behavior from their League of Legends Championship Series will be donated to the Trevor Project. From a statement from Riot Games: “Suicide prevention and homophobia is something that the LoL community feels strongly about too. When we looked at […]
By John Mack Freeman Dale Heath has published an article in American Libraries entitled “A Lot to Feel Proud About” that explores her experience as being transgender in the library world. It’s a truly inspirational read. You can read it here.
By John Mack Freeman GLBT Book Month is off to a fantastic start as GLBTRT embraces their first year ever managing this event on behalf of ALA. On a personal note, I’ve already seen displays in several libraries near where I work, and it’s always a little surprising and comforting when I see that in rural […]
By John Mack Freeman The 27th annual Lambda Literary Award winners were announced at their ceremony this past week. In addition to the book awards, Rita Mae Brown received the Pioneer Award and John Waters received the Lambda Trustee’s Award for Excellence in Literature. The full list of nominees and winners is below: BISEXUAL FICTION Best […]
By John Mack Freeman A new bill in California will force the inclusion of same sex relationships in 7 through 12th grade sex education classes throughout the state. Approved on a 47-24 vote in the state Assembly this week, the bill will go to the Democrat-dominated Senate. Via Out.com Democratic assemblywoman Shirley Weber wrote the bill […]
By John Mack Freeman On May 4, the Human Rights Council of the United Nations released a report in which they detail several of the obligations that the world community faces in order to bring itself into line with international law in relationship to sexual minorities. Several of these include decriminalizing homosexuality, banning conversion therapy, […]
By John Mack Freeman In a bizarre instance of LGBT erasure, Governor Mike Pence of Indiana released a proclamation welcoming individuals to Indianapolis’ Pride Celebration without mention LGBT people in the proclamation. The text was as follows: Greetings, On behalf of the people of Indiana, welcome to Indianapolis. I am confident that those of you […]
By John Mack Freeman A panel of the Alabama House of Representatives has rejected a proposal that would have stopped the state from issuing marriage licenses. Had the process gone forward, two individuals who have entered into a marriage contract with each other that would have had to have been witnessed and then submitted to […]