Official News Outlet for the Rainbow Round Table of the American Library Association
By John Mack Freeman Eric Fanning has been confirmed as Army Secretary after nearly eight months of delay on his nomination. Now that he is confirmed, Fanning is the first openly-GLBT individual to be the civilian head of one of the branches of the military. Via Washington Blade: Never before has the U.S. Senate confirmed […]
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 The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has requested that the United Nations ban several GLBT groups from an upcoming conference on HIV and AIDS. Via Towleroad: Though no official reason was given for the ban, nearly all of the groups denied access to the event were linked to LGBT rights. US ambassador to […]
By John Mack Freeman New guidelines from the Oregon Department of Education encourage educators throughout the state to create new protections for trans students. The document runs 15 pages and was created as a response to districts in the state needing advice on how to handle these emerging issues. The document recommends districts allow students to […]
By John Mack Freeman Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court Roy Moore has been suspended after ethics charges were filed against him in that state. The charges have to do with Moore’s meddling in the implementation of the Obergefell United States Supreme Court decision which made same-sex marriage legal in Alabama. Via LA Times: In its […]
By John Mack Freeman On May 3rd, the Chicago Public Schools system released new guidelines related to trans students and staff use of restrooms and locker rooms in the district. Via the press release from Chicago Public Schools: Chicago Public Schools ( CPS ) today announced the implementation of new guidelines to support transgender students, […]
By John Mack Freeman The United States Justice Department issued a letter to the state of North Carolina this week informing them that the state’s anti-GLBT law commonly known as HB-2 was a violation of the Civil Rights Act’s ban on discrimination on the basis of sex. The letter gave the state until Monday, May […]
By John Mack Freeman Two so-called “bathroom bills” have stalled and died in the Kansas legislature meaning that there is no chance that they will pass this year. Senate Bill 513 and House Bill 2737 would have (via Advocate.com): […] barred trans students in public K-12 schools, as well as state colleges and universities, from […]
By John Mack Freeman The United States Department of Education has released a searchable database of schools that have sought exemption from anti-discrimination rules based on their religious character. This has come about because several senators had requested more transparency in the process of requesting waivers. The list can be searched by school name, state, […]
By John Mack Freeman Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Patty Murray (D-WA) along with 16 other senators introduced legislation this week that would make ex-gay therapy illegal in the United States. The bill would declare the treatment a fraudulent practice. Via The Washington Blade: Booker and Murray along with 16 other Democrats introduced the Therapeutic […]