The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has released its Congressional Scorecard for the 115th Congress — and it’s revealed some shocking drop-offs.
With Republicans in control of both Congress and the White House, lawmakers showed far less concern for the LGBTQ community, voting against their interests and ignoring legislation that would protect them.
Unlike in previous sessions, lawmakers over the past two years didn’t vote on a single bill that would have directl...
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These 3 anti-LGBTQ lawsuits outline new conservative strategy in Texas
Conservatives in Texas have filed three lawsuits seeking to overturn LGBTQ protections in the name of “religious freedom.” As the Texas state legislature gears up for its 2019 session, the litigation suggests a bold and renewed effort to undermine civil rights for LGBTQ people, seemingly at every turn.
The three suits in question were filed last week — all within a few days of each other — by three of Texas’ most vocal anti-LGBTQ groups. Two of them tar...
Two federal judges rule insurance companies must cover transgender health procedures
Two different federal courts granted rulings last week in favor of allowing transgender people to access the medically necessary care prescribed to them by their doctors.
The rulings confirm the Affordable Care Act’s protections on the basis of sex extend to transgender people.
In Wisconsin, two University of Wisconsin employees challenged an exclusion to the Uniform Benefits established by the state’s Government Insurance Board. The exclusion prohibited coverage ...
Delaware primary offers Democratic voters two diverging green visions for the future
Democratic voters in Delaware heading to the polls on Thursday will face a choice that has become increasingly familiar this primary season: casting a vote for a long-secure incumbent, or opting for a surging challenge from the left.
On environmental issues, that decision could be especially fraught, with both of the state’s Senate candidates offering competing green visions for the future.
Sen. Tom Carper, a former governor, has held his seat since 2001 and typically s...
Parkland mom wins school board seat and other election night stories you may have missed
Much of the coverage of Tuesday night’s primaries revolved around Andrew Gillum’s upset victory in the Florida Democratic gubernatorial primary. Gillum, the only non-millionaire or billionaire in the race, ran on the most progressive platform, including abolishing ICE and establishing Medicare for all.
If Gillum wins in November, he’ll be the first black governor of Florida. He becomes the third black gubernatorial nominee this election cycle, in addition to Stacey...
BREAKING: Christine Hallquist wins primary, becomes first transgender gubernatorial nominee
Gubernatorial candidate Christine Hallquist has won Vermont’s Democratic primary race, becoming the first openly transgender gubernatorial candidate from a major political party in the United States.
At the time of publication, she was leading the four-person pack by about 25 percent. She will face incumbent Republican Gov. Phil Scott in November.
BREAKING: Christine Hallquist wins Democratic nomination for governor in Vermont primary election. #APracecal...
Health and Human Services Department removes website’s language on sex discrimination
The Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services changed or removed information on its website about sex discrimination, according to a new report from the Sunlight Foundation.
The Office for Civil Rights altered this information on several webpages on Section 1557, part of the Affordable Care Act that relates to sex discrimination, between March and August 2017, according to the nonprofit focused on government transparency. Now, mentions of sex discriminat...
Maine governor ignores major medical organizations, vetoes bill to ban conversation therapy
A growing number of states are moving to ban conversion therapy — dubious, often shame-based methods to persuade kids to change their sexual orientation or gender identity — but Maine’s governor isn’t interested in joining the trend.
Gov. Paul LePage (R) on Friday became the first governor in the nation to veto such a ban, after the Maine legislature approved it last month.
In his veto message, LePage argued the legislation was overly broad and could p...
Iowa judge overturns state’s ban on Medicaid covering transgender medical procedures
An Iowa judge has overturned the state’s ban on allowing Medicaid to cover the costs of surgical procedures for transgender people. In his ruling Thursday, Chief District Judge Arthur Gamble ordered the Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) to immediately approve Medicaid coverage for the two petitioners, Carol Ann Beal and EerieAnna Good.
Both Beal and Good had already changed all of their documentation to reflect their identities, but were denied coverage for medically nec...
Trans people suffer from higher rates of suicide. Why are hospitals letting them down?
Lying in a psychosis ward bed, Amelia Perry couldn’t shake thoughts of suicide. The noise blaring from other patients in the hallway and the bright lights above felt like too much. Perry, a 25-year-old trans person, was in the hospital seeking help.
Days earlier, Perry (who asked at admission to be identified by gender-neutral pronouns ze and hir) had been discharged from another nearby hospital following a week-long stay after attempting suicide. That’s how Perry ende...