Transgender West Virginians May Now Get Accurate Driver’s Licenses With Photos Reflecting Their True Selves Posted by Melanie Nathan, July 7, 2015 – West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) can no longer tell Trans people how to dress for their photos in West Virginia. The Department has changed its license photo policy to allow … More West Virginia Changes Policy for Trans Driver’s Licenses
By Melanie Nathan, July 7, 2015. Kenyan anti-gay protesters took to the streets in Nairobi Monday, warning US President Barack Obama not to speak about gay rights when he visits Kenya, “the country of his ancestors,” later this month. (As the Ugandan Monitor put it!) The march today, was organized by the Evangelical Alliance of … More Kenyans March Against Gays Warning Obama No Gay Talk
A Rose by Any Other Name: On the Subject of Same-sex Marriage and Other Questionable Choices By Jim Wherry, First Posted July 6, 2015 | Written June 26, 2015. Last summer, I moved from Fairbanks, Alaska to Columbus Georgia for a new job. I knew I was saying good-bye for good to arctic temperatures and … More Commentary by a Conservative Gay Man on Historic Southern Same-Sex Marriage
The Message is Clear: Get to know us before making laws against us. The Evangelical Network (TEN), an association of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and straight Christians held its annual conference this year in Indianapolis, culminating in a march and prayer vigil held at the steps of the Indiana Statehouse. LGBT and Straight evangelical Christians … More LGBT Evangelicals March in Indianapolis to Offer Olive Branch to IN Lawmakers
A shidduch – Rick marrying Rick is indeed acceptable but not in the way they use it! By Melanie Nathan, July 05, 2015. Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) was the keynote speaker at the 2nd Annual National Organization for Marriage (NOM) gala in Washington, DC. – not an unusual venue … More Rick Santorum Speech at NOM Gala is Last Stand for the Dying Political Ploy
By Melanie Nathan, July 03,2015. Truro Church in Fairfax Virginia, under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Tory Baucum, is extending its anti-gay tentacles into the local Hispanic community. Truro’s newest staff member, Jose Garrigo, accompanied by his wife Lidia, will be joining the staff of Truro Church in September, ramping up the anti-gay split away … More Anti-Gay Truro Church Ramps Up Latino Outreach with New Hire
By Melanie Nathan, June 30, 2015 Sen. Dianne Feinstein, my Democratic Senator from California, has been a consistent and stellar supporter of LGBT equality, both as a Senator and as a friend to many in our community. This week her Facebook page blazed in celebration after SCOTUS ruled in favor of marriage equality for all … More A Big Gay and Personal Thank You to Senator Dianne Feinstein
Backlash attacks? By Melanie Nathan, June 28, 2015. In stark contrast to Pride celebrations in the United States, where being lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender was celebrated with joy and a focus on recent equality victories, the Pride parade held in Turkey was marred by police violence against the thousands of LGBT people and allies … More Turkish Police Attack Pride Marchers
America Has Marriage for All | History Made in Landmark SCOTUS Decision Melanie Nathan, June 26, 2015 There is no union more profound than marriage and now the Supreme Court of the United States of America has ruled that every single person in the USA have an equal right to marriage! This morning at 10.00 … More Landmark SCOTUS Case Confirms Equal Marriage for Same-Sex Couples in All U.S. States
Posted by Melanie Nathan, June 25, 2015. New York, NY – The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) denounces the New York State Senate’s failure to pass the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act. The bill would have added transgender people to New York’s hate crimes law and protected them from discrimination in employment, housing and … More TLDEF Denounces New York State Senate’s Failure to Pass Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA)
LGBT Group Praises SCOTUS Decision on Affordable Care Act Posted by Melanie Nathan, June 25, 20915. In a 6-3 decision, a decisive victory for President Obama, the Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the broad reach of the new healthcare law, ruling the government may continue to provide tax subsidies for low- and middle-income people who buy … More SCOTUS Affordable Care Act Decision Impacts LGBT America
Asking for Global participation through support by listening and cash donations for studio equipment | See Fundraiser at bottom By Melanie Nathan, June 24, 2015. In early 2015, a Nigerian journalist and broadcaster, Mike Daemon launched an LGBTI weekly podcast, taking on the form of traditional radio programing, The show NOSTRINGS, includes periodic interviews and … More Courageous Nigerian LGBT Program Hits the Airwaves
By Melanie Nathan, June 22, 2015. The Times of India is reporting the first ever lesbian ad in India is going viral: The country’s first advertisement showing a lesbian couple preparing to meet the parents is making waves on social media. The online video shows two women in a live-in relationship flirting and dressing up … More India’s First lesbian Ad goes Viral
June 19, 2015, By Oblogdee. The African Lesbians, gays, bisexual, transgender and intersex organization Out and Proud Diamond Group (OPDG) , based in the United Kingom, has been nominated in UK National Diversity Awards 2015 under the category of Community organizations. These awards celebrate the excellent achievements of grass- root communities that tackle the issues … More Vote OPDG for National Diversity Awards 2015
June 17, 2015, Posted By Melanie Nathan. Gateway Health Institute Receives Grand Challenges Explorations Grant for Groundbreaking Research in Global Health and Development Pretoria – Gateway Health Institute announced today that it is a Grand Challenges Explorations winner, an initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Dr. Coenie Louw will pursue an innovative … More South African Doctor Winner of Grand Challenges Explorations
June 15, 2015, Posted by Melanie Nathan Respected Nigerian born LGBTI activist and human rights defender, Davis Mac-lyalla, who has personally experienced unconscionable persecution and discrimination, attended what turned out to be Tel Aviv’s largest ever Pride festivities this past week. I asked him to write a brief note about his experience at Pride. Here … More Impressions of Israel by Nigerian LGBT Activist Invited to Tel Aviv Pride
Crucial tool for lobbying to misinformed African politicians June 11, 2015, by Melanie Nathan This month by the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) countering the notions that underpin homophobia and the criminalization of LGBTI people in Africa and the impact on HIV. Eleven respected experts, mostly academic scientists based in South Africa, authored … More Breakthrough African Academic Report Shows Basis for Anti-Homosexuality Laws Fail Science
Groundbreaking Resolution Reflects Consensus that Policy is Outdated While Dismissing Military’s Rationale for Transgender Exclusion By Melanie Nathan, June 09, 2015. The American Medical Association (AMA), the nation’s oldest and largest physicians group with nearly 220,000 members, made history today by passing a resolution declaring that “there is no medically valid reason to exclude transgender … More Groundbreaking AMA Resolution No Medically Valid Reason for Military’s Transgender Ban
Anti-Homosexuality Act to the floor for a vote in Uganda’s parliament when there was no quorum. This unconstitutional passage of the Act caused it to be invalidated by the Courts. an overnight spike in evictions, firings, imprisonment, assaults, rapes, blackmail – in essence a state sanctioned mass persecution of LGBT people in Uganda. … More Anti-Gay Ugandan Human Rights Abuser Speaker Kadaga Celebrates Birthday in United States
Posted By Melanie Nathan, May 25, 2015. As the nation commemorates Memorial Day, the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) honors the transgender men and women who lost their lives in the line of duty and renews its call for the Defense Department to allow transgender people to serve openly in the United States … More TLDEF Memorial Day Push for Pentagon to End Ban on Open Transgender Military Service
Why the Irish Vote in favor of marriage equality is so important to Homophobic Countries and leaders perpetuating lies about LGBTI people By Melanie Nathan, May 24, 2014. Ireland has become the first country in the world to legalize marriage equality by popular vote in a national election. On Friday, May, 22, 2015, Irish voters … More The Importance of Ireland’s Popular YES Vote in the Global LGBT Arena
Posted by Melanie Nathan, May 21, 2015. I am posting this Williams Institute report which links to the UNHRC Report. What stood out for me important to note in this report is the recommendation – “One recommendation asked the U.S. to ensure that religious exemptions are regulated to protect the human rights of LGBT people.” What … More UNHRC Recommends the United States Establish a National Human Rights Body
Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released this statement today on the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act, the first federal legislation proposed to ban the harmful, for-profit psychiatric therapies aimed at “converting” LGBT people, of which she is an original co-sponsor: … More Pelosi Statement on New Legislation to Ban So-Called ‘Conversion Therapy’
By Melanie Nathan, May 19, 2015. The Kenyan Court’s groundbreaking decision which ruled in favor of the regstering the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (NGLHRC) as an NGO under the Non-Governmental Organizations Coordination Board Act, is now being appealed by the Kenyan Government. The Attorney General for Kenya and interested parties filed a … More Kenyan Attorney General Appeals NGLHRC Registration Case
TLDEF Applauds New York Attorney General on Initiative to Ensure Equal Access to Medical Care for Transgender People By Melanie Nathan, May 18, 2015. New York, NY – The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund commends New York Attorney General General Eric T. Schneiderman for launching a new initiative to ensure that transgender New Yorkers have equal … More New York Attorney General Launches Transgender Medical Care Initiative
May 17, 2015, Posted by OblogdeeOblogda, IDAHOT was created in 2004 to draw attention to the violence and discrimination experienced by LGBTI people internationally. In under a decade, it has established itself as an important annual occasion celebrated in more than 130 countries, with 1600 events reported from 1280 organizations in 2014. AFRICAN HRC: Today, … More President Obama and US Organizations Commemorate IDAHOT May 17
A Prayer For Uganda By Melanie Nathan, May 14, 2015. The plight of the LGBTI community in Uganda may be seen to have tapered down in the headlines and people may be seen to be complacent. But many LGBTI refugees are still showing up in Kenya with horrific stories of persecution in Uganda. This issue … More VICE to air Gay Plight in Uganda on HBO
Posted from African HRC, May 4, 2015 As homophobia continues to rise in many African countries, Kenya seems to be joining the crusade against its LGBTI citizens. Kenya’s deputy president, William Ruto, has told worshipers at a church service in Nairobi that homosexuality has no place in Kenya. “We will not allow homosexuality in our … More Deputy President of Kenya wants to Eradicate Gays
New Rules for Affordable Care Act Implementation Are an Opportunity to Eliminate LGBT Discrimination in Health Care Posted by Melanie Nathan, April 30, 2015. Washington, D.C. – The implementation of the Affordable Care Act is changing the health care landscape for millions of people, including for many lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, or LGBT, Americans. However, … More Center for American Progress Brief calls for LGBT Health Care Protections
By Melanie Nathan, African HRC, April 24, 2015. After years of persecution, Mari and Cara, a lesbian couple from Angola, whose real names have been withheld to protect family members in Africa, made their way to the Bay Area, San Francisco, where they were married in an historic and moving San Francisco City Hall ceremony … More Newly Married Same-Sex Asylum Seeking Couple Grateful for Outpouring of Love
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