TAKE ACTION: TWO IMPORTANT ITEMS THIS WEEK

BREAKING: U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights (OCR) quietly rescinds Title IX policy guidance, issues new one reflecting its Final Rule.

Without formal notice, the DOE’s OCR this month replaced guidance for educational institutions to implement Title IX under this Administration’s Final rule. It is the latest in a series of rescinded policies, including others on Title IX, all of which are catalogued here. It’s important to reinforce that Title IX is still the law of the land to protect students, including LGBTQ+ students, with or without guidance.

TAKE ACTION: TWO IMPORTANT ITEMS THIS WEEK

DEADLINE: Tuesday, Sep. 22nd - Last Chance to Oppose HUD’s Trans “Equal Access” Rule

This is the last chance to let HUD know that it’s not right to issue a rule allowing shelter providers receiving federal funds to deny access to transgender people, eliminating nondiscrimination protections. This would disproportionately harm transgender women of color whose rates of homelessness are higher than any other part of the trans community.

This is your LAST CHANCE to weigh in before the deadline.

Consider using this suggested message; feel free to copy and paste it, adding a personal thought if you have one:

As a member of PFLAG, I oppose this proposed rule that would hinder or deny shelter access to transgender people. One in three transgender people have been homeless in their lifetime, and 70% who have been in shelters report experiencing harassment there. More than 40% of homeless youth are LGBTQ+, so inviting harm to such vulnerable people is cruel and inhumane.This also ignores existing nondiscrimination protections for an at-risk population.

Submit your comment to oppose denying transgender people shelter access TODAY.

INVITATION: PFLAG CONNECTS - PFLAG VOTES EDITION

Register TODAY; tune in TOMORROW. Join us on Saturday, September 19th--just 45 days before Election Day--at 4PM ET/1pm PT for a special PFLAG Connects meeting to talk all things voting and PFLAG. Join PFLAG National Executive Director Brian K. Bond for meaningful ways PFLAGers can take action on our four Election Day focus points. We recognize that our friends who celebrate Rosh Hashanah might be unable to join live; we will have the recording available to enjoy on-demand. Sign up now!

COURT MATTERS

Gay couple’s daughter recognized by judge as U.S. citizen. U.S. District Judge Michael L. Brown ruled that the State Department must recognize the U.S. citizenship of the couple’s England-born daughter who was born via surrogate.

Federal judge blocks Postal Service changes that slowed U.S. mail. On Sep. 17th, U.S. Judge Stanley Bastain issued a nationwide preliminary injunction sought by 14 states that sued the Administration and the United States Postal Service (USPS). The states requested two actions: to halt the “leave behind” policy whereby trucks left postal facilities regardless of whether there was remaining mail available to load; and to force the USPS to treat election mail as First Class mail.

Judge Appointed to Florida Supreme Court Omitted Ties to Anti-LGBT Group. The appointment of a judge to the Florida Supreme Court has been sharply criticized after it emerged she failed to declare links to a conservative Christian organization labelled an anti-LGBT "hate group."

FEDERAL MATTERS

Trump Administration orders federal agencies to end critical race theory training. Upon recently finding out such programs existed, the president has announced a plan to discontinue them, despite their work around eliminating bias in the workplace and combating systemic racism at large.

President Trump announces formation of “1776 Commission.” The president announced his plan to promote so-called "patriotic education" — a slam against efforts to teach children about systemic racism, and self-acknowledged by the president to fight against the critically acclaimed 1619 Project from the NY Times.

STATE MATTERS

Florida - Still many unanswered questions months after Tony McDade’s death. Tony McDade, a Black transgender man who was shot to death by a police officer earlier this year, has yet to receive justice as details of the case are still missing. With information such as the identity of the officer still unknown, McDade’s community struggles on how to move forward.

Transgender women allege being humiliated in Miami jail after demonstration arrest. A Miami-Dade County jail is facing potential legal action after two transgender women said they were mistreated and humiliated at the jail following their arrests at a Black Lives Matter rally.

Georgia - Savannah church leaves Methodist denomination over LGBTQ+ issues. After an overwhelming majority of the congregation voiced their concern with the church’s anti-LGBTQ+ values, their disaffiliation makes them the first church in the country to leave the United Methodist Church.

State’s Pure Heat Community Festival postponed till next year. The festival, originally scheduled for Sunday, September 6th during the annual Atlanta Black Gay Pride celebration, has now been postponed to Labor Day 2021 due to COVID-19.

Michigan - Conservative group debuts anti-trans propaganda. Known as the American Principles Project, the group released a harmful video against transgender folks and announced plans to spend millions in battleground states to expose Democrats’ “transgender radicalism.”

GLOBAL MATTERS

Colombia - More than 60 LGBT, intersex people killed in first eight months of 2020. At least 63 members of Colombia’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex community were killed in the first eight months of this year, the Andean country’s human rights ombudsman said on Tuesday, while other acts of violence also increased.

European Union - Official says Polish 'LGBT-free zones' have no place in EU. A top European Union official strongly denounced the stigmatization of LGBT people by authorities in Poland, saying that “LGBT-free zones” that have been declared in parts of the country have no place in the EU.

Haiti - Center as a refuge for transgender people. In the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince, The Kay Trans Haiti center is serving as a haven for trans folks who have been victims of verbal or physical abuse.

Lebanon - Explosion shatters safe spaces for Beruit’s gay community. Following the blast, LGBTQ+ community members have struggled to find areas of tolerance and acceptance in the conservative country as their houses, jobs and go-to venues have been completely destroyed.

Philippines - Philippines President pardons U.S. Marine convicted of killing trans woman. Originally sentenced for 6-10 years in prison after murdering a woman named Jennifer Laude, Joseph Scott Pemberton has been granted an absolute pardon by the president, though it is still unclear as to why.

MEDIA MATTERS

Today, September 18th, marks the first National Black Voter Day. Created to help Black voters to ensure that Black voices are heard and votes are made in this election cycle and to combat voter suppression.

TikTok admits restricting some LGBT hashtags. Many LGBT social media users will be unsurprised by these findings - especially those who live in one of the "shadow-banned" nations, where the struggle to be themselves extends far beyond hashtags on the internet. PFLAG National has recently launched its TikTok channel - and invites you to follow us there, to help us get positive LGBTQ+ content shared on this platform, used in large numbers by youth.

Andrew Gillum comes out as bisexual, as #BiVisibility week kicks off. Gillum is married to his wife R. Jai Gillum and previously served as mayor of Tallahassee. In 2018, he lost Florida's gubernatorial race by less than half a percent. Throughout his career he has been vocal in fighting for LGBTQ+ rights and equality.

Gay Games announces 2022 contingency planning committee. Officials with Gay Games Hong Kong 2022, the committee organizing the quadrennial international LGBTQ sports event scheduled to take place in Hong Kong in November 2022, announced at an online webinar that the committee was created to address potential “risks” associated with the event.

Dictionary.com’s largest update to date adds and edits LGBTQ+ and race-related terms. Its broadest update added or modified over 15,000 words in its database, many of which improve and increase LGBTQ+ and racial visibility.

Out on Film festival goes virtual and announces its 2020 lineup, historically its first Oscar® qualifying festival year. Out on Film presented by WarnerMedia announced the lineup of its films and events for the 33rd edition of the Atlanta-based LGBTQIA+ film festival. One of the few film festivals on the regional circuit that has grown in recent years (expanding from an 8-day event to an 11-day event), this year’s film festival will be a virtual edition taking place September 24th - October 4th.

Pope tells parents of LGBTQ+ kids: God loves your children as they are. He did so in a brief encounter with some 40 Italian parents (both mothers and fathers) of LGBTQ+ children after the public audience in the Renaissance courtyard of San Damaso in the Vatican.

DEAR POLICY MATTERS

Dear Policy Matters:

I know we are approaching the deadline to reply to the HUD proposed rule to remove nondiscrimination protections for transgender people who need access to federally funded homeless shelters. Is there any current research that I can review to help me know that my position on this matter has merit? I love calling out evidence even in the face of the obvious. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Fact-Seeking on Trans Homelessness

Dear: FSTH:

Yes, we can. On September 3rd, the Center for American Progress issued a report brief titled The Trump Administration’s Latest Attack on Transgender People Facing Homelessness that highlights important points regarding this matter. Please also see the opportunity to take action now to submit a comment to oppose the HUD so-called Equal Access Rule.

Key points from the CAP report address the enormous harm that HUD’s anti-trans shelter proposed rule will cause using new data from its nationally representative survey fielded in June, adding new FOIA info. Here are some toplines:

68% of LGBTQ respondents said it would be somewhat difficult (28%), very difficult (31%) or impossible (9%) to find alternative shelter if refused
- For those in non-metropolitan areas, 76% said it would be somewhat difficult (21%), very difficult (36%), or impossible (19%) to find alternative shelter
- 66% of POC respondents reported it would be somewhat difficult (27%), very difficult (31%), or impossible (8%) to find alternative shelter
- 62% of respondents said they would need to travel over 10 miles to find alternative shelter
87% of respondents who identify as transgender, nonbinary, agender, genderqueer, or gender nonconforming, said it would be somewhat difficult (31%), very difficult (40%), or impossible (16%) to find alternative shelter
- 83% of these respondents of color reported it would be somewhat difficult (29%), very difficult (27%), or impossible (17%) to access alternative shelter
- 91% of respondents who identify as nonbinary, GNC, genderqueer, or agender reported it would be somewhat difficult (50%), very difficult (38%), or impossible (3%) to find alternative shelter.
- 93% of transgender, nonbinary, agender, genderqueer, or gender nonconforming respondents reported they would need to travel over 10 miles to find alternative shelter
Records obtained by a CAP Freedom of Information Act request (FOIA) show at least 75 domestic violence programs that provide shelter receive both VAWA and HUD funding, which could be jeopardized if they believe the HUD proposed rule grants them a license to discriminate against transgender people.

Thank you for asking.