| | | | Want to help get the Equality Act passed? Phone bank with us! PFLAG National, in partnership with the NEAT, is providing an opportunity for our members and supporters to talk to voters in target states and patch them through to their Senators’ offices to urge them to vote YES on the Equality Act. Never phone banked before? No worries! Our partner organization, The NEAT, provides a quick training to get you comfortable with using the phone bank tool. You can sign up any time and phonebank whenever is convenient for you. Register here and make some calls for equality! | | | | | | | |  | | | Secretary of State Tony Blinken announces a third gender option on U.S. Passports and Consular reports of births abroad. The State Department announced that nonbinary, intersex, and gender-nonconforming Americans will be able to choose a gender “X” option other than “male” or “female” when applying for a U.S. passport and consular reports of births abroad. The timeline for the implementation of this policy is not yet available, and Sec. Blinken noted that adding a gender option “is technologically complex and will take time.” Updates on the process to change gender markers to X will be posted here. President Biden nominates first out lesbian to ambassador position. The President announced Chantale Wong’s nomination as U.S. director of the Asian Development Bank on July 2nd. The Administration describes Wong as “a leading authority in international development policy with over 30 years of experience in the multi-disciplinary field that includes finance, technology and the environment.” She will be the first out lesbian ambassador if confirmed by the Senate. President Biden issues executive order to “advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility across the Federal Government.” The order is designed to “take a systematic approach to embedding” diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in federal hiring and employment based on race, gender, immigrantion status, disability, LGBTQ+ identity, religion, and other factors. | | | | | Ohio - State Budget includes a provision allowing medical providers to refuse care for LGBTQ+ community. Gov. DeWine chose not to use his line-item veto power to remove this provision from the budget, saying, “I think we have to respect people's rights and people's ability to make those decisions.” Gwen Stembridge of PFLAG partner Equality Ohio warned that this provision would decrease access to healthcare for LGBTQ+ Ohioans, particularly in rural areas. Texas - Anti-trans legislation on the agenda for special session. Governor Greg Abbott asked lawmakers to consider legislation prohibiting transgender Texans from competing on school sports teams that correspond with their gender identity. A similar bill was debated in the regular session but did not reach the Governor’s desk. | | | | | France - First Pride march since the COVID-19 pandemic held in Paris. Marchers were routed from Pantin on the outskirts of Paris to Place de la Republique on the city's Right Bank. Many were protesting the recent anti-LGBTQ+ laws passed in Hungary. Georgia - LGBTQ+ Activist office attacked in Tbilisi. Violent protesters stormed and ransacked the offices ahead of a planned pride march, which has now been canceled. Georgia's Interior Ministry released a statement saying that activists had been warned ahead of the march that there could be violence and urged campaigners not to participate in the march. Hungary - Hungary rejects demand from European Commission to repeal homophobic legislation. The new law, which bans teaching LGBTQ+ material at schools, prompted Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to demand Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban respect EU values of tolerance or have Hungary leave the EU. The European Commission can open a legal case against Hungary at the European Court of Justice or freeze funding for Hungary. Spain - Gay man killed outside Galician nightclub in homophobic attack. Gay 24-year-old nursing assistant Samuel Luiz was beaten to death by a group of men who called him anti-LGBTQ+ slurs during the attack. The murder has sparked protests around the country. | | | | | | | | | | | The PFLAG National Advocacy, Policy, and Partnerships Team is always here to support you with your work, so please don't ever hesitate to reach out to us for assistance. Yours in PFLAG power, | | | |  | Diego M. Sanchez, APR
Director of Advocacy, Policy & Partnerships
Pronouns: He, Him, His
Email: [email protected] | | |  | Patrick Cochran
Advocacy and Policy Engagement Senior Coordinator
Pronouns: He, Him, His
Email: [email protected] | | | | | | | |
