It’s been a slower, slightly better week! Here’s what you might have missed:
NJ Schools Can Keep Queer Identities From Parents
NJ has a new guidance for public schools: After years of school officials using their own best judgment, New Jersey has weighed in, siding with students and telling schools they must allow kids to change genders — even if their parents don’t know about or don’t want it to happen.
https://www.nj.com/education/2018/10/nj_transgender_students_parental_notification.html
Trump Proposes Protest Restrictions
This isn’t exclusively queer, but the reason pride exists is from a riot. Protests are how we’ve fought for and won our rights. So these restrictions would hurt our community more than most think.
https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/411204-trump-administration-proposes-tough-rules-on-protests
Czech Social Rights Committee Seeks Legal Changes
Current laws in the Czech Republic force the sterilization of transgender people. Their social rights committee, however, has released a statement that may force the Republic’s hand: “State recognition of a person’s gender identity is itself a right recognized by international human rights law,” the social rights committee noted, “and is important for guaranteeing the full enjoyment of all human rights.”
https://hudoc.esc.coe.int/eng#%7B%22ESCDcIdentifier%22:[%22cc-117-2015-dmerits-en%22]%7D
UK Sides With Bigot Baker, Sparking Businesses to Protest
In an attempt at “turn bout’s fair play”, a UK photographer refused to photograph for an anti-LGBT+ group who tried to hire them to capture a press statement following a court hearing – the one regarding a Christian baker refusing a queer person a cake on “moral grounds”. The UK Court sided with the baker, unfortunately – hence the protest. Theoretically, if another court battle brews, there’s a precedent in the photographer’s defense.
https://www.out.com/news-opinion/2018/10/12/homophobic-baker-refused-service-photographer-moral-grounds
https://www.wsj.com/articles/top-u-k-court-sides-with-bakers-who-refused-gay-mans-order-1539185575?mod=e2f
Minnesota, NYC Add “X” Gender Options
Minnesota and NYC this week join the ranks of NJ, Maine, Oregon, California, Washington and the District of Columbia, by adding X options to the standard M and F for identification documents.
http://m.startribune.com/minnesota-now-offers-x-for-gender-option-on-driver-s-licenses/494909961/
https://www.reuters.com/video/2018/10/09/nyc-allows-x-gender-option-on-birth-cert?videoId=471862010&videoChannel=1
25 Churches Sue For Right to Not Hire LGBT+
25 Texas churches (shocking, I know,) are suing Austin over its 1992 anti-discrimination policy. They want the right both to refuse lgbt+ folx jobs, as well as the right to pass over women as clergy.
https://www.nbc4i.com/news/u-s-world/25-churches-sue-over-right-not-to-hire-lgbt-people/1514508928
Jury Awards Transgender Women $780K For Denied Health Coverage
Two Trans-Wisconsin state employees will receive $780,000 after previously being denied health care coverage for treatments such as sex reassignment surgery and hormone therapy. The ACLU says this is one of the first times a jury has awarded damages to trans people denied healthcare in the US.
https://www.wpr.org/jury-awards-transgender-women-780k-denied-health-coverage
Facebook Creates “Came Out” Feature
Facebook added a life event feature to celebrate this year’s Coming Out Day: you can now add “Came Out” as a Life Event. It has a rainbow instead of a standard flag.
https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/honor-national-coming-out-day-facebook-unveils-came-out-feature-n918811
Got a story I missed this week, or that you don’t want me to miss next week? Got a blog spot you want to write? Comments? Concerns? Queeries? Email me at MxRowan@protonmail.com!
Mx. Rowan
Aromantic, Asexual, and Agender Activist
