Author: Kelly Freter

Today the Los Angeles LGBT Center joins a lawsuit filed by Lambda Legal and Steptoe & Johnson LLP challenging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) recently published health care discrimination rule that purports to carve out LGBTQ people and other vulnerable populations from the protections of Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, among other bases. The Center is a plaintiff in this lawsuit and is joined by five other organizational plaintiffs and four individual doctors, including two of the Center’s physicians, Chief Medical Officer Robert Bolan, M.D., and…

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In response to the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) decision today in three employment discrimination cases that employees cannot be fired because of sexual orientation and gender identity, the Los Angeles LGBT Center issued the following statement: “Today, the Supreme Court stood for the rights of LGBT people, affirming that we have the right to be protected from employment discrimination under federal law. “The Court’s 6-to-3 decision in favor of nondiscrimination indicates a significant shift towards permanent acceptance of LGBT rights. In its opinion, the Court found that ‘an employer who discriminates against homosexual or transgender employees necessarily…

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In response to today’s U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) rule change that attempts to roll back anti-discrimination protections in health care, particularly of LGBTQ people under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, Los Angeles LGBT Center CEO Lorri L. Jean released the following statement: “Access to healthcare is a basic human right. “Today’s announcement is part of the Trump Administration’s ongoing war on that notion, a continued attack on equality and fairness. That our nation’s government would seek to restrict access to care during a worldwide pandemic is yet…

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The institutional racism and violence that we’ve seen over the last few weeks is not new, but the brazen way it has been exposed has no doubt taken a toll on all of us. Many of you have participated in demonstrations over the weekend that brought attention to this systemic use of violence by law enforcement against people of color, and in particular African Americans. Others of you have raised your voices to elected leaders, friends, and family members. And yet, in spite of these efforts, we find ourselves no less troubled today, in part because of these legitimate, peaceful…

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“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” Those words, written over 30 years ago by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, remind us that indifference can never bridge the divide of hate. And, today, they should serve as a call to action to all of us, and to the Movement for LGBTQ equality. This spring has been a stark and stinging reminder that racism, and its strategic objective, white supremacy, is as defining a characteristic of the American experience as those ideals upon which we claim to hold our democracy — justice, equality, liberty.…

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By Lorri L. Jean I don’t ever want to hear another white person say, “But all lives matter.” That is not the point. The point is that black lives are devalued in our nation in a uniquely terrible and tragic way, by both individuals and institutions, including those that are supposed to keep all of us safe. I say this from the vantage point of a white person, a person with the privilege and power that accompanies my skin color. My community—the LGBT community—is not immune to the kind of racism that exists in the larger society. But our community…

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In response to today’s passing of Larry Kramer, the playwright who wrote the Tony Award-winning play A Normal Heart, among others, and gave a voice to AIDS activism, the Los Angeles LGBT Center issued the following statement: “It is impossible to overstate what Larry Kramer has meant in the battle against HIV and AIDS. His presence as a voice of conscience—and often, righteous anger—looms above all others. This dogged, relentless commitment was born out of a love for his community and an absolute conviction that if our leaders did not—would not—recognize our humanity, then we would demand it and fight for it…

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In response to the Trump Administration’s decision Friday (May 08) to stop collecting vital data from foster youth and their parents, including questions about sexual orientation and gender identity, Center Chief of Staff Darrel Cummings issued the following statement: “This is yet another frontal attack on the LGBT community by the Trump Administration. In a study commissioned by the Center and conducted by UCLA’s Williams Institute, nearly 20 percent of youth in foster care identified as LGBTQ, and they were twice as likely to be treated poorly within the foster system, including experiences of discrimination and violence. And yet, the…

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Welcome to Center Plus Daily, our all-things-Center-and-queer news/info/entertainment broadcast airing weekdays at 1 p.m. PDT/4 p.m. EDT right here! Missed an episode? Head over to Center Plus, our online broadcast home. On today’s episode: It’s our best-of week clip show—plus your Friday Moment of Queer with our LGBTQ seniors-enjoy!

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Best designs may be reproduced for some future Center swag! Here are the details: Queer your best mask design. Specs: Imprint Area: Approx. 3.5” wide x 2.5” high Image format: Vector .eps file preferred. High resolution JPEG or PNG also accepted. Ink: 4 colors (PMS or CMYK colors preferred.) 2. Submit your design to [email protected] Ready! Set! Design! Please note: Your submitted artwork may be modified or altered for better printing.

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