HRC Declares National Emergency Over Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws
Christopher Kane | Washington Blade, Courtesy of the National LGBT Media Association
The Human Rights Campaign on Tuesday declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ people in the U.S., “following an unprecedented and dangerous spike in anti-LGBTQ+ legislative assaults sweeping state houses this year.”
America’s largest LGBTQ+ organization, which has never before made such an announcement in its 40+-year history, also featured findings from its new report, LGBTQ+ Americans Under Attack, which “details more than 75 anti-LGBTQ+ bills that have been signed into law this year alone, more than doubling last year’s number, which was previously the worst year on record.”
In a press release, HRC explained, “The sharp rise in anti-LGBTQ+ measures has spawned a dizzying patchwork of discriminatory state laws that have created increasingly hostile and dangerous environments for LGBTQ+ people, prompting HRC today to also issue a national warning and downloadable guidebook for the LGBTQ+ community. “
These include resources for health and safety, “a summary of state-by-state laws, ‘know your rights’ information, and information designed to support LGBTQ+ travelers as well as those already living in hostile states.”
“LGBTQ+ Americans are living in a state of emergency,” HRC President Kelley Robinson said in a statement.
“The multiplying threats facing millions in our community are not just perceived — they are real, tangible and dangerous,” she said. “In many cases they are resulting in violence against LGBTQ+ people, forcing families to uproot their lives and flee their homes in search of safer states, and triggering a tidal wave of increased homophobia and transphobia that puts the safety of each and every one of us at risk.”
The National LGBT Media Association represents 13 legacy publications in major markets across the country with a collective readership of more than 400K in print and more than 1 million + online. Learn more here: nationallgbtmediaassociation.com