Press Release

The U.S. Senate has passed a resolution condemning the violence and persecution against LGBTQ people in Chechnya. Last night, the Senate adopted the resolution by voice vote. The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a nearly identical bipartisan resolution in June. To date, neither President Trump nor U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have publicly condemned the atrocities.

“With unanimous passage of this resolution, the U.S. Senate just sent a powerful message. Despite the deafening silence from the White House, the people of the United States strongly condemn these anti-LGBTQ attacks in Chechnya,” said Ty Cobb, director of HRC Global. “Members of both parties in both chambers have now condemned the anti-LGBTQ Chechen violence and persecution, and it’s far past time that President Trump and Secretary Tillerson also publicly do so. Given the growing violence and arrests of LGBTQ people around the world, the United States must not back away from leading on LGBTQ human rights.”

The bipartisan Senate Resolution (S. Res.) 211, which was introduced by Senators Pat Toomey (R-PA) and Ed Markey (D-MA), is nearly identical to the U.S. House of Representatives resolution unanimously passed in June.  Like the House version, S. Res. 211 “calls on Chechen officials to immediately cease the abduction, detention, and torture of individuals on the basis of their actual or suspected sexual orientation, and hold accountable all those involved in perpetrating such abuses.” It also calls on the U.S. government to “continue to condemn the violence and persecution in Chechnya,” something that President Trump and Secretary Tillerson have failed to do publicly. Only a small number of Trump Administration officials have publicly spoken out, such as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.

Since early this year, Chechen authorities have rounded up and detained more than 100 men in secret prisons, under suspicion that they are gay or bisexual. Chechen leaders have denied these accusations, going so far as to deny the very existence of LGBTQ people in Chechnya. Nonetheless, there have been numerous verified reports of torture and at least three and possibly as many as 20 men have been killed. Chechen officials have also reportedly encouraged families to murder relatives they suspect might be gay, something that at least one family seems to have acted on. While the initial detentions and attacks targeted suspected gay and bisexual men, the campaign has also brought about a surge in lesbian women sharing stories about humiliation, abuse, and threats they have faced from male relatives or from others. Transgender Chechens have also fled violence.

President Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have thus far failed to publicly condemn the attacks. In September, a Washington Post article quoted a State Department spokesperson who said “the United States will ‘continue to raise our concerns about this situation with Russian authorities’ and that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had written a letter to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov about it.” That letter was never released publicly nor was it accompanied by any public statement on Chechnya. Earlier this month, HRC filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the U.S. Department of State for all records regarding that letter.

Thursday, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) sent a letter to senators on the Foreign Relations Committee urging them to oppose Donald Trump’s nomination for the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, staunch anti-LGBTQ politician Sam Brownback.

“Given Gov. Brownback’s anti-LGBTQ record, it is deeply worrying that he could use this position to promote the harmful idea that individuals holding certain religious views should somehow be permitted be discriminate against LGBTQ people or other minorities,” said HRC Government Affairs Director David Stacy. “This is particularly concerning because LGBTQ people often face persecution in the same countries where religious minorities face persecution. Gov. Brownback must not be allowed to use this position to reverse the State Department’s longstanding policies, reiterated by Secretary of State Tillerson earlier this year, to support ‘the fundamental freedoms of LGBTQ persons to live with dignity and freedom.’”

Brownback doubled down on his discriminatory record at his hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on October 4, when he pointedly refused to answer Senator Tim Kaine’s (D-VA) repeated question on if there were “any circumstance under which religious freedom can justify criminalizing, imprisoning, or executing somebody based on their LGBT status could be deemed acceptable because somebody asserts they are religiously motivated in doing so.”

If confirmed, Brownback would be tasked with promoting religious freedom as a key objective of U.S. foreign policy while monitoring religious persecution and discrimination around the world. This position has historically played an important role in combating the dangerous and often deadly religious persecution that plagues so many corners of our world. This is an important mission, but one that Trump and Mike Pence have shown they are only interested in upholding a very limited version of by nominating Brownback. Instead, Trump, Pence, and Brownback are determined to further advance a dangerous license to discriminate under the guise of religious freedom.

One of the nation’s least popular governors, Brownback has an extensive history of opposing equality at every turn  and has promoted discriminatory laws in the Sunflower State. As governor, he orchestrated a policy change that would make it nearly impossible for transgender Kansans to change their birth certificates to reflect their gender identity. He also signed into law a legislative attack on LGBTQ college students that forces public universities to fund student organizations that discriminate by restricting membership and denying LGBTQ students from participating under the guise of “religious beliefs.”

In 2015, Brownback shamefully attacked LGBTQ state employees by stripping away non-discrimination protections on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Later that year, following the landmark ruling declaring marriage equality law of the land, Brownback issued another blatantly discriminatory executive order against LGBTQ Kansans. The measure prohibited the state government from taking action against clergy members or faith organizations that deny services to same sex couples based on religious beliefs.

People For the American Way, a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and defend constitutional values, has called out Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s decision to file cloture on four nominees to U.S. Courts of Appeals—Amy Coney Barrett, Joan Larsen, Stephanos Bibas, and Allison Eid.

“This move is obviously the outcome of two developments: Donald Trump has discovered that his unconstitutional and illegal actions are running aground in the courts under scrutiny from judges who are committed to upholding the law and the Constitution; and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has found himself under pressure from his far-right base and dark money donors pouring millions of dollars into our political system,” said People For the American Way Executive Vice President Marge Baker. “So instead of working to address the critical issues Americans are facing, Trump and McConnell have aligned to pack the courts with biased partisans who are committed to pushing a dangerous agenda from the bench. This kind of move should be profoundly concerning to anyone who cares about defending our Constitution’s guarantees of equal justice under law, Republicans and Democrats alike. No one who claims to oppose the damage being done to our country by President Trump can support this rush to totally transform our courts to his liking, nor can anyone who cares about the tremendous amount of dark money flooding our system. Americans deserve open-minded judges who will use their positions to uphold the Constitution’s promise of justice and equality for all. We deserve better than this attack on our courts.”

People For the American Way has previously sent letters to Capitol Hill opposing the confirmation of all four nominees.

• Amy Coney Barrett
• Joan Larsen
• Stephanos Bibas
• Allison Eid

The Pennsylvania State Senate has voted to advance a discriminatory anti-transgender amendment to the re-authorization of the state Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Introduced by State Senator Don White, the amendment would cut transition-related surgical services for transgender youth out of the program. HB1338 passed the Senate by a 37-13 vote and now heads to the House Rules committee for final amendments.

“It is completely inappropriate to use state funds to pay for sex change operations for children. I believe that is a position that is strongly endorsed by a vast majority of Pennsylvanians,” said Senator White. “I strongly support CHIP. This program provides vital health care services for Pennsylvania’s children. It is irresponsible to allow its limited resources to be used for sex change procedures.”

Senator White said the proposed restriction for CHIP is in line with current state regulations that prohibit the use of Medicaid funding for sex change procedures.

“Pennsylvania law already prohibits our largest state health care program from using taxpayer money for these services,” Senator White said. “It only makes sense to define in statute that this restriction includes CHIP as well.”

HRC Senior Vice President for Policy and Political Affairs JoDee Winterhof called the amendment dangerous and mean spirited, “CHIP saves lives and should be beyond the reach of cynical lawmakers looking to score cheap political points,” said Winterhof. “This attack is dangerous and mean-spirited. The amendment puts the health and safety of children across the commonwealth at risk. Protecting children and ensuring they have equal access to healthcare is a nonpartisan issue, and we urge the House Rules committee to reject this harmful amendment.”

The Children’s Health Insurance Program provides crucial health care services to our nation’s most vulnerable youth. It provides health coverage to nearly eight million children and families with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid, but who can’t afford private coverage.

This legislative session has brought an onslaught of anti-LGBTQ legislation in state houses across the country. This year more than 130 discriminatory bills were introduced across 30 states.

The Pulse Nightclub Memorial site will soon undergo temporary design improvements to create a more inviting and comfortable venue to reflect and remember the tragedy that occurred there on Sunday, June 12, 2016.

After a detailed presentation about the design plans from club owner and onePULSE Foundation Executive Director Barbara Poma, Orlando’s city council on Monday approved the interim plans. Poma explained that the renovation is the first step in a community-driven initiative to create a permanent national memorial and museum.

“This is an important step toward creating a permanent destination for remembering what happened here, but in a more comforting environment while also initiating an urban renewal effort where one is sorely needed,” Poma explained. “These companies have donated not just their services, but their shared creative spirit to help memorialize the loss of life while also creating place of healing.”

The process for creating the design was led by Kody Smith, Christina Hite and Greg Bryla, of the landscape architecture firm of Dix.Hite + Partners, and David Stone of Phil Kean Design, working together with the onePULSE Foundation’s Memorial Task Force. The Foundation’s Design and Construction committee, led by Vicki Berman, reviewed and approved the interim design. This committee will lead the charge of the construction with Rial Jones of Jones Clayton Construction.

The interim memorial will provide areas to leave messages and will include seating, shade, lighting and trees. The iconic Pulse sign will be enhanced but not removed. A new fence will be placed around the perimeter of the nightclub itself, which will remain standing until a decision is made in the future. Much of the labor involved will be completed off-site and new elements will be installed at the site with minimal impact on the surrounding community. Work on the project is planned to start in about two months and is intended to last approximately 60 days.

After the tragedy, the club immediately became an impromptu memorial and destination for visitors. Thousands of guests from around the world have continued to come to the site, stay for extended periods, leave personal items including messages of love and support in honor of those whose lives were taken and others who were affected.

A survey created by the onePULSE Foundation to gather public input about the memorial will remain live until October 31. The survey is open to everyone and is available at www.onePULSEFoundation.org and will serve as the guide for a memorial design.