Current:Home > StocksHuman Rights Campaign declares "state of emergency" for LGBTQ+ Americans-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Human Rights Campaign declares "state of emergency" for LGBTQ+ Americans
View Date:2024-12-24 00:07:19
For the first time in its more than 40-year history, the Human Rights Campaign on Tuesday declared a "state of emergency" for LGBTQ+ Americans, issuing a guidebook alongside the national warning to help ensure safety for both LGBTQ+ residents and travelers alike. The news comes as LGBTQ+ Americans across the country begin to celebrate Pride Month.
The LGBTQ+ civil rights organization cited "an unprecedented and dangerous spike in anti-LGBTQ+ legislative assaults sweeping state houses this year" in issuing the warning. This year alone, more than 75 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been passed in the U.S. during the current legislative season — more than double the 2022 number, the organization said.
"LGBTQ+ Americans are living in a state of emergency," said the HRC's president, Kelley Robinson. "The multiplying threats facing millions in our community are not just perceived — they are real, tangible and dangerous."
"As we kick off LGBTQ+ Pride Month, HRC will be working tirelessly to educate and arm the LGBTQ+ community with information and resources to ensure their safety — whether they're planning summer travel through regions that are becoming increasingly hostile to LGBTQ+ people, or whether they already live in a state where legislative assaults and political extremism are continuing to put a target on our backs," the organization said in a statement.
In the last year, more than 525 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were introduced in 41 U.S. states, creating what the HRC has called an "increasingly hostile and dangerous" environment for LGBTQ+ people. Of the proposed bills, 220 specifically targeted transgender Americans.
The guidebook, which is available for download online, includes health and safety information, summaries of state-specific laws targeting LGBTQ+ Americans, "know your rights" information and additional resources that are "designed to support LGBTQ+ travelers as well as those already living in hostile states."
"We'll fight tooth and nail to ensure the safety and dignity of every LGBTQ+ person is respected and protected — without exception," said Robinson.
Just last month, the HRC issued a travel advisory for LGBTQ+ Americans in the state of Florida, where Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis recently expanded the state's controversial "Don't Say Gay" legislation. The advisory came a day after the NAACP issued its own warning because the state "has become hostile to Black Americans."
"Florida stands at the forefront of the fight against these oppressive laws now proliferating throughout the nation," Nadine Smith, the CEO of Equality Florida, an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization in the state, said in the HRC statement. "It is heartbreaking to witness families uproot themselves in search of access to healthcare and inclusive classrooms, free from book bans and censorship."
- In:
- Pride
- Human rights
- Pride Month
- Transgender
- LGBTQ+
- Ron DeSantis
- Florida
C Mandler is a social media producer and trending topics writer for CBS News, focusing on American politics and LGBTQ+ issues.
veryGood! (93)
Related
- Florida man’s US charges upgraded to killing his estranged wife in Spain
- In Atlanta, Proposed ‘Cop City’ Stirs Environmental Justice Concerns
- Video shows bear stuck inside car in Lake Tahoe
- Biden administration officials head to Mexico for meetings on opioid crisis, migration
- 'Unfortunate error': 'Wicked' dolls with porn site on packaging pulled from Target, Amazon
- Public Lands in the US Have Long Been Disposed to Fossil Fuel Companies. Now, the Lands Are Being Offered to Solar Companies
- In Louisiana, Climate Change Threatens the Preservation of History
- These Small- and Medium-Sized States Punch Above Their Weight in Renewable Energy Generation
- Denzel Washington teases retirement — and a role in 'Black Panther 3'
- In Louisiana, Climate Change Threatens the Preservation of History
Ranking
- The Daily Money: Markets react to Election 2024
- Destroying ‘Forever Chemicals’ is a Technological Race that Could Become a Multibillion-dollar Industry
- Indoor Pollutant Concentrations Are Significantly Lower in Homes Without a Gas Stove, Nonprofit Finds
- Police believe there's a lioness on the loose in Berlin
- FSU football fires offensive, defensive coordinators, wide receivers coach
- Indoor Pollutant Concentrations Are Significantly Lower in Homes Without a Gas Stove, Nonprofit Finds
- Trader Joe's cookies recalled because they may contain rocks
- Ukrainian soldiers play soccer just miles from the front line as grueling counteroffensive continues
Recommendation
-
Pennsylvania House Republicans pick new floor leader after failing to regain majority
-
Margot Robbie, Matt Damon and More Stars Speak Out as SAG-AFTRA Goes on Strike
-
The Most-Cited Number About the Inflation Reduction Act Is Probably Wrong, and That Could Be a Good Thing
-
Legislative Proposal in Colorado Aims to Tackle Urban Sprawl, a Housing Shortage and Climate Change All at Once
-
Surprise bids revive hope for offshore wind in Gulf of Mexico after feds cancel lease sale
-
Barbie has biggest opening day of 2023, Oppenheimer not far behind
-
Coal Ash Along the Shores of the Great Lakes Threatens Water Quality as Residents Rally for Change
-
Selena Gomez's Sister Proves She's Taylor Swift's Biggest Fan With Speak Now-Inspired Hair Transformation