Human Rights Campaign issues first-ever state of emergency declaration for LGBTQ+ Americans
NEW YORK - The nation's largest LGBTQ+ civil rights group is sounding the alarm, saying their community is in a nationwide state of emergency.
Laws and boycotts are prompting the declaration.
In the middle of what should be a joyous month celebrating Pride, the Human Rights Campaign just issued a first-of-its-kind emergency declaration for the LGBTQ+ community. '
"The multiplying threats facing millions in our community are not just perceived - they are real, tangible and dangerous," President Kelley Robinson said in a statement.
"Really, it shows that the bat signal has gone up. This is like a 3-alarm fire," LGBTQ+ activist Marti Cummings said.
The HRC pointed to 75 laws in more than a dozen states specifically targeting LGBTQ rights, like those banning drag, gender affirming care, inclusive education and those preventing transgender athletes from competing in sports.
While New York is considered LGBTQ+ friendly according to the HRC, Cummings said his community isn't completely safe here, either.
"You had the queer people murdered at nightclubs, the Proud Boys showing up at drag story hour pretty violently. So no, we're not immune to it," Cummings said.
Major retailers and brands like Target and Budweiser have lost millions, even billions in profits and stock value and vfaced massive boycotts over inclusive products and spokespeople.
The HRC also issued a guidebook for LGBTQ+ Americans to know their rights and access health and safety resources, including a graph showing which states are most likely be inclusive based on current and pending laws and bans.
"It's great to see the president say we support LGBTQ people, but we need more than platitudes. We need to pass the Equality Act in the Senate, we need to protect trans people nationally, and we need to make sure the DOJ is going after every one of these states enacting these laws, because, at the end of the day, lives are on the line," Cummings said.
Cummings said, if anything, this state of emergency proves how important it is to fight for equality and be proud all year long.
