Politics: House Democrats demand military end the ban on trans troops in light of Supreme Court decision

The Democrats say the trans military ban is unconstitutional and faces "certain defeat" in court.

House Democrats are asking the military to end Donald Trump’s transgender military ban in light of the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Bostock, which said that Title VII’s ban on discrimination “because of sex” includes discrimination against LGBTQ people.

The letter – which was sent by Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA) and signed by 116 Democratic members of Congress – says that the transgender military ban is an “attack on transgender service members who are risking their lives to serve our country.”

Related: Pentagon-funded study shows troops mostly oppose Trump’s transgender military ban

In 2017, Trump tweeted that the military was going to ban transgender people from serving openly, and last year the ban went into effect. Transgender servicemembers are required to serve as their sex assigned at birth and can’t access gender affirming health care while in the military. People diagnosed with gender dysphoria can’t join the military unless they show that they are “medically stable” as their sex assigned at birth for three years.

The ban sparked four federal lawsuits that have had some early victories in court but didn’t prevent the ban from being implemented.

“There are four lawsuits challenging the ban on open transgender military service on the grounds that it violates the Due Process Clause in the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which like Title VII prohibits sex-based discrimination,” the letter states, citing statements from the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Medical Association that transgender people can serve in the military just fine.

“The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Bostock will provide significant weight to those already substantial claims: the principle announced – that gender-identity discrimination is discrimination ‘because of… sex’ – applies equally to claims under the Constitution.”
The letter accuses the Trump administration of “prolonging the litigation” even though it will end in “certain defeat,” urging the Department of Defense to lift the ban and the Department of Justice to settle the lawsuits.

“It’s crucial that the Department of Defense remove this unconstitutional transgender military ban and ensure any qualified patriot is able to serve,” said Jennifer Dane of the Modern Military Association of America. “Thousands of transgender service members have already more than proven themselves with honor and distinction, and this discriminatory barrier that has nothing to do with their ability to accomplish the mission must be taken down.”
“We are thankful for Congresswoman Suzan DelBene’s leadership, and we urge the Department of Defense to take swift action.”
fonte: by  Alex Bollinger   www.lgbtqnation.com

Musica> Rolling Stones contro Trump: "Non usi le nostre canzoni"

La storica band inglese minaccia le vie legali dopo che al comizio del presidente a Tulsa è stata mandata "You Can't Always Get What You Want"

AGI - I Rolling Stones hanno intimato al presidente americano, Donald Trump, di non usare più le loro canzoni nei suoi comizi o per la sua campagna elettorale.

La presa di distanza arriva dopo che la campagna di Trump ha usato la canzone You Can't Always Get What You Want al raduno della scorsa settimana a Tulsa, in Oklahoma. Lo stesso brano venne utilizzato dalla prima campagna di Trump per le elezioni americane del 2016. Già allora la band twitto' "I Rolling Stones non appoggiano Donald Trump". Ma il braccio di ferro ora rischia di diventare una battaglia legale.

Il team di avvocati del celeberrimo gruppo britannico ha infatti reso noto che sta lavorando con l'organizzazione per i diritti dello spettacolo, l'Imc, per fermare l'uso non autorizzato della loro musica. "Ulteriori passi per impedire" a Trump l'uso del materiale dei Rolling Stones in future campagne presidenziali sono diventati necessari dopo che le precedenti "richieste e direttive" erano state ignorate.

Secondo quanto riferito, l'Imc ha notificato alla campagna di Trump per conto degli Stones che l'uso delle loro canzoni senza autorizzazione costituira' una violazione dell'accordo di licenza e sara' soggetto ad azioni legali. Nei giorni scorsi anche la famiglia del defunto musicista Tom Petty aveva formalmente diffidato Trump dall'utilizzo nella sua campagna del brano 'I Won't Back Down'.
fonte: www.agi.it

George Clooney on George Floyd killing: racism is America's pandemic

‘In 400 years we’ve yet to find a vaccine,’ writes actor in attack on Donald Trump’s response to demonstrations as ‘a racial dog whistle’ Photograph: Tolga Akmen/AFP/Getty Images

George Clooney has called for a “systemic change” of law enforcement, criminal justice and political leadership in the US, in an essay reacting to the crisis triggered by the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers last week. Writing for the Daily Beast, Clooney said urgent action was required to combat the racism “pandemic” raging in the country.

“There is little doubt that George Floyd was murdered,” wrote Clooney. “We watched as he took his last breath at the hands of four police officers.” He then praised the “defiant reaction” of millions of people around the world who are taking part in the demonstrations.

“We don’t know when these protests will subside. We hope and pray that no one else will be killed. But we also know that very little will change. The anger and the frustration we see playing out once again in our streets is just a reminder of how little we’ve grown as a country from our original sin of slavery.
“This is our pandemic. It infects all of us, and in 400 years we’ve yet to find a vaccine.”

Clooney, 59, ended with a call to the people to remove Donald Trump from office in the forthcoming presidential elections.
“We need policymakers and politicians that reflect basic fairness to all of their citizens equally. Not leaders that stoke hatred and violence as if the idea of shooting looters could ever be anything less than a racial dog whistle.
“And there is only one way in this country to bring lasting change: Vote.”
• This article was amended on 3 June 2020 because an earlier version mistakenly said George Clooney had called for a “systematic change”. This has been corrected to say “systemic change”.
source:  Catherine Shoard www.theguardian.com