Sunday Funday Wishes Every Day Was LGBT Equality Day

Happy Sunday Funday! Here’s some good gay news to keep you warm all winter long. Or at least ’til next time.

Ireland Banned Discrimination Against LGBT Teachers

Ireland’s Parliament just banned religious schools — and other institutions with a “religious ethos” — from discriminating against LGBT employees. All that’s preventing it from becoming law is the signature of Ireland’s president.

ireland968

The bill amends Section 37 of the republic’s Employment Equality Act, which allowed schools and hospitals to “take action” to prevent employees from “undermining the religious ethos of the institution.”

The Gay and Lesbian Equality Network said this section of the law had a “chilling effect” in religious schools.

“This bill is the key piece of the legislative map that will allow LGBT people to be themselves, get married and have a family without a threat to their job if they work in a religious run institution,” said Sandra Irwin-Gowran, director of education policy at GLEN.

Take That, Texas

Texas owes a team of attorneys $605,000 for righting their forever wrong decision to ban gay marriage. It’s sweet justice, especially considering this week in Arkansas the lawyers who did the same in that state were assigned fees significantly lower than their requested rate.

Indiana Businesses Want LGBT Equality

Over 20 businesses have joined a statewide coalition in Indiana lobbying for LGBT protections. Around 186 in total are participating in the push.

via Taya Flores/Journal & Courier

via Taya Flores/Journal & Courier

June 26 May Soon Be LGBT Equality Day

94 House Democrats introduced a resolution Thursday that makes June 26 “LGBT Equality Day.”

The day selected for the occasion marks the anniversary of three monumental U.S. Supreme Court decisions in favor of gay rights: Lawrence v. Texas, the 2003 ruling striking down state sodomy bans; Windsor v. United States, the 2013 ruling against Section 3 of the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act; and Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 ruling striking down state bans on same-sex marriage.

DelBene, lead sponsor the resolution, H.Res. 549, said in a statement the measure recognizes the victories of the past, but calls for additional advancements on LGBT rights in the future.

“In the last two decades, our nation has seen the Defense of Marriage Act overturned, an end to the criminalization of same-sex conduct and now nationwide marriage equality — all through Supreme Court decisions handed down on June 26,” DelBene said. “But even as same-sex couples enjoy the right to marry in all 50 states, LGBT people continue to face inequality and discrimination simply for who they are and who they love. My resolution designates the 26th of June as ‘LGBT Equality Day’ not only to celebrate how far we’ve come, but also to acknowledge how much work remains to be done.”

This Bird is Very Loved

SPOTTED: The painted bunting. Spotted by a bunch of people who are totally losing their shit over it.

via Sean Sime

via Sean Sime

Before you go! Autostraddle runs on the reader support of our AF+ Members. If this article meant something to you today — if it informed you or made you smile or feel seen, will you consider joining AF and supporting the people who make this queer media site possible?

Join AF+!

Carmen

Carmen spent six years at Autostraddle, ultimately serving as Straddleverse Director, Feminism Editor and Social Media Co-Director. She is now the Consulting Digital Editor at Ms. and writes regularly for DAME, the Women’s Media Center, the National Women’s History Museum and other prominent feminist platforms; her work has also been published in print and online by outlets like BuzzFeed, Bitch, Bust, CityLab, ElixHER, Feministing, Feminist Formations, GirlBoss, GrokNation, MEL, Mic and SIGNS, and she is a co-founder of Argot Magazine. You can find Carmen on Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr or in the drive-thru line at the nearest In-N-Out.

Carmen has written 919 articles for us.

8 Comments

  1. LGBT Equality Day is a lovely idea. I wonder if I could get that day off work… “It’s the holiday of my people, boss”

  2. June 26th would be an awesome holiday! I remember where I was last June at work when I heard the supreme court’s decision over the radio. “This is history happening.” I thought to myself. “The world is okay and I am okay.” That weekend, I went to my first autostraddle meet up, a picnic during pride weekend. It ended up being a small meet up, just two of us, but it was the first time I had ever done anything for pride week, being largely closeted most of my life. And I thought to myself that this weekend was an important turning point, both in my own life and the lives of countless others in my country.

  3. Thank you for featuring the news of Ireland and the protection of its teachers! Affects so many of my friends. Delighted!

Comments are closed.