ABOUT DISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF GENDER IDENTITY OR EXPRESSION

Thirteen states and Washington DC include gender identity and gender expression in their non-discrimination statutes.

Connecticut is not one of them.

The Human Rights Campaign found in 2010 that of almost 600 of Fortune magazine’s 1,000 largest publicly traded businesses, 427 had non-discrimination policy including gender identity or expression, including eight located in CT: Xerox, UBS AG, United Technologies, Pitney Bowes, The Hartford, Diageo North America, Boehringer Ingelheim USA, and Aetna.

Additionally, Foxwoods Casino, Comcast, Connecticut College, Yale University, Wesleyan University, and University of New Haven have similar non-discrimination policies.

Because Connecticut still lacks explicit inclusion of gender identity and gender expression in its non-discrimination statutes, we are proud to support ctEQUALITY, a coalition of organizations leading the effort to pass a bill in 2011 that will add the phrase “gender identity or expression to CT’s non-discrimination law, thereby filling this gap.

To learn more about gender identity and gender expression, and for information on discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression, please visit ctEQUALITY.com’s trans/gender resources page.

ABOUT CTEQUALITY

ctEQUALITY is a statewide coalition of diverse organizations seeking to address this gap in our state’s non-discrimination statutes by passage of a bill that would add the phrase “gender identity or expression.”  The coalition, lead by CT TransAdvocacy Coalition and CT Women’s Education and Legal Fund includes some of the state’s most respected agencies and organizations: the AFL CIO, the CHRO, American Civil Liberties Union, Anti-Defamation League, among many others. ctEQUALITY member organizations represent a variety of interests—civil rights, the business community, people of faith, labor and many more—and are all united in acknowledging that our state’s non-discrimination law lacks explicit protections for our state’s transgender and gender non-conforming residents, vulnerable groups of people.

Interested in having your organization support or join ctEQUALITY? Click here.

Or are you an individual interested in getting involved? Click here.

On July 17th and July 18th, when you make a purchase at BORDERS in Waterford, the Borders Express in the Crystal Mall, or online at Borders.com, you help raise much needed funds for Alliance for Living. Just print and bring the coupon to the store and have the cashier scan it during your purchase, or type in the promotional code when ordering online at Borders.com!

Get your coupon here.

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In June, Alliance for Living received notice from the CT Department of Social Services (DSS) denying it $83,190 through the HUD “Housing Opportunities for People With AIDS” (HOPWA) program;funds AFL has received since 1991.  Since then, a solid plan to provide housing for members who would have become homeless due to this loss of funding is in place. An appeal of the decision is being prepared for DSS with support from local organizations, Representative Joe Courtney and all New London County legislators.  By partnering with BORDERS, we hope to begin a campaign to off set the loss of $83,190.  Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,
Cheryl Sharp-D’Esopo
Director of Advancement and Member Services
860-447-0884 ext 229
csharp@allianceforliving.org

We chat with Sandy Brandimour from the Alliance for Living in New London, CT about National HIV/AIDS Testing Day and the status of HIV/AIDS infection in southeast CT and across the nation.

Priscilla Lounds, anti-war activist, co-founder of Move Forward!, member of the ANSWER Coalition and member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, joins us to talk about her views and where she thinks we should go in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Maria Upton, readjustment therapist for the VA, joins our show tonight to talk about what is being done for soldier’s dealing with trauma.

Weekly cable access call-in show focusing on transsexual and LGBT issues. This week we cover Hartford Pride and feature the music of Lezlee Anne

weekly public access call in show focusing on transsexual and other LGBT issues in the community

Jill Espelin of UCONN school of nurshing joins us this week. Weekly public access call in show focusing on transsexual and other LGBT issues.

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2010/06/142922.htm