Media Trail: April 9-15

Gay-rights order OK’d

Advocate. com reports openly lesbian Houston mayor Annise Parker issued an executive order banning discrimination against LGBT city employees.

The sweeping order, which was signed March 25 and took effect immediately, includes gender-identity and gender-expression protections. The policy applies to contractors, vendors and city agencies.

The order makes it a violation “to fail or refuse to hire, recruit, appoint, promote or train any individual” based on sexual orientation or gender identity. It’s also a violation “to discipline, demote, transfer, lay off, fail to recall or terminate” for those reasons.

Transgender inmates have right to therapy

The Washington Post reports a federal judge has struck down a Wisconsin law that prohibits transgender inmates from receiving taxpayer-funded hormone therapy.

A group of male inmates who identify as female had challenged the 2006 law with the help of the ACLU of Wisconsin and Lambda Legal. They say they need the hormones to treat their gender-identity disorder, and not having them would lead to severe health problems.

The ACLU and Lambda Legal said the law was the only one of its kind in the nation that denied such medical care to transgender inmates.

Lawmakers who wrote the measure, declared unconstitutional March 31 by U.S. District Judge Charles Clevert, reacted with outrage and urged Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen to appeal.

Salt Lake City’s gay-rights laws take effect

Salt Lake City’s ABC4.com reports the city’s landmark ordinances to protect gays from discrimination in housing and employment have taken effect.

Mayor Ralph Becker was joined by gay-rights advocates at a ceremony April 1 marking implementation of Utah’s first such laws.

John W. Bennett, who is gay and a nephew of Sen. Bob Bennett (R-Utah), praised the city for offering the protections for LGBT residents.

He recalled being fired from a state-government job in 1986 for his sexual orientation.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints endorsed the ordinances as protecting people’s right to work and have a roof over their heads.

— Larry Nichols

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