The U.S. Supreme Court's decision Monday that employers cannot discriminate in hiring due to a candidate's sexual or gender preference was a surprising revelation for many Americans, including Sarah Kate Ellis, the president and CEO of GLAAD.
"It was groundbreaking. It was historic today," she told Cheddar.
Still, Ellis said this is just a small part of the rights challenges members of the LGBTQ community face.
"We're debating whether or not I can be fired from my job at the Supreme Court simply because I'm gay. It shouldn't even be a discussion," she said.
The historic decision came just days after the Trump administration rolled back healthcare protections for transgender people under the Affordable Care Act -- a move which Ellis said is in line with the president's broader dismissal of LGBTQ people throughout his term.
"This administration has attacked the LGBTQ community 150 times with both policy rollbacks and rhetoric since he's come into power," she said.
As demonstrators across the nation call for social justice and equality this June, Ellis said that it is important for Pride month supporters to remember where it started.
"Pride is a protest, and we need to be on the streets," she stated. "We have to go back to our roots this one. This Pride especially."
She noted that 14 members of the trans community have been violently killed so far this year.
In 2020, a year unlike any other with a pandemic canceling Pride celebrations and calls for social justice amplified throughout the nation, Ellis tasked people to come together now to force real change.
"Our community is our power. Our identity is our power," she said. "We need to be fighting for Black Lives Matter, for our trans community. We have to be standing up for each other right now, and we need to be locking arms as marginalized communities."
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The black cab drivers are exploring the possibility of bringing a class action lawsuit against the ride-hailing app, arguing that tens of thousands of them have seen their earnings dwindle with Uber's presence in the British capital. Last month, Uber won back its license to operate in London, after the transportation authority initially cited the company's poor working conditions. Cheddar's Kristen Scholer and Tim Stenovec get into the latest.
The company, which counts former House Speaker John Boehner as a board member, just brought in $119 million in funding. Now Acreage Holdings is getting ready to list shares in Canada, a significant step for the growth and acceptance of cannabis, says George Allen, the company's president.
Peter Loftus, Reporter at the Wall Street Journal, is skeptical of pharmaceutical companies touting lower drug prices. Merck may be cutting prices on medications, Loftus told Cheddar, but the ones affected represent a smaller percentage of the company's total sales.
Kaniela Ing is fighting for a lead in Hawaii's First Congressional District. Currently ranked fourth in polling, Ing urges progressive Democrats not to take a step back after Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez's historic campaign, but rather to embrace new wave politics.
Facebook has suspended analytics firm Crimson Hexagon for allegedly mishandling user data. The Boston-based company has also been banned from the site for possible ties to a Kremlin-based nonprofit and the U.S. government. Deputy Tech editor at [Mashable Michael Nuñez explains why users should be concerned.](https://mashable.com/2018/07/20/facebook-suspends-crimson-hexagon/)
The U.S. president on Sunday tweeted at Iranian president Hassan Rouhani to "never, ever threaten the United States or you will suffer consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before." His all-caps post came in response to Rouhani's own strongly-worded message for the United States. Cheddar's J.D. Durkin gets into the latest.
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The president's personal attorney recorded a discussion with Trump two months before the election about payments to a former Playboy model who claims she had an affair with Trump, according to a New York Times report. Those payments are under investigation for any potential campaign finance law violations. "The White House is in scramble mode," says Siraj Hashmi, Commentary writer at the Washington Examiner.
Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA) condemns the President’s behavior at his public meeting with Putin and Trump's remarks in the days that followed. “My greatest concern, really, is what might happen over next few weeks and months where Putin decides to take advantage of this weakness,” he tells Cheddar.
