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."
The comedian, known as the 'Egyptian Jon Stewart,' was exiled from his home country and imprisoned after being critical of the government on his political comedy show. But he sees similarities between how those who protest are treated both in Egypt and the U.S.
Mallory Hagan, the 2013 title winner, is running against the 16-year Republican incumbent Mike Rogers. Hagan says she wants to change the stereotypes people have about her home state and to engage young people in the voting process.
President Trump arrived in Singapore Monday morning for a historic meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. And while the U.S. commander-in-chief may be looking for a lot of credit in arranging the summit, Travis Jeppesen, author of "See You Again in Pyongyang" says Trump's counterpart has been working hard on the issue himself.
Canada's Senate has voted to legalize recreational marijuana. We spoke to cannabis activist Jodie Emery, who thinks this vote is going to send a major message to the rest of the world.
Comedians including Samantha Bee and Michelle Wolf may have caught heat for their controversial comments about President Trump and members of his administration, but Lydic says comedians shouldn't let fear deter them from pursuing a joke.
The comedian Julian McCullough talks about how jokes about President Trump aren't as funny to audiences as they once were. McCullough says liberals and conservatives have tired of the material and "no one wants to hear it."
Facebook admitted this week it shared user data with Chinese phone maker Huawei, which has been flagged as a national security threat. This slow drip of Facebook's data practices will be a difficult PR crisis for the company to overcome, says Former White House Chief Informatoion Officer Theresa Payton.
Democrats are still waiting to see who will take on Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher in a key California district. That seat is one their party needs to flip in November in order to retake control of the House of Representatives.
Facebook is facing more backlash after a New York Times report revealed the social media company shared user data with at least 60 device makers. It turns out Facebook shared information with four Chinese firms, including Huawei. The Chinese company Huawei is the third largest smartphone maker in the world and has also faced intense scrutiny from U.S. government officials.
Tesla shareholders voted to keep Elon Musk on as chairman of the electric carmaker. At the annual shareholder meeting, Musk said the company is on track to deliver 5,000 Model 3 vehicles per week by the end of this month. Tesla will also open a new gigafactory in Shanghai, its first outside of the U.S.
And we talk to WNBA legend and Olympic gold medalist Lisa Leslie. She stars in the new film 'Uncle Drew' alongside Kyrie Irving, Chris Webber, Shaq, and other comedy and basketball greats. Leslie also weighs in on the NFL kneeling controversy.
Denying people the right to express their opinions doesn't represent America's democratic values, says Lisa Leslie. Trump "focuses so much on trying to be the dictator of our country," Leslie tells Cheddar.
