Latest news with #JoyceBeatty
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rights group launches tour in Ohio to fight ‘anti-LGBTQ+ attacks,' announces web show
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The Human Rights Campaign, the country's largest LGBTQ+ rights group, kicked off its national tour in Columbus this week and announced a new web series amplifying the voices of LGBTQ+ people and allies, including Congresswoman Joyce Beatty. The 'American Dreams Tour' hosted several Columbus events on Wednesday and Thursday, as part of the campaign's months-long effort 'to elevate LGBTQ+ stories, push back against rising political attacks, and build a more inclusive future.' Running through November, the tour is traveling to Republican-led states amid a wave of 'anti-LGBTQ+' legislation, like gender-affirming care bans for transgender youth and restrictions on certain library books. HRC said the tour is beginning 'in the heartland to honor Ohio's legacy of queer and activism and highlight the ongoing threats facing LGBTQ+ people,' showcasing Columbus 'as a city with deep LGBTQ+ roots and an urgent present-fight.' Out in Ohio: Advocate leads movement to ban anti-LGBTQ+ conversion therapy 'It is so powerful to be here in Ohio, especially knowing the history of this state. … This is one of those states that's really emblematic of the experience of queer people in the country,' said Kelley Robinson, president of HRC, in an interview with NBC4. 'I'm excited to be here because I think in Ohio we can tell the story of the harms that people are experiencing, but also the hope that really exists in every part of the state.' HRC's Columbus events during the two-day stop included a roundtable discussion at Columbus City Hall with City Council President Shannon Hardin, who recently led the effort to create a new LGBTQ+ affairs commission. The group also took part in a community celebration with Beatty, a 'Voices for Equality' storytelling training session, and a kitchen table conversation with Stonewall Columbus, Kaleidoscope Youth Center and other Ohio LGBTQ+ advocates. The tour comes as the campaign is readying to launch 'Our American Dreams,' a coinciding YouTube series telling the stories of LGBTQ+ people nationwide and how they're living their versions of the American dream, a HRC senior advisor confirmed to NBC4. Episodes will feature advocates like David Archuleta and public officials like Beatty, alongside LGBTQ+ families, students, teachers and experts, 'all united in the belief that the American Dream is only possible when everyone gets to live their lives authentically, freely and equitably,' HRC said. Pronoun rules, discrimination ban: These 2025 bills could shape LGBTQ+ Ohio rights The episodes will follow HRC's cross-country tour, the senior advisor said, and focus on a range of topics relating to the community, including marriage equality, trans rights and gender-affirming care, HIV education, depiction of LGBTQ+ people in media, intersectionality, and the removal of diversity, equity and inclusion in education and the workforce. As many institutions withdraw their support for the LGBTQ+ community, 'this is our time to share the stories that give us hope again,' said Robinson. These stories remind us, she said, 'that even in the crisis moment that we're in, we have seen this before and we have the tools, especially as queer folks and trans folks of color, to move through this moment.' 'These aren't scripted moments, these aren't talking points. … At the end of the day, what we hope to do is share stories that inspire and ignite people,' said Robinson. 'These sorts of storytelling efforts we know can change lives, so that's why we're engaging and investing in this particular series because we think there's a real opportunity, in a moment when people are looking for hope.' 'This county is ours, our stories are ours and we're gonna claim it and we're gonna own it,' Robinson continued. 'I truly believe that pride and patriotism, they go hand-in-hand. Everything that queer folks have done for this nation, for our communities, it's palpable, it's part of the American experience and we're going to tell those stories.' Robinson emphasized that storytelling is critical as 'we're seeing a historic backslide on rights.' In Ohio, legislation deemed 'anti-LGBTQ+' includes a provision in the state budget defining gender as two sexes, a law banning certain healthcare for trans youth, and a bill to celebrate 'Natural Family Month.' The Statehouse has also approved a measure to set separate bathrooms based on students' 'biological sex,' and is considering a proposal that LGBTQ+ advocates say will outlaw drag queen shows in public. Out in Ohio: 10 years after Obergefell, advocates warn marriage equality still at risk HRC cited a recent report that said LGBTQ+ people are at 'high risk' of facing inequality in Ohio given the state is not home to law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in housing or public accommodations. In addition, the Buckeye State has failed to install a ban on anti-LGBTQ+ conversion therapy and has not removed antiquated HIV criminalization laws passed in the 1980s. While Ohio is home to Jim Obergefell, the lead plaintiff in the U.S. Supreme Court case legalizing marriage equality, the state's legislature has also been reluctant to overturn a dormant same-sex marriage ban that would be reenacted if the court ever reversed that decision. 'I truly believe that in this country, as is true in this state, a majority of people are not inherently anti-LGBTQ+, a majority of people are not against equality,' said Robinson. 'What's happening is, they're being feed a steady diet of misinformation and lies and the way to combat that is by telling our stories, connecting on our values. And we know that our stories, that don't just make people feel differently about issues, they make them act differently, too.' HRC's other tour stops include Las Vegas; Washington, D.C.; Dallas; Atlanta; and Nashville, Tennessee. Additional stops will be announced in the coming weeks. Learn more about the tour and the upcoming web series on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Axios
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Rep. Beatty says she was named in alleged Minnesota shooter's "materials"
U.S. Rep Joyce Beatty (D-Columbus) said she was named in the "materials" of the man suspected of killing a prominent Minnesota politician and their spouse on Saturday. What she's saying: Beatty described in a statement being "deeply relieved that the suspect in their shootings has now been apprehended." She said after her office was notified that she was mentioned, "security measures were increased. I am grateful to the U.S. Capitol Police and the Columbus Police Department for their swift response." Catch up quick: Vance Luther Boelter, 57, is charged with federal murder, stalking and firearm offenses in the killing of Minnesota House Democratic Leader Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, at their home. Boelter is also accused of shooting and injuring another Democratic state senator and their spouse that day. He was located after the attacks set off the largest reported manhunt in the state's history. According to court filings, Boelter allegedly drew up lists of Minnesota public officials who were "mostly or all Democrats" and their addresses. Zoom in: Boelter held conservative political views and was a "strong supporter" of President Trump, according to those who knew him, but some Republicans have amplified false rumors that the suspect was a Democrat.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty reveals her name was on Minnesota shooting suspect's 'materials'
Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, a Columbus Democrat, was on a potential hit list of a man accused of killing a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband and wounding another lawmaker and his wife. In an emailed statement June 16, Beatty extended her sympathies to friends and loved ones of Minnesota House Speaker and Rep. Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, whom authorities say were fatally shot June 14 by 57-year-old Vance Boetler. Boetler, who was driving one of the "police type vehicles" owned by the security company he works for and is an evangelican Christian Republican opposed to abortion rights, went to the Hortman home after authorities say he shot State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, at their home a short time earlier. Hoffman and his wife remained hospitalized. According to Beatty, her office was notified that her name was found on Boetler's materials. Security around Beatty was then increased, she said in the statement. "I am grateful to the U.S. Capitol Police and the Columbus Police Department for their swift response," said Beatty, who would not share more information as the investigation remains ongoing. "We must do better in how we engage one another as Americans. Our democracy demands nothing less," Beatty said. Boetler's attack on the lawmakers was described as "targeted" by law enforcement. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called Hortman's death a "politically motivated assassination." A massive two-day manhunt described as the largest in Minnesota history resulted in Boetler's arrest without incident June 15 in a wooded area near his home on June 15. He has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree attempted murder. Beatty was among four Democratic representatives who did not participate in a narrow June 11 vote on the fate of funding for NPR and PBS as well as foreign aid already approved by Congress. Beatty, who represents Columbus and eastern and northeastern suburbs in Franklin County, was not present for the vote, which passed 214-212. Four Republicans joined with all present Democrats in voting against the measure. Beatty's office issued a statement saying she missed the vote "due to a medical procedure that could not be delayed." Her office did not provide additional information about the procedure, saying only that Beatty, 75, "is in good health." Reporter Shahid Meighan can be reached at smeighan@ at ShahidMeighan on X, and at on Bluesky. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Rep. Beatty says her name was on Minn. shooting suspect's materials
Associated Press
23-05-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Mainstreaming Women's Health in Congress with the First-Ever Women's Health Capitol Hill Day
First-ever Women's Health Capitol Hill Day includes Congressional Briefing with Experts Highlighting Gaps and Opportunities to Advance the Health of Women 'I care deeply about this issue because it is personal…Breast cancer runs rapidly in her family. My mom lost her mom when she was seven years old with two younger sisters'— Congressman Juan Ciscomani WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, May 23, 2025 / / -- On May 21st, Women's Health Advocates planned the first-ever Women's Health Capitol Hill Day that included a Congressional Briefing with U.S. Representatives Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) and Joyce Beatty (D-OH), hill meetings with 25 Congressional offices, and a Women's Health Month Reception with U.S. Representatives Robin Kelly (D-IL), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Deborah Ross (D-NC), and Emilia Sykes (D-OH). Approximately 90 national leaders from the life sciences industry and non-profits, investors, physicians, researchers and patient advocates descended on the nation's capital this week from across the country, representing half the states, such as California, Arizona, Texas, Iowa, Ohio, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Florida, and Alabama, among others. The Women's Health Advocates shared their professional expertise as physicians, entrepreneurs, investors, researchers and patient advocates during the Congressional Briefing entitled 'Sex Matters: Learn How Sex Differences Impact Medical Research, Innovation, Health Outcomes, the Economy and More,' and in conversations with Members of Congress, such as Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) and Rep. Max Miller (R-OH), and their staff. With the goal of raising awareness about women's health gaps, the sex differences that exist at the cellular level impacting how diseases and treatments impact the body, factors shaping the health of women and ways to close gaps that strengthen families and the economy, the Advocates provided powerful evidence on the need for systemic changes. The briefing kicked off with remarks by former award winning NBC correspondent turned entrepreneur following her breast cancer diagnosis, Kristen Dahlgren. 'Women's health is a $1 trillion economic opportunity. That is good for America,' said Dahlgren, who founded the Cancer Vaccine Coalition and explained that by investing in research, a shot in the arm could prevent cancer. 'I want everyone to know that these cancer vaccines could and are already saving lives.' Rep. Ciscomani followed, stating the key conditions impacting women disproportionately and differently that he is focused on include coronary artery disease, lung cancer, Alzheimer's disease and autoimmune diseases and added his direct connection to women's health. 'I care deeply about this issue because it is personal…Breast cancer runs rapidly in her family. My mom lost her mom when she was seven years old with two younger sisters,' said Rep. Ciscomani, who hosted a Women's Health Roundtable in October to address the need to advance research initiatives, expand healthcare access, and promote innovation in women's healthcare. 'Heart disease is the number one killer of women and I went across the country telling my story because that is most important. When you tell your story there is someone out there that you have no idea they too have had the same health challenge,' said Rep. Beatty, who is a stroke survivor, co-chair of the Congressional Heart and Stroke Coalition and consistently leading on the introduction of stroke legislation. Alisa Wilson, PhD, Life Sciences Managing Director for Accenture and author of Springboard Women's Health Report entitled 'Re-defining Women's Health' that was released on May 20th explained how women's health is often overlooked in healthcare in two areas. 'Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death for women globally and there are more incidences of cardiovascular disease than all cancers combined and women make up 78% of the autoimmune disease patient population,' said Wilson. Her top recommendation for women is to participate in clinical trials to gather more accurate data as currently there is insufficient participation of women, and especially women of color, and studies are aggregated by sex only 50% of the time. 'Women are not little men; we have unique needs throughout the lifespan; we continue to have a gap in data because women have been historically underrepresented in clinical studies,' explained Nada Hanafi, MPH, MSc, co-founder of MedTech Strategy Advisors and former senior science advisor at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with expertise in ensuring increased accuracy in studies through enrollment in studies that are representative of disease impact in the broader population. In addition to FDA clinical trials, CMS reimbursement is shaping the health of women pointed out Dr. Jocelyn Fitzgerald, a Urogynecology and Pelvic Reconstructive Surgeon at UPMC Magee-Women's Health and author of Price and Prejudice: Reimbursement of Surgical Care on Male Versus Female Anatomies. 'Women are automatically worth less money for a hospital; that bottom line is what matters,' said Dr. Jocelyn Fitzgerald as she explained that after reviewing over 100 reimbursement codes, she found that essentially the same procedures are reimbursed 30% on average lower for females as compared to males—but sometimes as much as 50% lower—by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS). Gaslighting and racial bias are other dynamics shaping the health of women that was shared by Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell, who survived hemorrhaging after her child was born only because she pushed to call her doctor's cell phone in the very hospital where she serves as the Urgent Care Medical Director. Yet another gaslighting story that cost the life of a 17-year old girl from Pittsburgh, PA was shared by Lynn Banaszak, CEO of the Caileigh Lynn McDowell Foundation. 'Caileigh died because of the bias of the medical system when it comes to women and diagnosing what we say is causing us pain. She died because the system sees young girls as dramatic and perhaps not credible. The system assumes mental health issues in young women before exploring physical causes. The system is built to ignore the specific ways illness manifests in women differently than men,' shared Banaszak. Entrepreneurship driven by the diagnostic odyssey was another factor addressed during the briefing. 'I was a woman feeling like no matter where I went, I never could get answers from any doctor. It was always: drink more water, sleep more and have a less stressful job,' said Priyanka Jain, co-founder and CEO of Evvy as she explained why she started the company in 2021 to address the number one reason for why women visit their doctors. Since then, the company has served over 50,000 users with the first and only at-home test that includes one swab used to check for all bacteria and fungi present with metagenomics, an advanced form of sequencing. The intersection of hormones, menopause, Alzheimer's and heart health was also addressed by the panelists. 'The gaps in cardiac care for women include critical delays in symptom recognition, leading to heart attacks being more often fatal in women than men,' explained Dr. Jayne Morgan, who is a cardiologist, Vice President of Medical Affairs at Hello Heart, and on-air medical news expert. Other speakers included Linda Goler Blount, MPH (CEO, Community Catalyst), Dr. Elizabeth Garner (CEO, Sena Therapeutics and past president of the American Medical Women's Association), Vanessa Joy Walker (breast cancer and mental health patient advocate and founder of 'Living After Crisis'), Meryl Comer (Co-Founder, Us Against Alzheimer's and Vice Chair, WHAM), Piraye Beim, PhD (CEO, Celmatix Therapeutics and Chair of the Endometriosis Foundation), and Dr. Mitzi Krockover (Managing Director, Golden Seeds and Producer, Beyond the Paper Gown). Following the briefing, Women's Health Advocates broke up into teams and walked the halls of Congress to share five key priorities—all of which pertain to the budget and reconciliation, which Congress was crafting and negotiating to garner the full support of the Republicans in the House: (1) Women's Health Research Interdisciplinary Fund within NIH (2) Women's Health Innovation Program within FDA (3) Perimenopause and Menopause report on research, gaps and training resources for providers relating to mid-life women's health care within the military (4) Preservation of health research grants that study women and impact of conditions using sex-based data (5) Medicaid programs and services that enhance the health of women and their babies, such as access to care during the entire first year postpartum The day ended with a reception with remarks shared by several members of Congress and menopause expert, Dr. Sharon Malone, who is an OB-GYN, Chief Medical Advisor for Alloy Women's Health and author of 'Grown Women Talk.' Other speakers included Lauren Ruotolo, who shared how her rare disease has shaped her life and why cuts to NIH could mean an end to the rare disease study she participates in. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi shared how in the 1990s she teamed up with fellow members of the Appropriations Committee: Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and former Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) to fight for the inclusion of women in clinical studies and for $100 million for breast cancer research, as there was no significant funding at the time for this disease. 'Your mobilization, your coming to Washington, your advocating is so important because members have to hear from their own constituents. Nothing is more eloquent to a member of Congress than the voice of their own constituent,' said Pelosi. Finally, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) shared, 'Obesity, 3D mammograms, access to care, support for mothers, and paid family leave for women's well-being are some of the issues I've worked on in Congress, but nothing moves in Congress [without you]. For you to be here is critically important to advocate and educate. The voices that you bring are very important, but remember the journey of 1,000 miles begins with just one step.' Women's Health Advocates (WHA): Women's Health Advocates was founded by Liz Powell, Esq., MPH, who is the founder of G2G Consulting and has over 25 years of experience in working for and with government on policy, lobbying and grassroots mobilization. WHA is uniting people to educate government decision-makers on women's health gaps and policies and funding needed to advance the health of women. It consists of people in all 50 states covering all sectors of women's health as patients, physicians, investors, entrepreneurs, executives in business and nonprofits, and public health and policy experts. Learn more at ### Liz Powell G2G Consulting & Women's Health Advocates +1 202-445-4242 email us here Visit us on social media: LinkedIn Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Beatty must push to impeach Donald Trump before it is too late.
I recently reached out to Rep. Joyce Beatty with questions about whether she supports impeaching President Donald Trump. She has not responded. Her office's lack of urgency about the state of our nation and the future of our democracy is deeply troubling. Trump's administration is boldly steering our country into authoritarianism. He and his staff have openly discussed seeking a third term by exploiting legal loopholes around presidential term limits. What we once thought were exaggerated rumors — from mass deportations to market manipulation — have become our reality. Trump and his cabinet have committed crimes for which they are not being held accountable. We must impeach now or risk the death of American democracy. That's not something any of us should be willing to risk. I am encouraging Beatty to make public her commitment as an American citizen and a representative of democracy to remove tyrants from public office. Whether an elected official is willing to do this will be a clear indicator of their viability as a candidate in 2026. I hope to hear from Rep. Beatty soon. Stephanie Reynolds, Columbus This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Rep. Joyce Beatty must stop Trump from destroying US | Letter
