This Just in from the Ocean State
Discrimination charge
E. Corry Kole, the former head of diversity, equity and inclusion programs at Providence College filed a charge of discrimination with the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights against the university in March of this year, claiming they experienced a pattern of discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation and gender identity.
Kole, who is nonbinary, resigned on March 8, leading to accusations from students and staff about the oppression of LGBTQ+ individuals on campus.
Joseph Daigle, an attorney for Kole, said in a statement to the Boston Globe that Kole had experienced direct, repeated, patterned and systemic discrimination. He stated that the college had been given multiple opportunities to address his clients’ complaints, that the filing of the discrimination charge was the last avenue to pursue, and that it was filed in the hope that it would encourage institutional change at the college.
Name change bill
A bill sponsored by State Rep. Robert Craven and Sen. Tiara Mack to remove barriers and safety risks for transgender people and domestic violence survivors seeking a legal name change has passed in the RI General Assembly.
In late May, the Rhode Island House passed “An Act Relating to Probate Practice and Procedure—Practice in Probate Courts” (H. 8155). The legislation would simplify the process for Rhode Islanders seeking to legally change their name by allowing name change court costs to be waived for those who can’t afford them, removing the requirement for public notice or publication of a name change, and allowing name change records to be kept confidential if doing so is warranted by the person’s safety needs. The bill passed the House by a vote of 68-2.
Having been passed by the Senate earlier this month, the legislation awaits the approval of Governor McKee.
Shield law legislation
In a 29-7 vote, Rhode Island State Senate also passed a bill that would protect medical providers from civil or criminal action when offering transgender health care and abortion services to out-of-state patients.
The legislation then headed to the House, where a companion bill had already been introduced.
“Abortion is health care. Gender-affirming care is health care,” RI Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore told the Boston Globe. “The providers of this health care should not fear for their safety or for potential legal repercussions in Rhode Island. This is especially true in the face of the coordinated, national push led by anti-choice and anti-LGBTQ+ organizations to attack reproductive health care and gender affirming care and the health care professionals who provide it.”
Summing up the legislation, the Globe reported, “The Healthcare Provider Shield Act would protect health care providers who are licensed and physically practicing in Rhode Island from arrest and extradition, subpoena for testimony and documents, and professional disciplinary action taken against them in other states. It also would prevent Rhode Island public agencies, including law enforcement, from cooperating with out-of-state investigations into legally protected health care in Rhode Island.
If the bill is passed, Rhode Island would join more than a dozen US states with similar legislation, including Massachusetts, Connecticut and Maine.
Middletown lauded
After conducting a comprehensive review of transgender and gender nonconforming policies within the state, Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) found that the Middletown Public School Department’s policy reflects a clear commitment to equitable support for students who identify as transgender.
“Comprehensive, accessible policies reduce stigmatization of and improve the educational integration of transgender and gender nonconforming students,” states RIDE in a public statement. “We look forward to witnessing the positive impact of this policy on your schools and the broader educational landscape within our state.
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