June is Pride Month.
It's the month where we take a moment to celebrate
how far LGBTQIA+ rights have come
while still acknowledging all the work
that still needs to be done.
It's also the month where J.K. Rowling tries to do
what Voldemort couldn't and destroy Harry Potter.
But this year, Pride Month had been made worse
by the Trump administration.
They killed a rule that blocks doctors
from refusing to treat transgender people.
And on Saturday, they announced a new proposal
allowing single-sex homeless shelters
to turn away transgender people
who are, "not really the right gender."
And you know, it's amazing that even during a pandemic
and national protests, Trump has still found a way
to say "screw you" to the LGBTQ community.
It's almost like if Hannibal Lecter was
on his way to kill someone, and then took a quick detour
to burn down a community garden.
How much hate does one person need?
So this Pride Month wasn't looking great,
but then, this happened.
A major civil rights decision
out of the United States Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court has ruled
that LGBT Americans are protected
by the antidiscrimination laws
of this country at their workplaces.
They cannot be fired
or otherwise discriminated against at work
simply because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
It was written by Justice Neil Gorsuch
and joined by Chief Justice John Roberts.
Gorsuch appointed by President Trump.
Chief Justice John Roberts, the leader
of the conservative wing of the court.
It is a six to three opinion, which, in ringing terms, holds
that the Civil Rights Act of 1964
encompasses lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender people in this country,
protecting them from discrimination
by their employers.
Yes, gay people across America just got a huge win.
And Mike Pence just got a huge aneurysm.
The Supreme Court has ruled
that people cannot be discriminated against at work
simply because of their sexual orientation
or gender identity.
And the reason is because they are protected
by the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
And you got to admit-- that is one badass law
to still be helping more groups get equal rights.
I mean, we have to buy a new iPhone every two years,
but somehow, this act is rolling out new features
56 years later.
And obviously, this should all be basic decency, right?
Nobody should be fired just for being gay.
The only reason you should be fired is
if you're doing your job poorly.
Or if you're doing your job so well
that you make the rest of us look bad.
I mean, then you also need to go.
Now, the Supreme Court ruling isn't the only good news
for human rights that is coming out right now,
because over the weekend,
Black Lives Matter rallies continued spreading
around the globe.
Black Lives Matter and antiracism protests continue
around the world.
Thousands in Europe, Asia and the South Pacific
continued marching to call for equality.
NEWSWOMAN 2: Black Lives Matter still
reverberating around the world.
Massive protests in Japan,
New Zealand, South Korea. This is the U.S. Embassy there.
NEWSWOMAN 3: Thousands of people have formed a human chain
in Berlin to unite against racism and discrimination.
Participants were asked to wear masks
and to keep socially distanced from one another,
and they were linked by colorful ribbons
forming what organizers called "a ribbon of solidarity."
CROWD: Black trans lives matter!
NEWSWOMAN 4: Protestors chanting
"Black trans lives matter," outside The Brooklyn Museum.
A number of groups took part in yesterday's demonstration,
with transgender activists leading a march.
NEWSMAN: Nearly 30,000 people, all dressed in white
in honor of black trans lives.
It represented unity in the fight for equality,
for justice, for two deeply marginalized groups,
in New York City.
Yes, from Brooklyn to Europe
and all the way to New Zealand,
thousands of people from all walks of life
are still assembling in the streets
to say that black lives matter.
And it really is a powerful thing to see.
I mean, the last thing this many people agreed on
was that Carole Baskin probably killed her husband.
I mean, they're even coming out in Japan.
They don't even have black people in Japan.
Japan is basically saying,
"When we finally see a black person,
we will welcome them with open arms."
And as the whole world is watching these rallies
take place around the globe, it's clear
that one person is starting to feel jealous--
Donald Trump, president of the United States
and the only human who has ever fired a secretary of state
and Meat Loaf.
Trump hasn't been able to hold a rally of his own
since before the coronavirus pandemic.
But after months of waiting, he announced
that his first rally in months would take place this Friday
in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
There was just one problem.
NEWSMAN: A rare reversal from President Trump.
Now delaying his controversial Tulsa rally.
NEWSWOMAN: It was initially scheduled for Juneteenth,
a day marking the end of slavery,
but after criticism for the timing
and Tulsa's history as a city
scarred by a century-old race riot,
the president tweeted,
"Many of my African-American friends and supporters
"have reached out to suggest
"that we consider changing the date
"out of respect for this holiday.
"I have therefore decided to move our rally
to Saturday, June 20, in order to honor their request."
Now, one way to look at this is that Trump is so oblivious,
he didn't even realize how messed up it would be
to have a rally on Juneteenth in a city
where one of America's worst racial massacres took place.
But I guess the glass-half-full version of the story is
that even someone as racially insensitive as Trump
is now recognizing the importance of Juneteenth,
and that's not nothing.
I mean, let's be honest.
A year ago, if you told Trump that he couldn't hold a rally
on Juneteenth, what would he have said?
He probably would have been like,
"If I cared about emancipation,
I would have freed Melania a long time ago."
So the point is, Trump is recognizing,
in his own small, grudging way, the importance of Juneteenth.
And I think it's good
that Trump made the decision to move the rally,
because nobody was buying his first solution,
which was to pretend that the rally was for Juneteenth.
Your rally in Oklahoma is set for June 19.
Was that on purpose?
Uh, no, but I know exactly what you're going to say.
-But think about it. -Well, I'm just asking.
It's on the day of African-American emancipation.
-That's right. -It's the independence day.
The fact that I'm having a rally
-Mm-hmm. -...on that day--
you can really think about that very positively
as a celebration, 'cause a rally to me is a celebration.
It's gonna be really a celebration,
and it's an interesting date.
It wasn't done for that reason, but it's an interesting date,
but it's a celebration.
Really? You wanted to celebrate the end of slavery
with a stadium full of white people?
What, is this dude trying to gentrify Juneteenth?
(like Trump): It's a celebration.
What a bullshit excuse.
You know who Trump is? Trump is that dad
who tries to act like he didn't just forget his kid's birthday.
"All right, son, I'm off to the bar."
"Oh, but, Daddy, it's my birthday."
"That's right, and, uh, heh, what better way
"to celebrate your birthday than by getting drunk
with all my friends?"
You know, I'm glad that Trump
didn't go through with this really,
because if he did, there's a good chance
there was gonna be one black family who showed up
thinking it really was a Juneteenth celebration.
"Hey, I brought the potato salad!
Oh, shit. I misjudged this situation."
So, luckily, Trump seems to have solved
the Juneteenth rally dilemma.
But as is usually the case, with Trump,
it's never just one problem.
Because while his rally no longer conflicts
with Juneteenth, it still has a major conflict
with the coronavirus.
NEWSMAN: With President Trump now just days away
from his first rally since the coronavirus outbreak,
a new warning this morning
from Tulsa's Health Department director.
Dr. Bruce Dart telling Tulsa World...
Noting a significant increase in cases, Dr. Dart says he's...
...including...
Acknowledging the risk, the campaign is now requiring
anyone who attends to sign a liability waiver,
giving up their right to hold the campaign
or venue responsible if they contract the virus.
Okay, look, I know that social distancing
has been falling out of fashion recently, but...
it's one thing for people to be gathering outdoors,
wearing masks, to fight against police brutality
and racial oppression-- it's another thing
for thousands of people to gather indoors,
probably without masks, to watch a boxing match
between a man's mouth and his brain.
I mean, the fact that Trump is making attendees agree
to not sue him if they get coronavirus at his rally
should be a pretty good signal
that this whole thing is a bad idea.
It also shows you how full of shit Trump has been
about coronavirus this whole time.
Yeah. Because what does the contract even say?
"Promise not to sue me if you get this deadly disease,
"which is basically a hoax and not that bad,
but totally under control, and you can cure it with bleach"?
Also, how is Donald Trump gonna tell other people
they can't sue him?
That is the most hypocritical thing I've ever heard.
Suing people is Trump's favorite thing in the entire world.
As we speak, the man is suing Yankee Candles
for not having a hot dog scent.
So, either way, it looks like this Trump rally
is officially happening, coronavirus be damned.
And if you are planning on going to this rally,
I mean, go with God, but just remember...
every time Trump makes you sign something in advance,
it means you're about to get screwed.