NEW YORK — Embattled New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday resigned.

Cuomo announced his resignation a week after state Attorney General Leticia James released a damning report that concluded he sexually harassed 11 women.

The report implicates Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David — a previous Cuomo counselor — as part of a coordinated effort to discredit one of the women who accused the soon-to-be-former governor of sexual harassment. HRC on Monday announced it will conduct an independent review of David.

Roberta Kaplan, a lawyer who successfully argued against the Defense of Marriage Act before the U.S. Supreme Court, on Monday resigned from the Time’s Up board of directors after James’ report indicated she reviewed and read an op-ed that sought to discredit one of Cuomo’s accusers.

The op-ed was not published.

Lieutenant Gov. Kathy Hochul will succeed Cuomo once his resignation takes effect in two weeks.

Chris Johnson contributed to this report.

CHARLOTTE N.C. – In a unanimous vote Monday, the City Council of Charlotte, North Carolina passed a non-discriminations ordinance that would establish clear protections from discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, natural hairstyle, and more in key areas of life, including public spaces and private employment.

Speaking to reporters after the ordinance was passed, Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said she was pleased that the city council vote worked out which reflected the best decision for the city.

“When you look at the track record for this council to have authentic debates about things that will make a difference in this community they have stepped up and done it in every way and I am really appreciative of that,” WCNC NBC 36 Charlotte reported.

In an email, Adam Polaski, Communications Director for Asheville N.C. based the Campaign for Southern Equality, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, reflected that the City Council’s unanimous – and with bipartisan support – passage of a nondiscrimination ordinance that protects LGBTQ residents is a major turnaround since 2016, when the Council’s nondiscrimination ordinance passed and triggered the North Carolina General Assembly to pass HB2.

HB2, at the time, was the worst anti-LGBTQ bill in the country, specifically targeting transgender people. It was ostensibly written to require that people used public restrooms corresponding to their birth gender, although it also baked in a host of other anti-LGBTQ components.

The law spurred a wave of criticism for state lawmakers. And in addition to the hit on NC’s image, the bill cost the state an estimated $3.76 billion in economic activity as companies, sports leagues, and entertainers avoided NC following its passage.

“Tonight is a win, not only for the LGBTQ community, but for all Charlotteans. We are only as strong as the least protected, and this expanded ordinance is a milestone toward equality in the Queen City. We applaud City Council for their bipartisan collaboration in passing this comprehensive ordinance and honor the advocates who have tirelessly sacrificed for this moment,” Bethany Corrigan, the Executive Director of Transcend Charlotte said in a statement.

There came this reaction from Rell Lowery, Community Outreach Director for Charlotte Black Pride, who said:

“Charlotte is the second most dangerous city in the country for transgender and gender nonconforming people – especially Black transgender women. With today’s vote, the Charlotte City Council committed to making the city a safer place to live and work for LGBTQ people and people of color. It is an important and long overdue full-circle moment, granting LGBTQ Charlotteans the legal protections that we always needed and deserved.”

Charlotte’s new bill will make it illegal for people to be discriminated against for things like their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, familial status, veteran status, pregnancy, or natural hairstyle. The new bill does not regulate bathrooms, WCNC also reported

As part of the discrimination protections, it will also extend to employment applying to all employers in the city of Charlotte even those with less than 15 employees.

The ordinance applies to employers of all sizes in the city of Charlotte. Existing state and federal laws prohibit discrimination against protected classes by employers with 15 or more employees.

— City of Charlotte (@CLTgov) August 9, 2021

“Throughout 2021, communities have come together to affirm that no one should face discrimination – and the vote tonight in Charlotte will double down on that undeniable momentum for LGBTQ equality. The passage of these protections, which include provisions for natural hair, sexual orientation, and gender identity, indicate strong progress for racial and social justice,” Kendra R. Johnson, Executive Director of Equality NC, said.  “Small towns, mid-sized cities, counties, and now the largest city in North Carolina have all taken steps to protect LGBTQ people and illustrate that NC is ready for these protections statewide.”

MOUNT RAINIER, Md. — More than 250 Catholic leaders in the U.S. have endorsed efforts to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination.

A statement that New Ways Ministry, a Maryland-based group that ministers to LGBTQ Catholics, released on Monday notes “our Catholic faith compels us to speak out in support of the principle of nondiscrimination.”

“Nondiscrimination would alleviate the personal suffering of LGBTQ people, provide them equal access to our society’s opportunities, and, in many cases, save lives,” reads the statement. “Ending discrimination of this type would also benefit the common good of all people in our society. If LGBTQ people were allowed to flourish as full human beings and as equal citizens, our communal, cultural and social life would be greatly enhanced by their gifts.”

The statement notes “scripture strongly affirms that God hears and responds to the cry of the poor and suffering.”

“Society’s failure to protect LGBTQ people has left them crying out for justice,” it adds. “As disciples of Jesus Christ, we too must hear and respond to this cry by pursuing policies and laws that remedy such grave injustices. To do any less would abdicate our responsibility as Christians to live the Gospel in public life by advancing the good of all people, especially those on the margins.”

“The time has come to remedy this grave injustice, and our Catholic tradition holds the tools to fix this problem,” concludes the statement.

“As Catholic theologians, scholars, church leaders, writers and ministers, we care deeply about our church and our society. Our strong endorsement of nondiscrimination towards LGBTQ people comes from careful reflection on scripture, our church’s tradition and teachings, our academic studies and our experience of the lives of LGBTQ people,” it reads. “In these sources, we witness the Holy Spirit speaking through them to guide us to live more faithfully the Gospel mandate to pursue justice by hearing and responding to the cry of the poor and marginalized.”

Jeannine Gramick, co-founder of New Ways Ministry, and New Ways Ministry Executive Director Francis DeBernardo are among those who signed the statement. Georgetown University’s LGBTQ Resource Center is one of the dozens of organizations that have endorsed it.

New Ways Ministry released the statement against the backdrop of laws in Florida and other states that target transgender student athletes. The statement also coincides with the Vatican’s more moderate tone on LGBTQ-specific issues under Pope Francis’ papacy.

Francis last fall publicly endorsed civil unions for same-sex couples.

The pontiff has said gay men and lesbians should not be marginalized. The Vatican in 2020 gave money to a group of trans sex workers in Italy during the country’s coronavirus lockdown, but church teachings on homosexuality and gender identity remain unchanged.

“The relationship between the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church and the community of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) persons has long been fraught with tensions, negative emotions, and confusion,” reads the New Ways Ministry statement. “Harsh statements from high-ranking church leaders against LGBTQ equality initiatives in the civil arena have often succeeded in limiting the rights of LGBTQ people, causing great offense and allowing great social and personal harm to befall this marginalized community.”

“Equally alarming to us as Catholics is that a vocal section of our church leaders too often does not fully consider Catholicism’s most fundamental teachings and values when taking positions on LGBTQ social policy initiatives,” it adds. “By supporting civic policies that promote discrimination and by opposing policies that would produce equality, these leaders bypass the Catholic Church’s proud social justice tradition, the product of more than a century’s development of social doctrine that increasingly supports the human rights of all people without exception.”