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2021-2022

Mallory McMorrow Responds to Lana Theis' Lies

"I am the biggest threat to your hollow, hateful scheme."
-Mallory McMorrow
 

A video of Michigan state Senator Mallory McMorrow hitting back against a claim she wants to "groom and sexualize" children was viewed more than one million times on social media.

Michigan state Senator Lana Theis, a Republican, made the claim in a fundraising email, writing that McMorrow, a Democrat, and others are "outraged they can't...groom and sexualize kindergarteners or that 8-year-olds are responsible for slavery," Michigan Advance reported. The e-mail came after McMorrow walked out of the Senate during an invocation by Theis.

In recent weeks, some conservatives have accused people who want to educate students about LGBTQ issues of being "groomers" and trying to sexualize children—a claim condemned by many as a homophobic attack.

Gay Alabama Lawmaker’s Rant Goes Viral as Republicans Criminalize Trans-Friendly Doctors

“In one breathtakingly cruel and cowardly day, the Alabama legislature passed the single most anti-transgender legislative package in history."

Florida Governor Signs Controversial Don't-Say-Gay Bill Into Law

"This cruel legislation is an affront to our Nation’s cherished values and sends a harmful message to our children. Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida Republicans have chosen to needlessly bully, isolate and demean LGBTQ students. I am deeply moved by the thousands of students who have spoken up and walked out to protest this bigoted legislation. House Democrats proudly stand with them, and we will continue fighting to enact long overdue protections for LGBTQ Americans – starting with the Equality Act."
-Nancy Pelosi

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed the Parental Rights in Education bill, dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill by critics. The bill bans classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade and states that any instruction on those topics cannot occur "in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards," according to the legislation, HB 1557.

"We will make sure that parents can send their kids to school to get an education, not an indoctrination," DeSantis said before signing the bill Monday. The legislation states that the Florida Department of Education would have to update its standards in accordance with the requirements. Under this bill, parents can also decline any mental, emotional and physical health services available to their children at school, and schools will be required to notify parents of their child's use of school health services unless there is reason to believe "that disclosure would subject the student to abuse, abandonment or neglect."

Parents could sue their school district if they believe there is a violation of any of these requirements or restrictions. The bill is expected to go into effect July 1, 2022.

"I think the last couple years have really revealed to parents that they are being ignored increasingly across our country when it comes to their kids education. We have seen curriculum embedded for very, very young children, classroom materials about sexuality and woke gender ideology. We've seen libraries that have clearly inappropriate pornographic materials for very young kids," DeSantis claimed at the signing.

The bill has stirred debate and controversy nationwide. Critics say that this ban is aimed at ridding classrooms of LGBTQ content and discussion. They say it will harm LGBTQ youth by shunning representation and inclusion in classrooms, putting the mental health and safety of this group at risk. "Let us be clear: Should its vague language be interpreted in any way that causes harm to a single child, teacher or family, we will lead legal action against the State of Florida to challenge this bigoted legislation," local LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Florida said in a statement.

They also said erasing the presence of the LGBTQ community from lessons implies students should be ashamed or should suppress their gender identity or sexual orientation. Legislators against the bill argued that students are aware of gender identity and sexual orientation at a young age and said schools should be allowed to offer spaces to discuss these topics. The Biden administration has denounced the legislation and met with LGBTQ youth and their families in the state.

"Laws around the country, including in Florida, have targeted and sought to bully some of our most vulnerable students and families and create division in our schools," Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a statement. He added: "My message to you is that this administration won't stand for bullying or discrimination of any kind, and we will use our authorities to protect, support and provide opportunities for LGBTQ students and all students."
 

Supporters of the bill say that these discussions and decisions should be left to the parents. "What we're preventing is a school district deciding they're going to create a curriculum to insert themselves," Rep. Joe Harding, the sponsor of the bill, said. He added, "Families are families. Let the families be families. The school district doesn't need to insert themselves at that point when children are still learning how to read and do basic math."

"This bill is not intended to hurt students," added Florida state Sen. Kelli Stargel in debate on the legislation. "This bill is not intended to out gay children. This bill is intended to strengthen the family."

More than six in 10 Americans oppose legislation that would prohibit classroom lessons about sexual orientation or gender identity in elementary school, a recent poll found.

[Source: Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, March 2022]

Florida Governor Signs Controversial Don't-Say-Gay Bill Into Law

Enabling Hate: Fla. Gov. DeSantis Signs Historic Don't-Say-Gay Bill

ABC News: What is the Don't-Say-Gay Law?

Florida Gov Says Those Opposing Don’t-Say-Gay Bill Complicit In Pedophilia

LGBTQ Group Sues Florida Over Don't-Say-Gay Law
Don’t-Say-Gay Bill Signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
Florida's Governor Signs Controversial Anti-LGBTQ Law

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Signs Bill Limiting LGBTQ Classroom Instruction
Homophobic and Transphobic Lies are Now the Basis for Florida Law
Billboards Across Florida Encourage People to Say Gay

More States Are Now Pushing for Don't-Say-Gay Bills and Censorship Laws

Poll: Most Americans Oppose Laws Prohibiting Elementary School LGBTQ Lessons
I'm Gay by Randy Rainbow

Judge Says: Kim Davis Violated Same-Sex Couples' Rights by Refusing Marriage Licenses

Davis claims she was acting on God's authority to deny marriage licenses...

and to illegally impose her personal religious beliefs on other people...

Kim Davis — the former clerk in Kentucky whose refusal to sign marriage certificates for same-sex couples grabbed national headlines in 2015 — violated their constitutional rights, a federal judge found. The decision leaves open the question of whether the former clerk is responsible for the legal fees of the two couples who sued and other monetary damages that have accrued over the nearly seven years of legal back-and-forth. A jury will decide whether Davis is liable for those fees and other damages, which likely stands around hundreds of thousands of dollars.

"After seven years, Judge Bunning finally ruled that Kim Davis intentionally violated our constitutional rights," David Ermold remarked. He is one of the people initially denied a marriage license by Davis. "Now, the question is will they hold her financially responsible for the insensitive and irrational legal mess that SHE created," he said. "It feels like seven years of legal purgatory."

The Liberty Counsel, which represents Davis, says it "will continue to argue that she is not liable for damages because she was entitled to a religious accommodation," which Governor Mat Bevin and the legislature granted.  "Davis argues that a finding of liability would violate the First Amendment Free Exercise of Religion," says the counsel, a religious liberty organization that litigates cases involving evangelical Christian values.

The legal battle started in 2015 when Davis, in her capacity of a county clerk, defied the Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges. It's the landmark decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. She said distributing marriage licenses to such couples went against her beliefs as a member of the Apostolic Church, arguing that she could not give them a marriage license "under God's authority."  Her refusal quickly drew support from social conservatives and anger from same-sex marriage advocates.

Ermold and now-husband David Moore were denied marriage licenses three times, and another couple — James Yates and Will Smith — were denied licenses four times. A deputy clerk finally approved their licenses while Davis spent five days in jail for contempt of court.  Both couples say the ordeal has caused mental anguish and emotional harm, among other issues.

[Source: Jaclyn Diaz, National Public Radio, March 2022]

NPR: Judge Says Kim Davis Violated Same-Sex Couples' Rights by Refusing Marriage Licenses

USA Today: Judge Rules Kim Davis, who denied same-sex marriage licenses in Kentucky, violated couples' rights
NBC: Judge Rules Against Kentucky Clerk Who Denied Same-Sex Marriage Licenses

CBS: Former Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis Violated Rights of Same-Sex Couples, Judge Rules
CNN: Federal Judge Rules Kim Davis Violated Rights When She Refused Marriage Licenses Same-Sex Couples in 2015
Rolling Stone: Clerk Who Denied Marriage Licenses to Gay Couples Violated Constitutional Rights, Finds Federal Judge
LGBTQ Nation: Judge Rules Former KY Clerk Kim Davis Violated Constitutional Rights of Same-Sex Marriage Couples
 

Violence Against Women Act Expands Services to LGBTQ Survivors

“No one, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, should experience abuse. Period. And if they do, they should have the service and support to get through it, and we’re not going to rest.”
-President Joe Biden

The Violence Against Women Act, reauthorized in the spending bill signed into law by President Joe Biden, now for the first time includes a grant program designed to aid LGBTQ survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.

The act has for some years has barred service providers from discriminating based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity, but the reauthorized version does much more, activists note. “This Act creates the first grant program dedicated to expanding and developing initiatives specifically for LGBTQ domestic violence and sexual assault survivors,” said a statement from Liz Seaton, the National LGBTQ Task Force’s policy director. “Our sister organization, the National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund, participated in a working group on bill language and advocated for its passage.”

“This legislation has the strongest-ever provisions to benefit LGBTQ survivors,” added Beverly Tillery, executive director of the New York City Anti-Violence Project, which coordinates the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs. “While the LGBTQ community continues to experience a barrage of anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ attacks across the nation, VAWA provides a brief moment of hope that we can and will continue to make important advancements for our community. This victory is the result of a strong coalition of advocates who have been willing to fight with and for the most marginalized communities in our country.”

At an event celebrating the VAWA reuauthorization, Biden noted, “No one, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, should experience abuse. Period. And if they do, they should have the service and support to get through it, and we’re not going to rest.”

VAWA was first passed in 1994. Biden helped write it when he was a US Senator. It requires reauthorization every five years, but it lapsed in 2019, largely due to partisan disputes over whether to include a provision banning gun ownership by dating partners and stalkers who have been convicted of domestic violence. The current law bans this for those who have been spouses of victims, and Democrats agreed to drop the expansion of the ban in order to get the reauthorization passed. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin said it was a “tough choice” to drop that, but the level of support needed was simply not there.

[Source: Trudy Ring, Advocate, March 2022]

Violence Against Women Act Expands Services to LGBTQ Survivors

Don't-Say-Gay Legislation Moves Forward
 

The Florida legislature has passed the controversial Don’t-Say-Gay bill and sent it to Gov. Ron DeSantis to sign. The Florida Senate voted 22-17 in favor of the bill. Republicans Jeffrey Brandes and Jennifer Bradley joined Democratic senators in voting against it.

The vote came after the Senate rejected a series of amendments. Republican leadership made clear no amendments softening the language in the law would be considered because the chamber wanted to send the bill directly to DeSantis. The legislation prohibits instruction about sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade and places a vague requirement of “age-appropriate” instruction in all grade levels.

Republican Sen. Dennis Baxley argued the bill will only increase parental involvement in children’s schooling. On the Senate floor, Baxley expressed concern about the rise in the number of students coming out as LGBTQ while still in school. He discussed the subject recently with his son, a psychologist. “Why is everybody now all about coming out when you are in school?” he said. “There really is a dynamic of concern about how much of this are genuine type of experiences and how many of them are just kids trying on different kinds of things they hear about and different kinds of identities and experimenting."

Baxley said many are trying to find some outside explanation for the number of children coming out at earlier ages. “Some of it is I’m sure cultural shift of what’s accepted and that kind of thing. But I know some of it is just the confusion kids go through, particularly when you go to middle school and high school,” he said.  Senate amendments from Democrats and one Republican, the libertarian-leaning Sen. Jeffrey Brandes, tried to change the bill in a number of ways, including focusing on actual sexual content, which isn’t covered in the bill at all.

"Kids don't turn queer because a teacher told them that queer people exist. They turn queer because their older sister's best friend gave them Ani DiFranco's first two albums on cassette.  Everyone knows this."

Biden: Government Standing Up to Hateful Transgender Bills
 

Russia Invades Ukraine
 

“The prayers of the entire world are with the people of Ukraine tonight as they suffer an unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces. President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering. Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its Allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way. The world will hold Russia accountable.”

-Joe Biden, US President

“Russia’s launch of a premeditated war against the sovereign nation of Ukraine is an attack on democracy and a grave violation of international law, global peace and security. Putin’s unprovoked actions will cause devastating loss of life and a diminishing of Russia in the world order. The United States Congress joins President Biden and all Americans in praying for the Ukrainian people.”
-Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House

"Who in the Lord’s name does Putin think gives him the right to declare new so-called countries on territory that belonged to his neighbors? This is a flagrant violation of international law, and it demands a firm response from the international community."
-Joe Biden, US President

"Putin is a genius. He's pretty smart.  He's going to go in and be a peacekeeper.  Here's a guy who's very savvy.  I know him well.  Very very well."

-Donald Trump

Russia Attacks Ukraine
World Leaders Condemn Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

LGBTQ Ukrainians Prepare for Abuse Under Russian Occupation
Info: Russian Invasion of Ukraine

Biden Condemns Unprovoked and Unjustified Russian Military Operation
Trump Sides With Putin as Biden Tries to Stop a War

Remarks by President Biden Announcing Response to Russian Actions in Ukraine

Anti-War Protests in Solidarity With Ukraine Around the World

Joe Biden Denounces Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine
Trump's Response to Putin's Invasion of Ukraine Reveals Divisions Among Republicans
President Biden Remarks on Russian Invasion of Ukraine

Standing on the Side of Russia: Pro-Putin Sentiment Spreads Online

After marinating in conspiracy theories and Donald Trump’s Russia stance, some online discourse about Vladimir Putin has grown more complimentary. The day before Russia invaded Ukraine, former President Trump called the wartime strategy of President Putin “pretty smart.” His remarks were posted on YouTube, Twitter and the messaging app Telegram, where they were viewed more than 1.3 million times.

Right-wing commentators including Candace Owens, Stew Peters and Joe Oltmann also jumped into the fray online with posts that were favorable to Putin and that rationalized his actions against Ukraine. “I’ll stand on the side of Russia right now,” Mr. Oltmann, a conservative podcaster, said on his show this week.  And in Telegram groups like The Patriot Voice and Facebook groups including Texas for Trump 2020, members criticized President Biden’s handling of the conflict and expressed support for Russia, with some saying they trusted Putin more than Biden.

The online conversations reflect how pro-Russia sentiment has increasingly penetrated Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, right-wing podcasts, messaging apps like Telegram and some conservative media. As Russia attacked Ukraine this week, those views spread, infusing the online discourse over the war with sympathy (and even approval) for the aggressor.

The positive Russia comments are an extension of the culture wars and grievance politics that have animated the right in the United States in the past few years. In some of these circles, Putin carries a strongman appeal, viewed as someone who gets his way and does not let political correctness stop him. “Putin embodies the strength that Trump pretended to have,” said Emerson T. Brooking, a resident senior fellow for the Atlantic Council who studies digital platforms. “For these individuals, Putin’s actions aren’t a tragedy — they’re a fantasy fulfilled.”

Support for Putin and Russia is now being expressed online in a jumble of facts, observations and opinions, sometimes entwined with lies. In recent days, commenters have complimented Putin and falsely accused NATO of violating nonexistent territorial agreements with Russia, which they said justified the Russian president’s declaration of war on Ukraine.

The pro-Russia sentiment is a stark departure from during the Cold War, when the Soviet Union was viewed by many Americans as a foe. In recent years, that attitude shifted, partly helped along by interference from Russia. Before the 2016 US presidential election, Kremlin-backed groups used social networks like Facebook to inflame American voters, creating more divisions and resistance to political correctness.

After Trump was elected, he often appeared favorable to (and even admiring of) Putin. That seeded a more positive view of Putin among Trump’s supporters, misinformation researchers said. “Putin has invested heavily in sowing discord” and found an ally in Trump, said Melissa Ryan, the chief executive of Card Strategies, a consulting firm that researches disinformation. “Anyone who studies disinformation or the far right has seen the influence of Putin’s investment take hold.”  The Russia-Ukraine war is now being viewed by some Americans through the lens of conspiracy theories, misinformation researchers said. Lisa Kaplan, the founder of Alethea Group, a company that helps fight online misinformation, said the pro-Russia statements were potentially harmful because it could “further legitimize false or misleading claims” about the Ukraine conflict “in the eyes of the American people.”

Not all online discourse is pro-Russia, and Putin’s actions have been condemned by conservative social media users, mainstream commentators and Republican politicians, even as some have criticized how Biden has handled the conflict.  “Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is reckless and evil,” Representative Kevin McCarthy, the House Republican leader, said.  And Representative Adam Kinzinger, a Republican from Illinois who was censured recently by the Republican Party for participating in the committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection, criticized House Republicans for attacking Biden, tweeting that it “feeds into Putin’s narrative.”

The growing appreciation for Putin was captured in recent polling from the Economist and YouGov, which showed he was viewed more favorably by Republicans than Biden. Another recent poll from Yahoo News and YouGov found that 62 percent of Republicans believed Putin was a “stronger leader” than Biden.  That sentiment was echoed in an informal poll online, when a QAnon influencer asked followers in the Patriot Voice group on Telegram if they trusted Putin. Nearly everyone who responded to the question said the same thing: yes.

[Source: Davey Alba, Stuart Thompson, Ben Decker, New York Times, Feb 2022]
 

Russia Attacks Ukraine
World Leaders Condemn Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

LGBTQ Ukrainians Prepare for Abuse Under Russian Occupation
Info: Russian Invasion of Ukraine

Biden Condemns Unprovoked and Unjustified Russian Military Operation
Trump Sides With Putin as Biden Tries to Stop a War

Remarks by President Biden Announcing Response to Russian Actions in Ukraine

Anti-War Protests in Solidarity With Ukraine Around the World

Joe Biden Denounces Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine
Trump's Response to Putin's Invasion of Ukraine Reveals Divisions Among Republicans
President Biden Remarks on Russian Invasion of Ukraine
 

Gallup Poll: Twice as Many LGBTQ Americans
 

A February 2022 survey from Gallup shows that, a decade after a 2012 poll showing that 3.5% of Americans identified as LGBTQ, twice as many Americans now identify as LGBTQ. Driven largely by Gen Z, the latest poll shows that 7.1% of America's population now identifies as something other than heterosexual and/or cisgender.

The change reflects generational comfort levels with regard to stepping out of the closet. More than 1 in 5, or 21 percent, of Generation Z adults identify as LGBTQ, Gallup found. That's almost double the proportion of millennials, who are 26 to 41, at 10.5 percent, and nearly five times the proportion of Generation X, who are 42 to 57, at 4.2 percent.

Less than 3 percent of baby boomers, who are 58 to 76, identify as LGBTQ, compared to just 0.8 percent of traditionalists, who are 77 or older. Not only is the trend increasing with each generational cohort — it's also accelerating, at least within the ranks of Millennials and, especially, Gen Z Americans.  The percentage of Generation Z adults who are queer has almost doubled since 2017 — jumping from 10.5 percent in 2017 to 20.8 percent. The rise shows that younger Gen Zers, who have turned 18 since 2017, are more likely than older Gen Zers to identify as queer.

The poll also suggested that bisexual people constitute the largest single subset of the LGBTQ rainbow. Here, too, Gen Z led the way, with a whopping 15% of respondents from that age group saying they were bi.

But the cultural landscape is not monolithic. While 70 percent of Americans support same-sex marriage rights, and a majority also support nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people, a "Values and Beliefs" survey from 2021 saw a noticeable decline in acceptance for trans people serving openly in the Armed Forces as compared to a poll from only two years earlier.

Trans athletes, the target of an ongoing and record-shattering rash of hostile legislation, were also a notable subject in that 62 percent of Americans say trans athletes should only be allowed to play on sports teams that correspond with the sex they were assigned at birth, according to last year's poll.

[Source: NBC News, February 2022]
 

Gallup Poll: Twice as Many Americans Now Identify as LGBTQ

LGBTQ Identification in US Ticks Up to 7.1%
New Poll: Record 7.1% of US Adults Now Identify as LGBTQ
Percentage of LGBTQ Adults in US has Doubled over Past Decade
LGBTQ Adult Population in United States Reaches 20 Million

LGBTQ Olympic Athletes at 2022 Bejing Winter Games
 

Beijing is hosting the XXIV Olympic Winter Games, February 2022, and it’s not just COVID complicating China’s plans for a seamless event. Numerous countries, including the United States, have announced a diplomatic boycott of the games (a move that keeps those countries’ government officials from attending), mainly because of China’s alleged abuses against the Uighurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities in the northwest part of the nation. Additionally, the Chinese government continues to vilify its LGBTQ citizens, going so far as to ban “sissy men” from TV last year. Even if most Chinese athletes are forced to compete in the closet, numerous queer athletes from around the world will represent their countries (and the LGBTQ community) at the Games.

There are at least 35 openly LGBTQ athletes competing at the Beijing 2022 Games, more than double the number at PyeongChang, South Korea, in 2018 (15) and five times the number at Sochi, Russia, in 2014 (7).

The athletes (representing 15 countries) will compete in nine different sports, including ice hockey (12), figure skating (10), skeleton (3), skiing (3) and snowboarding (2).

With at least seven out players, Canada’s women’s ice hockey team is sending more openly LGBTQ athletes to Beijing than any other country is for its total delegation (it is also sending two out figure skaters and one biathlete), with the US (6) and Great Britain (4) sending the second and third most, respectively.

LGBTQ Advocates Fight Measure to Ban Sexual/Gender Identity Talk in Schools

"You are purposefully making your state a harder place for LGBTQ kids to survive in"

Gay Fashion Icon André Leon Talley is Dead at Age 73

Iconic Actor and Longtime LGBTQ Ally Betty White has Died at 99

"Don't try to be young. Just open your mind and stay interested in stuff. There are so many things I won't live long enough to find out about, but I'm still curious about them."
-Betty White

Canadian MPs Vote to Ban LGBTQ Conversion Therapy
Canada Bans Conversion Therapy, a Practice Trudeau Calls Despicable and Degrading
We'll Always Stand Up for Our LGBTQ Residents: Canada Bans Conversion Therapy
Canada Bans Conversion Therapy
French Parliament Bans LGBTQ Conversion Therapy

Stephen Sondheim, Musical Theater Legend, Dead at 91

The gay composer and lyricist of greats like Into the Woods and Company died suddenly after reportedly spending Thanksgiving with friends. Out songwriter and composer Stephen Sondheim died November 2021 at the age of 91. Sondheim’s work reshaped American musical theater and has influenced generations of songwriters.

His death was announced by his lawyer and friend, Richard Pappas, according to The New York Times. Pappas said Sondheim wasn’t known to be ill, and his death was sudden. The Broadway legend had spent Thanksgiving with some friends, Pappas said.

NBC: Navy Launches Ship Named for Gay Rights Leader Harvey Milk
Video: Navy Launches Ship Named for Pioneering Gay San Francisco Leader Harvey Milk

Election Day Produces LGBTQ Firsts Around the Nation

State and local elections in Nov 2021 yielded some notable LGBTQ firsts and some important reelections.

Detroit elected its first out queer woman to its City Council. Gabriela Santiago-Romero, who grew up in the city after immigrating from Mexico, was elected from District 6, easily defeating Hector Santiago (no relation); there was no incumbent in the race. She is a Democrat, but City Council elections are officially nonpartisan. A longtime community organizer, she is the first Latinx woman from the LGBTQ community to be elected in the state of Michigan.

Cleveland also elected its first out queer female City Council member, Rebecca Maurer. She narrowly beat incumbent Tony Brancatelli in Ward 12 in a nonpartisan race. She is a lawyer who has focused on housing and consumer law. In Ward 3, incumbent Kerry McCormack, a gay man, was reelected, defeating challenger Ayat Amin.

Transgender man Dion Manley became the first out trans person elected in Ohio by winning an at-large seat on the Gahanna-Jefferson City Schools Board in the suburbs around Columbus. There were just five other trans men in elected office around the nation; one of them, Phillipe Cunningham of the Minneapolis City Council, lost his bid for reelection.

In Pennsylvania, Xander Orenstein won their race for the Allegheny County Magisterial District Court and became the first nonbinary person elected to a judicial position in the United States. In Massachusetts, Thu Nguyen was elected to the Worcester City Council, becoming the first nonbinary person in elected office in that state. Orenstein and Nguyen join nine other out nonbinary elected officials in the US.

Christopher Coburn, a queer man, was elected to the Bozeman City Commission in Montana, making him the first Black member of the LGBTQ community to be elected in that state. Coburn was appointed to the commission in April to fill a vacancy left by Michael Wallner’s resignation, while having to run for election in November to determine if he would serve the remaining two years of Wallner’s term. Coburn is one of just seven out LGBTQ elected officials in Montana.

While Cunningham was not reelected in Minneapolis, Black trans woman Andrea Jenkins easily won reelection to the City Council there. She and Cunningham were both originally elected in 2017. She represents Ward 8, which includes George Floyd Square.

“In the wake of George Floyd’s death, it was Councilor Jenkins who led the fight for racial and social justice,” JoDee Winterhof, senior vice president of policy and political affairs at the Human Rights Campaign, said in a press release. “She understands firsthand the challenges facing transgender people today, especially transgender women of color. She has never stopped fighting on behalf of those on the margins of society and against the systemic racism and injustices that pervade our world. We congratulate her on her victory tonight. We look forward to continuing to work with her in the years to come.”

[Source: Trudy Ring, Advocate, November 2021]
 

US Will Now Have 1,000 Out Elected Officials in Historic First
LGBTQ Candidates Celebrate Historic Election Firsts Across the Country
After Election, More Than 1,000 LGBTQ Officials Will Serve in the US
Election Day Produces LGBTQ Firsts Around the Nation

Most of Salt Lake City’s City Council Will be LGBTQ People Now
Danica Roem Reelected in Virginia: Longest-Serving Out Trans Official
There are Only 5 Black Trans Elected Officials Across the Entire United States
 

Dr. Rachel Levine Is Now First Trans 4-Star Admiral in US History

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced in Oct 2021 that the nation’s first openly transgender four-star officer across any of the eight uniformed services of the United States.

Admiral Rachel Levine, who serves as the HHS Assistant Secretary for Health and head of the US Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps, was ceremonially sworn in as a four-star admiral. Admiral Levine now serves as the highest-ranking official in the USPHS Commissioned Corps and its first-ever female four-star admiral. Admiral Levine will lead 6,000 Public Health Service officers who are dedicated to serving our nation’s most underserved and vulnerable populations.

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said that making Levine an admiral is a proud moment for HHS. “She is a highly accomplished pediatrician who helps drive our agency’s agenda to boost health access and equity and to strengthen behavioral health,” Secretary Becerra explained. “She is a cherished and critical partner in our work to build a healthier America.

In response to becoming a four-star officer, Levine said, “This is a momentous occasion, and I am both humbled and pleased to take this role for the impact I can make, and for the historic nature of what it symbolizes. May this appointment be the first of many like it as we create a more inclusive future.”

In a recent interview, Levine provided an update to all the work she’s been doing during the first six months of her tenure as Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services. “I’m very much enjoying the job. We have a fantastic staff, and Secretary Becerra is wonderful, sincere, and compassionate. I love collaboration, and that collaboration for the issues we’re working on extends all the way up to the president and vice president, and that’s something that Americans of every stripe should take great comfort with.”

[Source: John Casey, Advocate, Oct 2021]

Call Her Admiral Rachel Levine Now
Dr. Rachel Levine Is Now First Trans 4-Star Admiral in US History
Rachel Levine, Nation’s Highest-Ranking Openly Transgender Official, Sworn in as Four-Star Admiral
Dr. Rachel Levine: First Transgender Four-Star Officer Across All Uniformed Service Branches
 

What's Going On In Texas?

How ignorant, irresponsible and hateful can Texas become?  For starters, Texas has Senator Ted Cruz and Governor Greg Abbott and lots of other conservative republican politicians.  Texas is pro-gun and anti-abortion.  Texas doesn't believe in the climate crisis.  But, it had a huge power outage, caused by unexpected severe weather, which it handled badly.  Texas banned vaccine and mask mandates.  Texas pretty much banned all abortions.  Texas now officially has more legislative control over vaginas than guns. Texas is also anti-LGBTQ.  Texas is trying to restrict trans youth from high school sports.  And now, surprise surprise, they're trying to remove transgender protections....

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services has been accused of removing a web page featuring information about a suicide prevention hotline for LGBTQ youth after one of Gov. Greg Abbot’s primary challengers criticized him for having it up.

Challenger Don Huffines posted a video where he accused the child welfare agency of “promoting transgender sexual policies to Texas youth.” The web page was quickly removed. “These are not Texas values, these are not Republican Party values, but these are obviously Greg Abbott’s values,” Huffines said.  The website for the Texas Youth Connection, part of Family and Protective Services, was also taken down. The site pointed young people in foster care not only to the resources found on the LGBTQ web page but also to housing and education assistance.

In a recent tweet, Huffines boasted about the web page’s removal. “I told Texans I would get this DFPS website taken down and stop Greg Abbott from using our tax dollars to promote transgender ideology,” Huffines wrote. He added that the reporting about the removal “shows I kept my promise.”  And “We’re just getting started,” he wrote. While the governor’s office declined to comment on the removal of the webpage, public records requests by the Houston Chronicle show the office had discussed the page after Huffines’s initial social media post.

A spokesperson for Family and Protective Services, Patrick Crimmins, contacted the person who oversaw the page, Darrell Azar. “Darrell — please note we may need to take that page down, or somehow revise content,” wrote Crimmins. “The state is responsible for these kids’ lives, yet it intentionally removed a way for them to find help when they need it the most,” said Ricardo Martinez, chief executive of advocacy group Equality Texas, according to the Associated Press. “This action is unconscionable, and it reminds us that political aspirations are part of every attack on LGBTQ kids in Texas.”

Texas has pushed several anti-LGBTQ bills this year. One is heading to a final vote soon and would ban trans student athletes from joining sports teams that align with their gender identity. Earlier this year, Abbott asked the child welfare agency’s commissioner to determine if gender affirmation surgery on minors was child abuse. The commissioner released a memo agreeing with Abbott.  LGBTQ advocates point out that such surgeries are extremely rare for youth.

The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ youth, stated that the organization had received more than 4,000 crisis contacts from trans and nonbinary youth in Texas this year. That number is a 150 percent jump from last year. “The Trevor Project’s crisis counselors have been hearing from transgender and nonbinary youth in Texas who are scared and worried about anti-trans laws being debated in their state — and some have even expressed suicidal thoughts. This is a crisis,” the Trevor Project’s CEO and executive director, Amit Paley, said in a release at the time.

If you or someone you know needs help or support, the Trevor Project’s counselors are available 24/7 at (866) 488-7386, via chat at TheTrevorProject.org/Help, or by texting START to 678678.

[Source: Alex Cooper, Advocate, October 2021]

Texas House OK's Anti-Trans Sports Bill, Senate Passage Likely
Texas Removes Access to Youth LGBTQ Suicide Hotline and Resource Page

Human Rights Campaign Condemns Texas House Passage of Discriminatory Anti-Trans Sports Ban
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Orders Ban on COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates
Federal Judge Blocks Enforcement of Texas Abortion Law
Texas Lawmaker Argues Same-Sex Marriage Is Still Illegal in the State
Lawmaker Wants Texas to Allow People Option Not to Recognize Marriage Equality
Texas School District Suspended Male & Nonbinary Students For Having Long Hair
Trans Lives Are Precious: Trucks With a Message for Texas Politicians

Joe Biden Sends Love to LGBTQ People for National Coming Out Day

Today, we celebrate National Coming Out Day and the courage of LGBTQ people who live their lives with pride, create community with open arms and hearts, and showcase the strength of being your authentic self. Today and every day, I want every member of the LGBTQ community to know that you are loved and accepted just the way you are – regardless of whether or not you’ve come out.

My Administration is committed to ensuring that LGBTQ people can live openly, proudly, and freely in every corner of our nation. I am proud to lead an Administration with LGBTQ officials serving openly at the highest levels of government — and prouder that together we have made historic progress advancing protections and equal opportunities for the LGBTQ community. From acting on Day One to prevent and combat discrimination, to enabling all qualified Americans – including transgender Americans – to serve their country in uniform, to defending the human rights of LGBTQ people around the world, my Administration has been clear that we will continue to champion the dignity, equality, and wellbeing of the LGBTQ community.

Despite the extraordinary progress our nation has made, our work to ensure the full promise of equality is not yet done. Anti-LGBTQ bills still proliferate in state legislatures. Bullying and harassment — particularly of young transgender Americans and LGBTQ people of color — still abounds, diminishing our national character. We must continue to stand together against these acts of hate, and stand up to protect the rights, opportunities, physical safety, and mental health of LGBTQ people everywhere. From defeating discriminatory bills to passing the Equality Act, we have more work to do to ensure that every American can live free of fear, harassment, and discrimination because of who they are or whom they love.

To LGBTQ people across the country, and especially those who are contemplating coming out: know that you are loved for who you are, you are admired for your courage, and you will have a community — and a nation — to welcome you. My Administration will always have your back, and we will continue fighting for the full measure of equality, dignity, and respect you deserve.

[Source: President Joe Biden, October 2021]
 

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Liz Cheney Admits She Was Wrong to Oppose Same-Sex Marriage

Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney has said she was “wrong” to oppose marriage equality in the past. The 55-year-old has represented Wyoming’s at-large congressional district since 2017 and is up for re-election in 2022.

While previewing her campaign on 60 Minutes (Sept), she made a surprise detour into comments she made in 2013 against same-sex marriage, which fuelled a rift between her and her sister Mary, who is gay.  Liz told 60 Minutes: “I was wrong, I was wrong."

“I love my sister very much. I love her family very much and I was wrong. It is a very personal issue and very personal for my family. I believe that my family was right. “My sister and I have had that conversation.”

Shocked 60 Minutes host Leslie Stahl replied: “Wow, I was not expecting that.”

“Freedom means freedom for everybody,” Cheney added, quoting her father, former vice president Dick Cheney, who had previously voiced support for marriage equality.

Liz Cheney, who was stripped this year of her position as the third-ranking Republican in the House of Representation for her rallying against Donald Trump’s claims of election fraud, said recently that meeting a trans woman helped give her perspective on her approach to LGBTQ rights.

“We were at an event a few nights ago,” she recalled, “and there was a young woman who said she doesn’t feel safe sometimes because she’s transgender. “Nobody should feel unsafe,” she insisted.

Liz Cheney spoke out against same-sex marriage in 2013, during an unsuccessful run for Senate. During a spot on Fox News she said he believed “in the traditional definition of marriage” – despite her own sister being a lesbian. “I love Mary very much,” Liz said, “I love her family very much. This is just an issue on which we disagree.”

Mary, who is married to Heather Poe and was involved in the Supreme Court effort to legalize marriage equality in California, responded with a public social media post at the time. Writing in a 2013 Facebook post, Mary said her sister opposing her right to marry the person she loves left her feeling like a “second-class citizen”.  She wrote, “Liz, this isn’t just an issue on which we disagree. You’re just wrong.  And on the wrong side of history.”  She later told The New York Times that she would never reconcile with Liz unless she changed her position on marriage equality. The pair had not spoken for months even before her comments.

Overall, support for LGBTQ rights (and marriage equality in particular) has steadily risen in recent years among Republican supporters. Just 30 per cent of Republicans in 2013 were in favor of it. By June 2021, a thumping 55 per cent proudly said they support marriage equality, according to a Gallup poll.

[Source: Josh Milton, Pink News, Sept 2021]

NPR: Liz Cheney Says She Was Wrong In Opposing Same-Sex Marriage
NBC: Rep. Liz Cheney Says She was Wrong to Oppose Same-Sex Marriage
People: After Rift with Gay Sister, Liz Cheney Now Admits She Was Wrong to Oppose Same-Sex Marriage
ABC: Dick Cheney's Daughter Marries Her Partner
Advocate: Mary Cheney Says Sister Liz is Dead Wrong on Marriage Equality
 

Biden at United Nations: We Must Defend LGBTQ Rights

President Joe Biden addressed world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in Sept 2021, where he spoke about the need to protect the rights of LGBTQ people around the world. “We all must defend the rights of LGBTQI individuals so they can live and love openly without fear,” Biden said

“As we pursue diplomacy across the board, the United States will champion the democratic values that go to the very heart of who we are as a nation and a people — freedom, equality, opportunity and a belief in the universal rights of all people,” he added. In his speech, Biden specifically spoke about LGBTQ rights violations in Chechnya and Cameroon. For years, Chechen authorities have organized lethal crackdowns against LGBTQ people in the Russian republic. Earlier this year the Russian LGBTQ Network reported that Chechen men forcibly returned a man to the republic from Moscow and interrogated him about LGBTQ people in the area.

Human Rights Watch reported in April 2021 that authorities in Cameroon had arrested, beaten, or threatened around 24 people for allegedly participating in same-sex conduct or gender nonconformity. The organization noted one person was made to take an HIV test and an anal examination. “These recent arrests and abuses raise serious concerns about a new upsurge in anti-LGBTQ persecution in Cameroon,” said Neela Ghoshal, HRW's associate LGBTQ rights director, at the time. “The law criminalizing same-sex conduct puts LGBTQ people at a heightened risk of being mistreated, tortured, and assaulted without any consequences for the abusers.”

The Biden administration has been open about prioritizing LGBTQ rights in its foreign policy, a shift from the previous administration.  Around 69 UN member states still criminalize consensual same-sex activity, according to the international LGBTQ rights groups ILGA. The group found that at least 34 countries still enforce these policies in 2020.

[Source: Alex Cooper, Advocate, Sept 2021]

Biden at UN: We Must Defend Rights of LGBTQ Individuals
Biden Highlights LGBTQ Rights in UN General Assembly Speech
President Biden Includes LGBTQ Rights In United Nations Address
President Biden Calls for Increased LGBTQ Rights and Equality Around the Globe at UN General Assembly
 

20th Anniversary: Remembering Gay Hero Mark Bingham
 

Mark Bingham (1970-2001) was a gay American rugby player, public relations executive, and founder of the Bingham Group. During the September 11 attacks in 2001, he was a passenger on board United Airlines Flight 93. Bingham was among the passengers who, along with Todd Beamer, Tom Burnett and Jeremy Glick, formed the plan to retake the plane from the hijackers, and led the effort that resulted in the crash of the plane into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, thwarting the hijackers' plan to crash the plane into a building in Washington DC, most likely either the Capitol Building or the White House. Bingham's heroic efforts on United 93, as well as his athletic physique, have been noted for having diminished the gay stereotype.

On the morning of September 11, Bingham overslept and nearly missed his flight, on his way to San Francisco to be an usher in his fraternity brother Joseph Salama's wedding. He arrived at Newark International Airport at 7:40 am, ran to the gate, and was the last passenger to board United Airlines Flight 93, taking a seat next to passenger Tom Burnett.

United Flight 93 was scheduled to depart at 8:00 am, but the Boeing 757 did not depart until 42 minutes later due to runway traffic delays. Four minutes later, American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the World Trade Center's North Tower. Fifteen minutes later, at 9:03 am, as United Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower, United 93 climbed to cruising altitude, heading west over New Jersey and into Pennsylvania. At 9:25 am, Flight 93 was above eastern Ohio, and the pilots received an alert on their ACARS device, "Beware of cockpit intrusion." Three minutes later, air traffic controllers could hear screams over the cockpit's open microphone. Moments later, the hijackers took over the plane's controls and told passengers, "Keep remaining sitting. We have a bomb on board". Bingham and the other passengers were herded into the back of the plane. Within six minutes, the plane changed course and headed for Washington DC.

After the hijackers veered the plane sharply south, the passengers decided to act. Bingham, along with Tom Burnett and Jeremy Glick, formed a plan to take the plane back from the hijackers. They relayed this plan to their loved ones and the authorities via telephone. Bingham stated, "This is Mark. I want to let you guys know that I love you, in case I don't see you again, I'm on United Airlines, Flight 93. It's being hijacked." Alice Hoagland, Mark's mother, said that her son spoke "confidentially" with a fellow passenger, to form a plan to retake the plane. And the call cut off after about three minutes. Hoagland, after seeing news reports of the plane's hijacking, called him back and left two messages for him, calmly saying, "Mark, this is your mom. The news is that it's been hijacked by terrorists. They are planning to probably use the plane as a target to hit some site on the ground. I would say go ahead and do everything you can to overpower them, because they are hellbent. Try to call me back if you can." Bingham, Burnett, and Glick were each more than 6 feet tall, well-built and fit. They were joined by Todd Beamer, Lou Nacke, Rich Guadagno, Alan Beaven, Honor Elizabeth Wainio, Linda Gronlund, and William Cashman, along with flight attendants Sandra Bradshaw and Cee Cee Ross-Lyles who stormed the cockpit and in an effort to take over the plane.

According to the 9-11 Commission Report, after the plane's voice data recorder was recovered, it revealed pounding and crashing sounds against the cockpit door and shouts and screams in English. "Let's get them!" a passenger cries. A hijacker shouts, "Allah akbar!" ("God is great"). Jarrah repeatedly pitched the plane to knock passengers off their feet, but the passengers apparently managed to invade the cockpit, where one was heard shouting, "In the cockpit. If we don't, we'll die." At 10:02 am, a hijacker ordered, "Pull it down! Pull it down!" The 9-11 Commission later reported that the plane's control wheel was turned hard to the right, causing it to roll on its back and plow into an empty field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at 580 miles an hour, killing everyone on board. The plane was 20 minutes away from its suspected targets in Washington DC.

Remembering Fearless Gay Hero Mark Bingham, Who Saved Hundreds of Lives on 9-11
Rugby Star, 9-11 Hero Mark Bingham Leaves Lasting Legacy 20 Years After United Flight 93 Crash
How Mark Bingham Left a Legacy On and Off the Rugby Field
9-11 Flight 93: Mark Bingham's Mother Speaks
Mark Bingham: Biographical Notes
 

LGBTQ Heroes of Sept 11

Father Mychal Judge.  New York Fire Department Catholic chaplain Judge, 68, was killed while ministering to a fallen firefighter at Ground Zero.

Mark Bingham, 31, a passenger on United Airlines Flight 93 that crashed in Pennsylvania, helped to thwart the plane’s hijackers. September 16 is officially designated Mark Bingham Day in San Francisco.

Michael Lepore, 39, was a project analyst at Marsh & McLennon. He is survived by his partner of 18 years, David O’Leary.

Carol Flyzik’ was aboard American Airlines Flight 11, It was the first of two to crash into the World Trade Center. Flyzik, who was a registered nurse and a member of the Human Rights Campaign, is survived by Nancy Walsh, her partner of nearly 13 years.

David Charlebois, the co-pilot of American Airlines Flight 77, which crashed into the Pentagon. Charlebois was a member of the National Gay Pilots Association. Charlebois is survived by Tom Hay, his partner of almost 13 years.

Graham Berkeley, 37, a native of England who lived in Boston, boarded United Airlines Flight 175 on Sept. 11 on his way to a conference in Los Angeles. His plane became the second hijacked airliner to crash into the World Trade Center.

Ronald Gamboa, 33, and his partner of 13 years, Dan Brandhorst, 42, were traveling with their 3-year-old adopted son, David. Brandhorst and Gamboa were founding members of the Pop Luck Club, an L.A. organization for Gay men interested in adopting children.

James Joe Ferguson, 39, director of geography education outreach for the National Geographic Society, was on American Airlines Flight 77 when it crashed into the Pentagon.

John Keohane was killed by falling debris. Keohane worked at One Liberty Plaza near the World Trade Center and died when the towers collapsed. After the planes hit the Trade Center towers, Keohane met Mike Lyons, his partner of 17 years, on the street when Keohane was suddenly killed by falling debris. Tragically, Lyons committed suicide March 1, 2002, on his 41st birthday.

“Roxy Eddie” Ognibene, member of the Renegades of New York’s Big Apple Softball League, worked as a bond trader for Keefe, Bruyette & Woods on the 89th floor of WTC 2 and was tragically lost in the Sept. 11 World Trade Center attack.

Luke A. Dudek, Was a food and beverage controller at Windows on the World. Dudek is survived by his partner of 20 years, George Cuellar. Dudek’s first day back to work in New York was Sept. 11. He died in the attacks on the World Trade Center.

Catherine Smith, 44, who worked on the 97th floor of one of the World Trade Center towers.

Waleska Martinez, 37, a computer whiz in the Census Bureau’s New York office, was aboard flight 93 that crashed outside Shanksville, PA.

Jeffrey Collman, flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 11, which crashed into the north tower. He is survived by Keith Bradkowski, his partner of 11 years.
 

Eugene Clark, worked on the 102nd floor of the south World Trade Center tower. He sent his partner Larry Courtney a voice message stating “I’m OK. The plane hit the other tower. And we’re evacuating.” Clark was never seen by his partner again.

Andrew LaCorte. worked in One WTC and was killed instantly when the first plane hit. At the time he had no partner but is remembered and missed by his many friends and family.

Renee Barrett, Renee was injured in the September 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, died on October 18 of her injuries. Barrett was a member of the Gay Metropolitan Community Church of New York. She leaves behind her life partner Enez Cooper and her 18-year-old son, Eddie.

Seamus O’Neal, also lost his life in the attacks on the World Trade Center. He is survived by his partner Tom Miller.

Patricia McAneney was the fire marshal of her floor in the first World Trade Center tower. She is survived by Margaret Cruz, partner of 18 years.

Pamela Boyce, was at work on the 92nd floor of the World Trade Center’s north tower when it was struck. She is survived by Catherine Anello her partner.
 

The Stories of 9-11's LGBTQ Heroes
Remembering the LGBTQ Victims and Heroes of 9-11
Two Gay Champions: Saint of 9-11 and Hero of Flight 93
Supporters Push for Gay Priest Who Died on 9-11 to Be Made a Saint

Remembering Gay Co-Pilot of Flight 77
First Officer David Charlebois Fought for LGBTQ Recognition and Helped Change Company Culture
National Gay Pilots Association
 

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis' Wedding Marks 1st Same-Sex Marriage Of Sitting Governor

Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis wed his longtime partner in Sept 2021, marking the first same-sex marriage of a sitting United States governor.

In 2018, Polis became the first openly gay man ever elected governor in the US. A decade earlier, he was the first openly gay man elected to the US House. "Over the course of Jared's career in Congress, you know, we didn't set out to be the first of anything. Things sort of happened that way," said his now-husband, Marlon Reis.

As recently as 2014, same-sex marriage was prohibited in Colorado. The US Supreme Court made gay marriage legal across the country in 2015. "As I was growing up, marriage was not even in the realm of possibility," Reis said. "And in fact, the reality was that there was a lot of misinformation out there about what could potentially happen if you came out — what opportunities would you lose, how it would negatively impact you. So for a long time, the idea of getting married, we didn't talk about it."

Both men are now in their 40s. Polis noted the stereotypes that came along with being gay when he was younger. "When people thought of gay people, they thought of AIDS, unfortunately," he said. 'That was, I think, in both of our cases our parents' first fears, they were like, 'Oh, I hope you don't get AIDS. Be careful.' That's the main thing you knew about gay people in the '80s and '90s."

The couple was married in a traditional Jewish ceremony at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Polis and Reis decided to hold their wedding on a significant day to them personally: the 18th anniversary of their first date. They picked CU-Boulder because that's where Reis graduated from college. "We met online and went out on a date and we went to the Boulder bookstore and then went to dinner," Polis said.

During the ceremony, the couple's 7-year-old daughter served as the flower girl; their 9-year-old son was the ring bearer. Polis said their daughter was probably more thrilled than anyone about the wedding. "She was all in on being a flower girl. She's been prancing around. She got a great dress. She's terrific." Their son was also happy, but more ambivalent about it all. "Kids are so modern that their responses to things are sometimes funny. Our son honestly asked us, 'Why do people get married?' " Reis said.  He said he explained the legal rights afforded to married couples and that it's an "expression of the caring that you feel for one another."

Practically speaking Reis has been considered the state's first gentleman since Polis took office, but Polis said the wedding meant the world to them. "People could say we took 18 years to get around to it, or you could say we took six years to get around to it," said Polis, counting back from the Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges. "But it was great to celebrate our love for one another with our family."

[Source: Bente Birkeland, National Public Radio, Sept 2021]

NPR: Colorado Gov. Jared Polis' Wedding Marks 1st Same-Sex Marriage Of Sitting Governor

CNN: Colorado Governor Weds Longtime Partner in First Same-Sex Marriage for Sitting Governor
Advocate: Colorado Gov. Jared Polis Marries Husband in Historic First for Nation
Denver Post: Jared Polis, First Openly Gay Elected Governor, Marries Longtime Partner Marlon Reis
People: Colorado Governor's Wedding Makes History
 

Record Number of Out LGBTQ Athletes at Tokyo Summer Olympics

At least 168 publicly out gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and nonbinary athletes are headed to Tokyo for the Summer Olympic Games, more than triple the number who participated at the 2016 Rio Games.

The number of publicly out LGBTQ athletes in Tokyo is also greater than the number athletes who have participated in all of the previous Olympic Games (Summer and Winter) combined while publicly out. The massive increase in the number of out athletes reflects the growing acceptance of LGBTQ people in sports and society. The rise of social media, especially Instagram, has given athletes a forum where they can live their lives openly and identify directly with their followers.

In contrast, Outsports counted 23 publicly out Olympians in 2012 and 56 in 2016 at those Summer Games. “Competing at the Olympics as an openly gay athlete is pretty amazing,” Canadian swimmer Markus Thormeyer told Outsports. Thormeyer was not out when he competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics and came out publicly as gay in a 2020 essay for Outsports. “Being able to compete with the best in the world as my most authentic self at the biggest international multi-sport games shows how far we’ve come on inclusion in sport. I’m hoping that by competing at these Games I can show the LGBTQ community that we do belong and we can achieve anything we put our minds to.”

His comments were echoed by Elissa Alarie, a Canadian rugby player. We originally did not have Alarie on our list, but she contacted us and told us she was LGBTQ (she also gave us the names of three out teammates whom we also added). “Growing up in a small French town in Quebec, I didn’t know or even know of a single LGBTQ person or athlete until I was older,” Alarie said. “I hope the increased visibility can give young people a sentiment of belonging and encourage communities to be inclusive and welcoming.”

This year at least 27 different countries will be represented by at least one publicly out athlete in 30 sports, including the first trans Olympians. The United States has the most out athletes at these Olympics, with the more than 30 out athletes we know of about a fifth of all the attendees on the list. Team USA is currently followed in the number of publicly out LGBTQ athletes by Canada (17), Britain (16), Netherlands (16), Brazil (14), Australia (12) and New Zealand (10). We will update the numbers as we learn more about the current Olympic athletes. These numbers include reserve athletes who have been practicing with the team and are traveling to Tokyo with the team.

Women on the list outnumber men by about a 8-1 margin, with women’s soccer having more than 40 out players. This continues a trend seen at past Olympics and is reflective of out athletes in elite non-Olympic sports where women also proliferate.

[Source: Outsports, July 2021]

Outsports: Record Number of Out LGBTQ Athletes at Tokyo Summer Olympics

BuzzFeed: Tokyo Olympics is Gayest Games Ever

NBC News: Over 160 LGBTQ Athletes Competing ion Tokyo Olympics

Olympic Athletes: Out and Proud

ESPN: Tokyo Olympics is Most Inclusive Event for LGBTQ Athletes

Reuters: More LGBTQ Athletes Than Ever at Tokyo Olympics

Time: Record Number of LGBTQ Athletes Competing in Tokyo Games

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Infamous Homophobe Anita Bryant's Granddaughter is a Lesbian

Meet Sarah Green!  She is the granddaughter of Anita Bryant!  She is a lesbian and she's getting married!  Sarah Green's grandmother is one of the best-known anti-LGBTQ activists in history, so she might not invite her to her wedding. In the 1970s, former Miss America contestant and singer Anita Bryant spearheaded a virulent anti-gay crusade that cost her dearly.

The granddaughter of arch anti-LGBTQ activist Anita Bryant is getting married to another woman, and she doesn’t know whether to invite her homophobic grandmother to her wedding. Bryant’s granddaughter Sarah Green said that her grandmother refused to even believe that she’s gay after she came out on her 21st birthday. The 81-year-old Christian conservative activist is still praying for Green to find a husband.

Now Green is getting married. Like many queer people, she’s not sure whether to invite her grandmother. But unlike most people, her grandmother organized one of the first major anti-LGBTQ campaigns in the country, accusing gay people of being pedophiles.

Bryant won the 1958 Miss Oklahoma pageant and was a brand ambassador for the Florida Citrus Commission, but she’s best known for mounting the infamous “Save Our Children” campaign in the 1970s to repeal a local ordinance in Dade County, Florida, that banned discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Bryant focused on gay teachers, saying that gay people are child molesters who go into teaching to hurt kids. “Homosexuals cannot reproduce, so they must recruit,” she said, also saying that gay people were “human garbage.”

“What these people really want, hidden behind obscure legal phrases, is the legal right to propose to our children that theirs is an acceptable alternate way of life,” she said in 1977. “I will lead such a crusade to stop it as this country has not seen before.” And she did. Jerry Falwell Sr. flew to Florida to help out as she put together the first major anti-LGBTQ campaign, coming up with arguments and tactics that would be used by anti-LGBTQ activists for decades.

That didn’t stop her granddaughter Sarah Green from coming out to her on her 21st birthday. Green said that Bryant sang “Happy Birthday” to her and told her that she would have a husband one day. “And I just snapped and was like, ‘I hope that he doesn’t come along because I’m gay, and I don’t want a man to come along,'” Green said.
 

Bryant then told her granddaughter that homosexuality doesn’t exist. Robert Green (Sarah Green’s father and Anita Bryant’s son) said that his mother’s “face froze” when his daughter came out. “All at once, her eyes widened, her smile opened, and out came the oddest sound: ‘Oh,'” he said. “Instead of taking Sarah as she is, my mom has chosen to pray that Sarah will eventually conform to my mom’s idea of what God wants Sarah to be.”

“It’s very hard to argue with someone who thinks that an integral part of your identity is just an evil delusion,” Green said. “She wants a relationship with a person who doesn’t exist because I’m not the person she wants me to be.” She said she doesn’t know if she should invite her grandmother, unsure whether Bryant will be offended if she’s left off the invitation list. “I think I probably will eventually just call her and ask if she even wants an invitation, because I genuinely do not know how she would respond,” she said. “I don’t know if she would be offended if I didn’t invite her.”

[Source: Alex Bollinger, LGBTQ Nation, July 2021

Advocate: Another Pie in the Face for Anita Bryant

Edge Media Network: Anita Bryant's Lesbian Granddaughter to Wed
LGBTQ Nation: Anita Bryant's Granddaughter is Marrying a Woman

Senate Confirms Historic LGBTQ Nominees to Defense Department

In July 2021, he US Senate confirmed two groundbreaking LGBTQ appointees to the Department of Defense by unanimous consent.  Gina Ortiz Jones was confirmed as undersecretary of the Air Force, becoming the first out lesbian to be an undersecretary of any branch of the military. Shawn Skelly was confirmed as assistant secretary of defense for readiness, making her the highest-ranking out transgender person in Defense Department history and only the second trans person ever confirmed by the Senate (Dr. Rachel Levine, assistant secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services, was the first).

Jones and Skelly are among more than 200 LGBTQ political appointees put forth by President Joe Biden. Both sailed through their confirmation hearings last month without controversy.

Jones was an intelligence officer in the Air Force and was deployed to Iraq during the war there, serving under “don’t ask, don’t tell.” After leaving the Air Force, she worked for the federal government as an adviser on intelligence and trade, with agencies including the Defense Intelligence Agency and Office of the US Trade Representative.

She was the Democratic nominee for the US House of Representatives from Texas’s 23rd Congressional District, which stretches from El Paso to San Antonio, in 2018 and 2020, losing narrowly to incumbent Republican Will Hurd in 2018 and by a somewhat larger margin to Republican newcomer Tony Gonzales in 2020.

A Filipina-American, she is the first woman of color to be an undersecretary of a military branch and the second member of the LGBTQ community. Eric Fanning, a gay man, was undersecretary of the Air Force for two years during President Barack Obama’s administration, then became secretary of the Army.

Skelly served 20 years as a naval flight officer, retiring with the rank of commander, and then in 2013 joined the Obama administration as the first trans veteran appointed by a U.S. president. Her positions included special assistant to the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology, and logistics at the Department of Defense and ultimately as the director of the Office of the Executive Secretariat at the U.S. Department of Transportation.

She most recently worked for CACI International, a company that provides technology and expertise for national security purposes, and she is cofounder and vice president of Out in National Security, an advocacy group for LGBTQ people in the military, defense contracting, and related areas. She was also part of the Biden transition team.

“Gina and Shawn served their country when living openly could result in discharge and a lost career, so their ascension to key leadership positions is a powerful moment for those service members who served or continue to serve in silence,” said Annise Parker, president and CEO of the LGBTQ Victory Institute, in a press release. “Their confirmation will transform perceptions of LGBTQ people within the ranks of the U.S. military, but also among the leaders of militaries we work with around the world. While they were confirmed because of their unquestionable qualifications and experience, they symbolize our continued progress and will further disrupt any lingering notion that LGBTQ people are somehow unfit to serve.”

“The Biden team is building the most LGBTQ-inclusive administration in U.S. history and the impact it will have on policies and legislation is enormous,” added Ruben Gonzales, Victory Institute executive director. “Gina and Shawn will join at least a dozen other out Defense Department appointees who understand the challenges LGBTQ service members face and will make their well-being a priority. Our military, like our government, is strongest when it reflects the diversity of the people it serves and ensures all are treated with dignity and respect. Gina and Shawn are shattering lavender ceilings that will encourage more LGBTQ people to consider public service.”

Another out Defense Department nominee is awaiting a confirmation hearing — lesbian Sue Fulton, a retired US Army captain who is nominated to be assistant secretary of defense for manpower and reserve affairs.

Victory Institute, a sister organization to the LGBTQ Victory Fund, provides training and leadership development to LGBTQ people who aspire to elected or appointed political office. Its Presidential Appointments Initiative has recommended and advocated for numerous qualified candidates for positions in the Biden administration, including Jones and Skelly.

[Source: Trudy Ring, Advocate, July 2021]

Senate Confirms Historic LGBTQ Nominees to Defense Department

Skelly and Jones Confirmed by US Senate: LGBTQ Firsts

Dr. Rachel Levine Confirmed for Assistant Health Secretary

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American Passports Will Now Have Third Gender Option

Nonbinary, intersex and gender-nonconforming Americans will be able to choose a gender option other than “male” or “female” when applying for a US passport, the State Department announced in June 2021. Passport applicants will be able to self-select their gender without providing supporting medical documentation.

The policy change is part of the department’s effort to take “further steps toward ensuring the fair treatment of LGBTQ US citizens, regardless of their gender or sex,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

It is not yet known when the third gender marker, reportedly to be an “X,” will be available. Blinken said the department is currently “evaluating the best approach to achieve this goal” and noted that adding a gender option “is technologically complex and will take time.”

Once the US has a third gender option in place, it will join a growing number of countries with such a passport option, including Australia, Canada, Germany, India, Nepal and New Zealand.

In the more immediate term, US passport applicants will be able to self-select their gender and will no longer be required to provide medical documentation if their gender identity does not match the gender marker on their other identity documents.

The Human Rights Campaign, the country’s largest LGBTQ advocacy group, applauded the upcoming policy changes, saying they will “decrease the risk of discrimination, harassment, and violence for an already vulnerable group.”

“This is an important step towards achieving meaningful progress for LGBTQ equality in America, and will empower and enable millions of citizens to travel domestically and internationally with greater confidence that the United States recognizes their gender identity,” HRC President Alphonso David said in a statement. He also called for the US to “encourage other nations to adopt inclusive policies that support non-binary and transgender people.”

[Source: Brooke Sopelsa, NBC News, June 2021]

Lambda Legal: State Department Allows X Gender Markers on US Passports

NBC  News: US Adds Third Gender Option to American Passports

Advocate: US State Dept Introduces Gender Neutral Passports

Them: US State Dept Allows X Gender Markers on Passports

NPR: US Adds Third Gender Option On Passports
 

Nevada Pageant Winner Becomes First Transgender Miss USA Contestant

Kataluna Enriquez, who was crowned Miss Nevada USA in June 2021, will become the first openly transgender woman to compete in the Miss USA pageant. With a platform centered on transgender awareness and mental health, Enriquez, 27, beat out 21 other contestants at the South Point Hotel Casino in Las Vegas. “I didn’t have the easiest journey in life,” she said. “I struggled with physical and sexual abuse. I struggled with mental health. I didn’t have much growing up. I didn’t have support. But I’m still able to thrive, and I’m still able to survive and become a trailblazer for many.” After her win, Enriquez thanked the LGBTQ community, writing, “My win is our win. We just made history. Happy Pride.”

In March 2021, Enriquez, who previously competed in trans-specific pageants, became the first transgender woman crowned Miss Silver State USA, the main preliminary for Miss Nevada USA. During the pageant’s question-and-answer segment, Enriquez said being true to herself was an obstacle she faced daily. “Today I am a proud transgender woman of color. Personally, I’ve learned that my differences do not make me less than, it makes me more than,” she said. “I know that my uniqueness will take me to all my destinations, and whatever I need to go through in life.”

Enriquez, who is Filipina American, designs her own outfits, including a rainbow-sequin gown she wore Sunday night in honor of Pride Month “and all of those who don’t get a chance to spread their colors,” she explained.  "Pageantry is so expensive, and I wanted to compete and be able to grow and develop skills and create gowns for myself and other people," Enriquez said.

She will represent Nevada at the 2021 Miss USA pageant, being held November 2021 at the Paradise Cove Theater at the River Spirit Casino Resort in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The Miss Universe pageant system, of which Los Angeles-based Miss USA is part, began allowing transgender entrants in 2012. If she is crowned Miss USA, Enriquez will be the second trans contestant in a Miss Universe pageant, after Spain’s Angela Ponce in 2018.

Miss America, a separate organization headquartered in New Jersey, did not immediately reply to an inquiry about whether transgender women or nonbinary individuals are allowed to compete in its annual competition. As of 2018, the pageant was reportedly only open to “natural born women,” according to the Advocate.

In February, a federal judge upheld the right of another organization, Nevada-based Miss United States of America, to bar transgender contestants from its pageant.

[Source: Dan Avery, NBC News, June 2021]

Advocate: First Trans Contestant to Compete in Miss USA

NBC News: Nevada Pageant Winner Becomes First Tansgender Miss USA Contestant

Washington Post: Kataluna Enriquez Dreamed of Seeing a Transgender Miss USA Contestant
Miss Nevada USA Winner Makes History: 1st Trans Woman to Hold the Title
2021 Miss Nevada Winner is First Transgender Woman Crowned in Pageant's History
 

Biden and Buttigieg Celebrate LGBTQ Pride Month

New Awesome Toy: LGBTQ Lego Set

Social media erupted with joy for the product, despite past criticism claiming LGBTQ Pride merchandise had become an overly commercialized space. "You know what. I like this one," wrote one person.

[Source: Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times; Zamira Rahim, CNN; Alexander Kacala, NBC Today; May 2021]

CNN: Lego Unveils First LGBTQ Set Ahead of Pride Month
LA Times: New Rainbow Lego Set Arrives Just in Time for Pride Month
NBC Today: Lego Announces 1st Rainbow Set for LGBTQ Pride Month
The Guardian: Lego Launches First Set with LGBTQ Theme

USA Today: New Lego Set Proclaims Everyone is Awesome

Biden Bans Discrimination Against LGBTQ People in Healthcare

"No one should ever be denied access to health care because of their sexual orientation or gender identity."
-President Joe Biden

"So now it's clear. There is no ambiguity. You cannot discriminate against people based on sexual orientation or gender identity."

-Health & Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra

The US will protect gay and transgender people against sex discrimination in healthcare, the Biden administration announced in May 2021, reversing a Trump-era policy that sought to narrow the scope of legal rights in sensitive situations involving medical care.

The action by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) affirms that federal laws forbidding sex discrimination in healthcare also protect gay and transgender people.

The Trump administration had defined “sex” to mean gender assigned at birth, thereby excluding transgender people from the law’s umbrella of protection.

“Fear of discrimination can lead individuals to forgo care, which can have serious negative health consequences,“ the HHS secretary, Xavier Becerra, said in a statement. “Everyone – including LGBTQ people – should be able to access healthcare, free from discrimination or interference, period.”

Becerra said the Biden administration policy will bring HHS into line with a landmark supreme court decision last year in a workplace discrimination case, which established that federal laws against sex discrimination on the job also protect gay and transgender people.

Despite that ruling, the Trump administration proceeded to try to narrow the legal protections against healthcare discrimination, issuing rules that narrowly defined “sex” as biological gender. A federal judge had blocked those rules from taking effect, although Trump administration officials argued that as a legal matter healthcare discrimination was a separate issue from the employment case the supreme court decided.

The action means that the HHS Office for Civil Rights will again investigate complaints of sex discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Hospitals, clinics and other medical providers can face government sanctions for violations of the law.

The Biden administration action essentially restores policy established during the Obama years. The Affordable Care Act included a prohibition on sex discrimination in healthcare and the Obama administration had interpreted that to apply to gay and transgender people as well. It relied on a broad understanding of sex shaped by a person’s inner sense of being male, female, neither or a combination.

[Source: Associated Press, May 2021]

Biden Revives LGBTQ Protections Against Healthcare Discrimination
US Bans Sex Discrimination Against LGBTQ People in Healthcare
Biden Administration Prohibits Anti-LGBTQ Health Care Discrimination

Arkansas Governor Signs Bill Allowing Medical Workers to Refuse Treatment to LGBTQ People

Conscience Rule Will Threaten LGBTQ Healthcare

Day One: Biden Issues LGBTQ Executive Order

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