Thursday, January 25, 2018
Senate Approves Anti-Gay Governor Sam Brownback As Trumps Pick For International Religious Freedom Ambassador
The U.S. Senate on Wednesday confirmed
President Donald Trump's nomination of Kansas Governor Sam Brownback
for ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom.
Vice President Mike Pence cast the
tie-breaking vote to confirm Brownback, the AP reported. Pence also
used his vote earlier in the day to break a procedural impasse.
“I'm glad to have the vice president
in my corner,” Brownback told reporters. “I'm happy. It's a
critical job. I'm excited about being able to do it.”
Trump nominated Brownback, who is
expected to resign his governorship as early as next week, for the
post in July.
LGBT groups had called on the Senate to
reject Brownback's nomination.
“For decades, Sam Brownback has
attacked the LGBTQ community and worked to undermine fairness and
equality,” David Stacy, government affairs director for the Human
Rights Campaign (HRC), said in a statement. “His extremist,
anti-LGBTQ actions should disqualify him from representing the people
of the United States.”
Stacy added that Trump and Pence are
“stacking the administration with anti-LGBTQ politicians determined
to carry out their harmful and discriminatory policies.”
During his Senate confirmation hearing,
Brownback refused to say whether foreign laws criminalizing gay sex
were always unjustified.
Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, a former
Virginia governor, asked Brownback whether laws criminalizing
same-sex relations under the guise of religious freedom are ever
justified.
“I don't know what that would be, in
what circumstance,” Brownback answered. “But I would continue
the policies that had been done in the prior administration in work
on these international issues.”
“I really would expect an unequivocal
answer on that,” Kaine replied. “But my time is up.”
As governor, Brownback rescinded an
executive order issued by previous Governor Kathleen Sebelius, a
Democrat, that prohibited the state from employment discrimination on
the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. And he defended
in court the state's ban on same-sex marriage.
Glaad Stats Show Anti-Gay Animus On Upward Trend Since Trump Election
Now in its fourth year, the annual report probes attitudes towards LGBT people. It was compiled in conjunction with the Harris Poll.
Approximately 2,000 non-LGBT respondents are asked questions about how comfortable or uncomfortable they feel in relation to LGBTQ people.
For example: How comfortable would they feel to discover their doctor is LGBTQ? Or seeing a same-sex couple holding hands?
In 2014, 2015 and 2016, respondents showed a gradual but definite move in the direction of acceptance. However, in 2017, that trend went in the opposite direction.
For example, when asked how comfortable they would feel if their child was place in a class with an LGBT teacher in 2014, 30% said ‘very comfortable’ or ‘somewhat uncomfortable’. This dropped to 29% in 2015 and 28% in 2016, before rising to 31% in 2017.
Respondents, based on their answers, were designated as ‘allies’, ‘detached supporters’ or ‘resisters’, based on how comfortable or uncomfortable they felt around LGBT people. Again, the 2017 report found a shift from allies to detached supporters.
Speculating on the reasons for this reversal, GLAAD points the finger at the change in government: ‘2017 brought heightened rhetoric toward marginalized communities to the forefront of American culture.
‘Policies and headlines ran that were anti-LGBTQ including the President’s proposed ban on transgender people entering the US military, confirmation of a Supreme Court justice opposed to marriage equality, and the passage of a state law in Mississippi which allows businesses to legally deny service to LGBTQ families.’
It also noted a reduction in LGBT visibility in the news and media.
The report was unveiled to coincide with the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. At the same time, GLAAD announced it was to benefit from a $15 million lead gift from the Ariadne Getty Foundation to help fund its work.
‘In the past year, there has been a swift and alarming erosion of acceptance which can only be fought by being visible and vocal,’ said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis.
‘This report puts numbers to the bias that too many LGBTQ Americans have recently experienced. GLAAD is fighting the rollback by enlisting philanthropic leaders like the Ariadne Getty Foundation and global change makers attending the World Economic Forum to use their platforms and move our community forward.’
Earlier this week the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) released a report that showed a shocking increase in violence against LGBT people in the US. It reported 52 LGBT-related homicides – an 86% increase on 2016.
Transgender women, cisgender men, and people of color faced the most violence. A majority of the victims (67%) were under the age of 35.
Monday, January 22, 2018
First Gay Military Couple To Be Wed At West Point Military Academy
The wedding significantly took place in the glorious surroundings of the United States Military Academy West Point.
Capt. Daniel Hall, 30, and Capt. Vinny Franchino, 26 exchanged vows this weekend at the estate’s picturesque chapel, the New York Times reports.
The pair are Apache helicopter pilots. They met in 2009 when Hall was a senior and Franchino was a freshman.
It was at a time the former President Bill Clinton’s policy ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ was still in effect.
It stopped gay or bisexual members of the military from serving openly.
'We couldn’t tell the truth for fear of what would happen to us,’ Franchino told The New York Times.
‘So we put it in our minds that we were never going to say we were gay.
‘We were never going to get made fun of, and we were certainly never going to get kicked out of the Army.’
But even after Congress repealed ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ in September 2011 – it wasn’t an easy ride for the pair.
‘That’s where some guy called us both faggots,’ Franchino told The Times.
Though they had their first date in 2012, they were split up by a deployment. Hall was sent to South Korea with his Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopter. There he began dating other people.
However, the duo eventually got back together. And now dressed in their blue formal uniforms they have finally tied the knot.
Franchino said that although he’s been through a lot with his new husband, nothing was worse than when he had to hide his identity.
‘We’ve experienced everything from people feeling awkward around us to being called faggots while holding hands and walking down the street, stuff like that. But despite what we’ve been through, nothing was worse than having served during the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ years.’
2017 Deadly Gay Assault Almost Doubled Under Trump Leadership
The organization counted 52 anti-LGBTQ homicides in all of 2017. This is an 86% increase from the violence of 2016.
In August, they released a mid-year report, showing 2017 was already deadlier than all of 2016.
The NCAVP uses the power of organization and education to end violence against the LGBTQ community.
‘We are releasing this report during a time when our communities are witnessing the few civil rights protections and policies being rolled back and discrimination being instituted into law,’ the NCAVP writes in the report.
The statistics are truly staggering.
Transgender women, cisgender men, and people of color faced the most violence. A majority of the victims (67%) were under the age of 35.
Guns were the most common means of homicide. They were used in 59% of incidents.
32% of the victims knew the offender, while another 32% died after a hook-up.
Finally, over half of the homicides occurred in just five states. New York and Texas led, following by Georgia, Louisiana, and Florida.
The NCAVP notes the violence is ‘not new, but amplified’.
In reality, the increase could be because of more incidents being reported. Alternatively, there were likely even more incidents that weren’t reported as well.
The organization also advises people call their representatives.
‘We ask that people call their representatives and ask them what they will do right now to proactively address hate violence and ensure that their communities are safe and affirming for LGBTQ people.’
Saturday, January 20, 2018
Chief of External Affairs at CNCS Carl Higbie Resigns After Fallout For Anti-gay, Muslim And PTSD Sufferers Comments
Higbie supported Donald Trump in 2016 during his campaign. Last year, Trump appointed him to the government position.
CNCS spokesperson Samantha Jo Warfield released the following statement: ‘Effective immediately, Carl Higbie has resigned as Chief of External Affairs at CNCS.’
The comments made by Higbie are extensive, ranging from Muslims to soldiers with PTSD and beyond. He made most of them on radio shows, as gathered by CNN.
As a warning, a lot of these comments contain offensive language.
In 2013, he explained his dislike of gay people on Sound of Freedom.
‘I talk about this in my book, you know, I was, I was molested by a gay guy when I was a young kid and that kind of set the precedence for me,’ he said. ‘So I, I just, I really don’t care for them. You know what, you want to be gay? Fine. Do it over in your own corner
Carl Higbie, the chief of external affairs for
the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), resigned on
Thursday (18 January) after CNN unearthed several offensive comments.
Higbie supported Donald Trump in 2016 during his campaign. Last year, Trump appointed him to the government position.
CNCS spokesperson Samantha Jo Warfield released the following statement: ‘Effective immediately, Carl Higbie has resigned as Chief of External Affairs at CNCS.’
The comments made by Higbie are extensive, ranging from Muslims to soldiers with PTSD and beyond. He made most of them on radio shows, as gathered by CNN.
As a warning, a lot of these comments contain offensive language.
In 2013, he explained his dislike of gay people on Sound of Freedom.
‘I talk about this in my book, you know, I was, I was molested by a gay guy when I was a young kid and that kind of set the precedence for me,’ he said. ‘So I, I just, I really don’t care for them. You know what, you want to be gay? Fine. Do it over in your own corner.’
He further stated if he was President he wouldn’t make laws against being gay as long as you ‘don’t throw it in my face’.
‘So go over there, be gay, don’t march down in the middle of the street and your drag outfit being fairies and things like that. Don’t make me like it because I don’t — do it on your own.’
While talking about Muslims on Sound of Freedom again in 2013, he made more homophobic comments.
‘I just don’t like Muslim people. People always rip me a new one for that. Carl, you’re racist, you can’t, you’re sexist. I’m like Jesus Christ. I just don’t like Muslim people because their ideology sucks,’ he said. ‘Go back to your Muslim shithole and go crap in your hands and bang little boys on Thursday nights.’
He then compared Muslims to child molestors and being okay with gay sex.
‘People are like, “Well, you can’t hate somebody just for being Muslim,”‘ he explained. ‘It’s like, yeah, I can. Do you hate people who rape little boys? They say, “Oh, of course. They’re just terrible people.” Well, yeah, most Muslims believe that to have sex with men is OK, which I don’t like it all. But second off, it’s the ideology of a child molester. The ideology of a Muslim is what I don’t like. They are screwed up in the head and it pisses me off.’
This is hardly the first time evidence has shown a Trump nominee is anti-LGBTI, nor the first time someone has resigned under Trump.
In July, press secretary Sean Spicer resigned. Sarah Huckabee Sanders replaced him.
One nominee said transgender children are evidence of Satan, while another compared protections for LGBT people to protections for pedophiles.
Finally, members of the HIV/AIDS council resigned and then the rest were fired.
CNCS spokesperson Samantha Jo Warfield released the following statement: ‘Effective immediately, Carl Higbie has resigned as Chief of External Affairs at CNCS.’
The comments made by Higbie are extensive, ranging from Muslims to soldiers with PTSD and beyond. He made most of them on radio shows, as gathered by CNN.
As a warning, a lot of these comments contain offensive language.
In 2013, he explained his dislike of gay people on Sound of Freedom.
‘I talk about this in my book, you know, I was, I was molested by a gay guy when I was a young kid and that kind of set the precedence for me,’ he said. ‘So I, I just, I really don’t care for them. You know what, you want to be gay? Fine. Do it over in your own corner.’
He further stated if he was President he wouldn’t make laws against being gay as long as you ‘don’t throw it in my face’.
‘So go over there, be gay, don’t march down in the middle of the street and your drag outfit being fairies and things like that. Don’t make me like it because I don’t — do it on your own.’
While talking about Muslims on Sound of Freedom again in 2013, he made more homophobic comments.
‘I just don’t like Muslim people. People always rip me a new one for that. Carl, you’re racist, you can’t, you’re sexist. I’m like Jesus Christ. I just don’t like Muslim people because their ideology sucks,’ he said. ‘Go back to your Muslim shithole and go crap in your hands and bang little boys on Thursday nights.’
He then compared Muslims to child molestors and being okay with gay sex.
‘People are like, “Well, you can’t hate somebody just for being Muslim,”‘ he explained. ‘It’s like, yeah, I can. Do you hate people who rape little boys? They say, “Oh, of course. They’re just terrible people.” Well, yeah, most Muslims believe that to have sex with men is OK, which I don’t like it all. But second off, it’s the ideology of a child molester. The ideology of a Muslim is what I don’t like. They are screwed up in the head and it pisses me off.’
This is hardly the first time evidence has shown a Trump nominee is anti-LGBTI, nor the first time someone has resigned under Trump.
In July, press secretary Sean Spicer resigned. Sarah Huckabee Sanders replaced him.
One nominee said transgender children are evidence of Satan, while another compared protections for LGBT people to protections for pedophiles.
Finally, members of the HIV/AIDS council resigned and then the rest were fired.
Thursday, January 18, 2018
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