Hate repeats itself
When someone tells you who they are, believe them (especially in Alabama?).
It’s so refreshing to be at Netroots Nation, surrounded by both veteran activists and excited new progressives eager to reverse our current trajectory! I spent Wednesday leading a day-long session with several dozen organizers who want to make a difference for LGBTQ people and their families. While one of their primary concerns was “resistance burnout,” they nevertheless provided a burst of hope that there are reinforcements coming!
Since I missed yesterday, I’ll be cramming a bunch of stories in today. Let’s get to it!
House stands with trans troops
The House voted Thursday, mostly along party lines, to approve an amendment to the defense budget that would reverse Trump’s transgender military ban. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) has frequently been a vehicle for Republicans to try to advance anti-LGBTQ measures in the past, though most of those efforts were ultimately stripped from their bills.
While that might be the case with this amendment as well, that still means that Senate Republicans will likely have to go on the record as defending the discriminatory ban.
Zero in on ‘Zero for Zeroes’
There’s a new campaign to hold corporations that claim to be LGBTQ allies accountable for their support for lawmakers who oppose LGBTQ rights. Called Zero for Zeroes, the campaign calls on some of the biggest companies in the country, like AT&T, Google, and Microsoft, to end their financial support for lawmakers whose voting records have earned them a 0 from the Human Rights Campaign.
Check out their spreadsheet to see just how much money has been flowing from these companies to these candidates.
At least they aren’t supporting “Straight Pride”
The organizers of the upcoming Straight Pride Parade in Boston have claimed that they’re negotiating with a whole bunch of big corporations for possible sponsorships. The claim appears to be one big troll, as all of the companies have vehemently rejected any consideration of such support.
Who are the bullies on social media?
In a move that eerily mirrors the Trump administration’s priorities, Twitter and Instagram are planning to crack down on hate speech against religious groups. Given that religiosity is the foundation of most anti-queer harassment and that some of the most prominent religious organizations officially reject LGBTQ people as a matter of creed, many queer people are concerned this will make social media spaces even less safe than they already are.
About those Indiana Catholic school teachers
Remember the stories from a couple weeks ago about one Indiana Catholic school that was firing a teacher for a same-sex marriage and another Indiana Jesuit school that was willing to separate from the Church to avoid firing a teacher for a same-sex marriage? It turns out those two teachers are married — to each other!
Cathedral Catholic School, the one that fired Joshua Payne-Elliott, has claimed it wants to help him find a new job. Of course, he wouldn’t have to find a new job if the school weren’t governed by the Church’s homophobia. He doesn’t seem particularly inspired by the offer given that he’s now suing.
Alabama mayor sticking to his hateful guns
The “one-red-light-town” of Carbon Hill, Alabama has been polarized by Mayor Mark Chambers’ recent hateful remarks on social media. Specifically, he said he supports “killing out” socialists, LGBTQ people, and supporters of the right to an abortion. Two members of the city council have resigned in protest, but Chambers has said he’s sticking around and will even run for re-election.
Homophobic Alabama sheriff’s deputy already has a new job
The suicide of a gay teenager prompted Jeff Graves, a sheriff’s deputy in Madison County, Alabama, to rant about how the entire LGBTQ movement is “fake” and that “society cannot and should not accept this behavior.” He was suspended and later fired after an investigation found multiple violations of office polices. But now he has a brand new job, and his new supervisor believes he’s learned his lesson.
Colorado pays out for abused trans prisoner
One of the nonsense arguments often floated when opposing transgender rights is that accommodating them is costly. Colorado is finding out how costly it is to discriminate against them instead.
When a young trans woman named Lindsay Saunders-Velez was housed in a men’s prison, she was raped twice in two months. She was also repeatedly misgendered and denied products that match her gender identity. Saunders-Velez sued, and this month the state settled, agreeing to pay her $170,000, including $10,000 for medical and mental health services. Colorado also agreed to several changes to the way it handles transgender prisoners, so hopefully future transgender people don’t experience the same injustices.
Poland claims to be LGBTQ-free
Government officials across Poland have declared that their country is “free of LGBT ideology.” That certainly wasn’t true when Iran claimed it, nor when Chechnya claimed it, and the availability of a good sign for how Poland’s LGBTQ community is being treated.
Talk about daddy issues
A lot of conservatives are upset that Amazon agreed to ban books by Joseph Nicolosi, often called the “father of ex-gay therapy.” They’re even repeating their claim that if conversion therapy books aren’t allowed, then the Bible will be banned too — a deluded argument they also used to oppose a California bill to ban conversion therapy for adults.
Among those upset is Joseph Nicolosi, Jr, who himself has taken up the mantle of proliferating conversion therapy. The Heritage Foundation was all too happy to give him a platform to defend the shame-based abuse he profits from and spread lies about both its approach and its efficacy.
POOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLL!
I’m usually not too excited by political polls because they’re ephemeral and I don’t think they tell us much, but I really enjoyed seeing Public Policy Polling test a 2020 match-up between Trump and USWNT star Megan Rapinoe. Rapinoe bested him 42-41, which is not only fun to see, but it also challenges “electability” narratives among those actually vying to win the Democratic primary.
(And yes, I was very proud of that subheader, thank you very much.)
A light is waiting to carry you home…
If you’ve watched Dancing with the Stars or Netflix’s Fuller House, you’re probably familiar with the fabulous Argentine actor Juan Pablo Di Pace. In a touching new TED Talk, he comes out as gay and discusses the struggle he faced to find acceptance in himself:
Until next time, stay platinum!