HIV Family Separation
The Trump administration will use xenophobia to justify anything.
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Trump admin using HIV to separate immigrant families
In yet another example of how xenophobia is bleeding over into other forms of intolerance, it appears the Trump administration has been using HIV diagnoses as grounds for separating families at the border. This was revealed today when Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) was questioning Customs & Border Patrol chief Brian Hastings at a hearing on the Hill.
According to Hastings, CBP has been following guidance that treats HIV as a “communicable disease,” even though it’s not communicable by contact. Accordingly, if a mother or father has HIV, the child is separated from them. Raskin asked if the same justification is used when a parent has the flu — which is very much communicable — and Hastings admitted the family is kept together. That suggests there is some very intentional stigmatizing happening here.
The questioning about this child separation begins at around around 2:21:30 in the video below:
As Chris Johnson notes at the Washington Blade, President Obama lifted the administrative HIV travel ban back in 2010 after Congress repealed the statutory ban, so it’s not even clear what the administration is basing the guidance on.
Anti-trans mother asks Supreme Court for vengeance
A Minnesota mother is asking the Supreme Court to hear her lawsuit against her own daughter, who emancipated herself at age 15 and obtained affirming medical care to support her transition. Anmarie Calgaro argues that her “parental Due Process Clause rights” were violated by the state actors and medical providers who recognized her daughter’s emancipation.
Her daughter argued in court documents that the family was abusive and also rejected her identity. She was able to manage her finances, obtain medical care, and complete her public school education on her own. Calgaro has lost her suit twice, with the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals adding in its ruling this past spring that her case is also now moot given her daughter has turned 18. We’ll have to see if the Supreme Court agrees.
Trans student fights for equality
Across the country, schools are being targeted by groups that call themselves “Parents for Privacy,” who legally challenge a school’s trans-inclusive policies. Nico Lang profiles 16-year-old Tyler Warner, a transgender boy in Oregon who successfully fought off such a fight when he was targeted and who is now trying to support other trans students like him.
Funeral discrimination over a gay son
LGBTQ people aren’t the only target of intolerance; sometimes our allies are too. A pastor in [Not-So-]Sweetwater, Tennessee has refused to host a man’s funeral at his church because the man’s son is gay. The son, Jessie Goodman, explained that the pastor refused to host the service so long as he had any participation. “It’s not me up there in a casket. It’s him,” he said.
One supportive adult makes a difference
A new pair of reports from the Trevor Project finds that having at least one affirming adult in their lives reduces the likelihood of an LGBTQ young person attempting suicide by 40 percent. This jibes with other studies showing that family acceptance is by far the most effective way of protecting LGBTQ young people’s mental health.
Ricardo Rosselló resigns
Succumbing to mounting pressure, embattled Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló finally resigned. Ricky Martin, who had called for his resignation, celebrated the outcome on social media by noting that protesters had peacefully achieved “respect for our children, respect for our women, respect for the LGBT community, respect for our dead.”
Bulgaria recognizes same-sex marriage (just one)
A Bulgarian court has ruled that a same-sex couple married in France can have their marriage recognized in the country on the grounds that they’re both EU citizens. The ruling doesn’t mean same-sex couples can marry in Bulgaria, but it could go a long way toward advancing marriage equality there if couples are otherwise treated equally under the law.
Hong Kong recognizes same-sex marriages (for taxes)
Hong Kong has begun to recognize same-sex couples’ marriages for tax purposes, so long as they were legally entered into. The catch is that Hong Kong itself does not have marriage equality, so they still have to marry somewhere else.
Tinder cares
It’s not safe to be LGBTQ in all parts of the world, but people who identify as such might still want to seek love. That’s why Tinder has introduced a new “Traveler Alert” feature that will let users know when they’re in countries where same-sex behavior is criminalized. In addition to warning them, the app will automatically hide their profile until they deactivate the precautionary measure.
A soccer martyr for homophobia
I mentioned the other day how conservatives are clamoring to give more attention to Jaelene Hinkle, a professional soccer player who two years ago refused to join the national team because she wouldn’t want to wear Pride-themed jerseys. These regurgitated stories caught the attention of Ashlyn Harris, who’s on the U.S. Women’s National Team and engaged to one of her teammates:
Now, conservatives are pouncing on Harris and attempting to paint Hinkle as a Christian martyr for defending her faith. Franklin Graham even posted about it, insisting that “believing the Word of God doesn’t mean that you’re homophobic. It means you’re truthful.” Sorry, but blaming God for your homophobia doesn’t excuse you for it.
A bad tweet, but also a mental health concern?
Openly gay actor Blake McIver Ewing, known for his childhood roles in The Little Rascals and on Full House, tweeted something rather ugly this morning:
The tweet was roundly condemned across Twitter for its stigmatizing anti-HIV message, and McIver subsequently deleted his entire Twitter profile.
Back in January, McIver had a similar issue when he suggested that gay people who were shitting on Rent: Live were “opportunistic faggot[s].” He subsequently apologized, explaining that he had a “severe manic depressive episode,” but was “recovering and getting the help I need.” It’s possible a similar thing happened today. It’s unfortunate that social media creates such a public audience for when some people might not be in control of their thoughts or how we express them. I don’t know his condition today, but I wish him wellness and support.
Buttigieg food for thought
It’s pretty amazing that for the first time ever, an openly gay man is viable for the highest office in the land. But HuffPost’s Rebecca Klein highlights how Pete Buttigieg also symbolizes the inconsistent way LGBTQ equality has progressed. Notably, Buttigieg could not actually work at the Catholic school he attended as a student for the sole reason that he’s in a same-sex relationship. Klein adds that Saint Joseph High School receives millions in public dollars each year because it’s eligible for Indiana’s school voucher program, despite its discriminatory policies.
Until next time, stay platinum!
(Anti-ICE march photo credit: Me, Zack Ford.)
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