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Kansas Teacher Fights Back After Getting In Trouble For Showing Anti-Bullying Video
A social studies teacher was reportedly asked to resign after showing an anti-bullying video, but he returned to school Monday.
The post Kansas Teacher Fights Back After Getting In Trouble For Showing Anti-Bullying Video appeared first on ThinkProgress.
Casey Quinlan
thinkprogress.org/education/2015/11/09/3720480/kansas-teacher-bullying-resign/
Logo Premieres 'Gen Silent' Documentary Featuring LGBT Elders
Aging as a member of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community can be an isolating — and oftentimes dehumanizing — experience.
A powerful new documentary from Logo looks at the LGBT community’s relationship with aging and the massive generational gap that seems to exist between queer youth and their elders.
Called “Gen Silent,” the film follows six queer seniors living in Boston, Massachusetts, and brings to light stories from the early days of mainstream LGBT activism. It also examines the way that queer seniors are often forced to go “back into the closet” by institutions they rely on for care, like nursing homes. Older queer people are also disproportionately forced to age alone, due to factors like broken relationships with families of origin and decisions not to have children.
The Huffington Post chatted with “Gen Silent” director Stu Maddux this week about his experiences working on the film and some of the most compelling realities he witnessed about life as an aging member of the queer community.
Why is it important to elevate the stories and lives of elders in the LGBT community?
Stu Maddux: I have never felt as proud about who I am — cis gay man here — as when I come face to face with the person who made my community step by step, day by day from absolutely nothing. I don’t hang out with them because I “owe it” to my LGBT elders. I do it because I owe it to myself. Knowing them is when I truly understand the word “Pride.” That’s when I really feel it. Talking with them helps me solve how to take the world they are handing me, keep making it better and pass it on to people who will come after me.
What were some of the most compelling realities you witnessed about life for these LGBT elders?
The isolation was just… can’t describe it. We queer folk don’t have a patent on growing old alone but we definitely get a double dose of it because our support group is smaller. Even now, it’s more likely you have a brother or sister who has “issues” with you and won’t be there for you in the crunch, or that you lost a lot friends from AIDS in the 80s/90s, or maybe you just don’t want the married with children life. All of these things made me realize that it’s extra important to fill my life starting now with people who will really love me enough to wipe my bottom later on. Did I just say that? Yup. It’s true though.
Do you think that there is a problem with queer youth not respecting their elders?
When people say queer youth don’t respect their elders, I kind of cock my head. Like, where exactly could all this disrespecting be taking place? Thanksgiving dinner? When is there even an opportunity for us to spend enough time together where it would happen? A Bat Mitzvah? To their credit, many LGBT and pride centers are bridging the super-sized LGBT intergenerational gap with programs, but we have no way at the moment to really get to know our elders on the same level we know our straight grandparents. I wonder if the feeling of disrespect that many older LGBT people feel is really a feeling of being invisible. Because when I talk to queer youth, most really want to connect with older LGBT people. It feels more like there is a fence both sides are reaching across right now. Taking the wire cutters to it is even more important for marginalized communities like ours because without the voice of experience our movement will just reinvent the wheel every generation.
What did you personally take away from working on this project?
I was given these glasses that let me to see the young, fun, fascinating queer person behind a few wrinkles. I highly recommend a pair. Available at all fine Pride centers with a senior program.
“Gen Silent” will premiere on Monday, Nov. 9, 2015 at 9 P.M. ET/PT on Logo. The network is also launching a campaign called “Blogging for LGBT Elders Day” in partnership with Mombian.com to coincide with the film — head here for more information.
Also on HuffPost:
— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
Open Question: Do u support the army or Bradley Manning (article below) and do u know any1 offline or online M2F or F2M transsexual, transvestite or pre-op?
www.yahoo.com/politics/chelsea-manning-feels-like-a-1294507071078454.html
-bq- How do you feel about lgbtq rights in general and why ? ps: DO NOT move this question to the lgbt section on yahoo, their opinions will be one-sided. I would like it to stay in Polls & Surveys where it can be read by a greater number of people with different perspectives.
Jane Fonda puckers up to Miley’s six-pack
The pair attended a LGBT gala in Los Angeles on Saturday night.
Jaclyn Hendricks
pagesix.com/2015/11/09/jane-fonda-puckers-up-to-mileys-six-pack/
Watch Matt Damon And Daniel Craig Fall Madly In Love In Future Film Classic
To all the naysayers who said there could never be a gay James Bond, the ceiling has been officially busted through.
By ‘officially’ we of course mean ‘unofficially,’ but that doesn’t make this brilliantly well-executed recut of a James Bond/Jason Bourne clandestine love affair any less satisfying to imagine.
Watch below:
Dan Tracer
50 Cent Hits Back At Vivica A. Fox After She Implies He’s Gay: WATCH
On Sunday night’s Watch What Happens Live!, Vivica A. Fox implied that rapper 50 Cent is gay, causing 50 to fire back at the actress on Twitter and Instagram.
Host Andy Cohen asked Fox about the suggestion 50 made that Empire season 2 has seen a drop in ratings because of too much “gay stuff.” Of her ex-beau, Fox said, “First of all, pot calling the kettle black is all I’m saying.” Real Housewife of Atlanta Kandi, who was also a guest on WWHL, was taken aback by Fox’s remark: “Woah! That was some tea. That was some shade. That was major shade.” Andy couldn’t seem to handle the implication either, fanning himself as the questioning proceeded.
Expanding on her insinuation, Fox said, “He just seems like he’s got something that’s not quite clear.” She then added, “I’ll just never forget there was a Vibe cover with him and Soulja Boy that made me go ‘Hm.’ […] He just looked like a bootysnatcher on that one to me.” Fox also said that cover was done after the two dated.
The cover in question is from 2010:
50 Cent and Soulja Boy were quick to fire back on social media with a series of unflattering photos of and insinuations about Fox.
50 Cent re-grammed that photo and also shared it with a caption of his own, responding to Fox’s comments on WWHL: “
Oh No!!!, 
Now she thinks I’m gay because I let her lick my A**. 
LMAO. Wait,I didn’t want her to,she forced me, my hands were tied. 50 shades of grey 
”
He went on to warn Fox that he is an internet troll and an “a**hole.”
50 Cent also attacked Fox for allegedly having a “really bad boob job” and wrote, “b[*t]ch remember when you told me fuck Halle Berry and you could have played all the roles she did better then her? And I just looked at you like what the f*ck kind 
sh*t did you take?LMAO. #FRIGO#SMSAUDIO“
50 then attributed Fox’s comments to typical Hollywood gossip.
Fox was having none of 50’s remarks, responding on Twitter that she has “more stories” she could share about 50:
They asked me about him n I answered the question! Mkay
t.co/oC2mRsouvu
— Vivica A. Fox (@MsVivicaFox) November 9, 2015
I’m good dawling! Trust that n I got some stories too…#IJS #Unbothered
— Vivica A. Fox (@MsVivicaFox) November 9, 2015
Exactly! He 4gets I’ve got some stories in my vault too!! Try it…#Unbothered #LifeIsGood
— Vivica A. Fox (@MsVivicaFox) November 9, 2015
Naw!! I’m good just don’t like him talking ish bout my family on #EmpireSeason2 #RealTalk t.co/ElsRQ3JCVo
— Vivica A. Fox (@MsVivicaFox) November 9, 2015
Regarding Soulja Boy, Fox said on Twitter that she apologizes for making any insinuation about him.
Let me say this!! Wasn’t speaking about @souljaboy only my EX and his antics! I apologize for that to @souljaboy t.co/32oy4AH4gY
— Vivica A. Fox (@MsVivicaFox) November 9, 2015
As for 50’s comments about Empire that sparked this latest conflagration, his publicist responded:
“Mr. Jackson reposted something on Instagram that originated from a blog in relation to the decrease in Empire’s ratings. When he realized there was additional content in the blog post that he did not agree with, he immediately deleted the post as that is not a reflection of his views at all.”
Check out what 50 Cent re-grammed about Empire HERE.
The post 50 Cent Hits Back At Vivica A. Fox After She Implies He’s Gay: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.
Sean Mandell
50 Cent Hits Back At Vivica A. Fox After She Implies He’s Gay: WATCH
WATCH: Hillary Clinton Outlines Her LGBT Agenda in South Carolina Speech
Speaking at South Carolina Equality’s annual gala this weekend, Hillary Clinton laid out her plan for advancing LGBT equality. Much as she did in a speech to the Human Rights Campaign last month, the former Secretary of State told the crowd how she has made LGBT issues a priority during both her time as the nation’s top diplomat and as a presidential candidate.
Saying she would fight for and sign the federal Equality Act, recently introduced legislation that would protect LGBT people from employment, housing, public accommodations, and credit discrimination, Clinton went on to list other important community concerns. The candidate promised to update the military records of veterans discharged for being gay or lesbian under “don’t ask, don’t tell;” allow transgender people to serve openly in the military; expand health care options for LGBT people; and address the growing violence against transgender Americans. Read today’s commentary on Clinton’s promises here.
Clinton listed local and national examples of LGBT discrimination to illustrate her call for immediate action. Chase Culpepper, the transgender teen who fought state bureaucracy who wanted her to remove her makeup before taking her drivers license photo, and Crystal Moore, the small town police chief fired by a newly elected mayor because she is a lesbian. Moore was rehired after local community outrage.
Clinton also addressed the recent vote in Houston, Texas, to repeal the city’s fully inclusive nondiscrimination ordinance. Clinton voiced support for the ordinance before the election and had a brief Twitter spat with Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick the day before the election. The ordinance was repealed.
“The vote just a few days ago in Houston is a reminder that fear and misconceptions exist, and there are still too many people willing to exploit them for political gain. There are still too many places in our country, and there’s too many places here in South Carolina, where LGBT Americans are targeted for harassment and even violence. And there are way too many young people who are uncertain, even scared of what their future might hold,” Clinton told the gathering. “So, here in this really lovely setting for this celebratory dinner, I want to ask you not to forget how much work still lies ahead.”
Watch video of the speech courtesy of Jeff Littlefield. A transcription is below the video.
Transcript
“Thank you. Wow. I am very honored and excited to be here, but I’m a little nervous. You have not been fed. I don’t want this to turn into “The Hunger Games.” I’ll do my part to fulfill my obligation this evening, but I am all that stands between you and dinner — or at least I hope that’s true.
“I want to thank Jeff. Thank you, Jeff, for not only those kind words but your leadership of South Carolina Equality during this momentous year. I want to also recognize Linda Ketner, who was with me when we were together; she was the MC at the NAACP evening gala in Charleston — 98 years anniversary. And I thank Linda for all of her leadership on so many important causes. I want to thank Gilda. She’s such a shy and retiring person. But you always — you always know when she’s on your side, you can count on her all the way. And thank you, Gilda, for being here tonight and for all your advocacy on behalf of civil rights and gay rights and human rights from your position in the legislature.
“I want to add my words of appreciation and admiration to Liz Patterson and her testimony, as it was rightly called, and also for your pioneering work as a woman political leader here in South Carolina and your service in (inaudible).
“I am happy to be back in South Carolina. I am excited by the opportunity to travel around the state and visit with so many different folks. We had a great event last night at Winthrop, and it was a chance for people to see the three of us who are running for the Democratic nomination in action. And then to be here with you this evening, after a great town hall that I did this afternoon at Claflin University in Orangeburg.
“So I am delighted to add my voice and support for SC Equality with all of you, because I know from the conversations that I’ve had, you have stood with families across South Carolina. You’ve stood up for young people, who sometimes feel so hopeless and alone and told them it does get better, that they are perfect just the way they are. You have elected lawmakers and helped to pass laws, and helped to stop laws, which was a great accomplishment. And you’ve helped to change hearts and minds across not only the state, but the nation, by saying very clearly that LGBT folks deserve the same rights and opportunities as any other American.
“And it is remarkable to see the progress that has been made, and it’s worth celebrating that this evening. There have been victories, and there has been an extraordinary level of support for what has occurred. I too want to add my voice of congratulations to Colleen Condon and Nicholas Bleckley, and thank them for being willing to be on the forefront of making it possible for so many others to have the lives (inaudible).
“I also want to thank lawyers and advocates like (inaudible) and Malissa Burnette. And (inaudible) our table, it’s not often lawyers get standing ovations. So you should kind of take advantage of that when it’s possible.
“But everyone here and so many others who couldn’t be with us, who marched and sang and wrote briefs and did everything you could to make marriage equality the law of the land, not just here in this state but across the United States. I’m also grateful that we have a sense of not only what has been accomplished, but the challenges that still lie ahead. The people who started this organization — Linda, Harriet Hancock, or “Mama H” as she was known — began a fight for equality without at all knowing what the outcome would be. That’s the way activists and advocates always have to start: knowing that what you are standing for is right, but also not being sure when others will recognize and accept that.
“When Linda quoted from T. S. Eliot, she knows exactly what I mean when I talk about that. Because sometimes even after you make a lot of progress, you still have to keep fighting. And it takes people in every generation then to figure out what their role will be in the ongoing struggle.
“Some of you may know a young woman named Chase Culpepper. Is she here tonight? No? She did something so ordinary last year: she walked into a DMV in Anderson to get her driver’s license, just like any other 17-year-old might do, but because Chase is transgender she was treated differently. She was ordered to wash her face and take off her makeup, told to look male in her photo. And she walked out of there thinking, “I don’t want any other kid to go through that experience.” So she spoke up and she pushed for the rules to be changed. And now anyone who wants to get a driver’s license in South Carolina can be photographed the way they look (inaudible).
“Chase wasn’t even in elementary school when Linda and Harriet and everybody started this. But because of what you all have done, she had the courage to say, “Hey, wait a minute, that’s not right.” Small victories like that add up to real change. And I know that sometimes the simplest of acts may feel quite revolutionary, like going to the DMV or going to a parent-teacher conference at your child’s school, or celebrating a wedding anniversary or even just bragging about your family around the office. A million ordinary acts that were unimaginable for so many, for so long, and now are not just a part of your lives but they are a part of the fabric of our lives together.
“And so we can look back with great satisfaction, but we have to keep defending rights that have been won. I thought the struggle over voting rights was over in the 1960s. And here we are, once again fighting to make sure people get to register and vote and not be stopped with artificial barriers. Well, it is the same with the rights of the LGBT community.
“The vote just a few days ago in Houston is a reminder that fear and misconceptions exist, and there are still too many people willing to exploit them for political gain. There are still too many places in our country, and there’s too many places here in South Carolina, where LGBT Americans are targeted for harassment and even violence. And there are way too many young people who are uncertain, even scared of what their future might hold.
“So here in this really lovely setting for this celebratory dinner, I want to ask you not to forget how much work still lies ahead. The work isn’t finished until every single person is treated with equal rights and dignity, no matter where they live. So the obstacles that remain are ones that I see very clearly — injustices and the dangers that you and your families still face. And I am committed to working with you to stand up for your fundamental rights.
“Now, I bet most of you know the story of Crystal Moore. Is she here tonight? Well, Crystal Moore, the first woman police chief in Latta, South Carolina — and when the new mayor fired her, for no reason other than she happens to be a lesbian, the entire town rallied behind her: gay, straight, black, white. Even people she had arrested and put in jail stood up for her. And the reason turned out to be pretty simple: she was a fantastic police chief and they didn’t want to lose her. But the mayor wouldn’t change his decision. So you know that the town did? They had a special election and they overwhelmingly voted to take the power to hire the police chief away from the mayor and give it to the town council. Then the town council turned around and hired Chief Moore back.
“Now, this is a woman who devoted her life to upholding justice and her community made sure she was treated justly too. If the people hadn’t stepped up to give her job back to her, she would have had no recourse. Because as I said last night, people not only in this state but a majority of other states can still get married on Saturday and then fired on Monday. That’s just wrong, and that’s one of the things we have to change. And you cannot leave the protection of fundamental rights to state and local authorities. It is essential to have federal protections that safeguard the rights of all Americans.
“That is why I will do all that I can to make sure Congress passes the Federal Equality Act. That law would finally outlaw discrimination against LGBT people in employment, housing, public education, public accommodations, access to federal funding and credit, and in the jury system. As a president, I think it’s imperative that we understand everyone is entitled to equal treatment under the law. And the law needs to recognize the unfinished business of equality and justice in America. So I invite all of you to come to the White House when I sign that law (inaudible). And I’m sure Jeff and Linda will make it possible for that to happen.
“But we have other work to do. We have to secure better health care for the LGBT community. And one of the many reasons why the Affordable Care Act is a good law is because it made it illegal for insurers to deny coverage because of a person’s sex, including sexual orientation or gender identity. Because the fact is, as you know, too many people still struggle to get the care they need. And every Republican governor who refused to accept Medicaid expansion because they don’t like the Affordable Care Act, including right here in South Carolina, is doing a lot of harm to people with HIV and AIDS who often need medical (inaudible).
“I am still going to do everything I can to persuade Republican governors to extend Medicaid. Just a few days ago, the Republican governor of Alaska did. I know that even the Republican governor, I’m told, in Alabama is looking at it. And I sure hope the Republican governor here in South Carolina does as well.
There’s also some unfinished business. LGBT people who are serving in our armed forces — now, the fact that “don’t ask, don’t tell” is over doesn’t change the reality that more than 14,000 men and women were forced out of the military for being gay, some long before “don’t ask, don’t tell” even existed. And many were given less than honorable discharges. I really think we should honor and thank those men and women for their service by updating their service records. Let’s make sure they get the honorable discharge they deserve.
“Now, meanwhile, transgender people are still prevented from serving openly. That’s an outdated rule, especially since you and I know there are transgender people in uniform right now. And they are serving their country. That’s why I support the policy review that Defense Secretary Carter recently announced at the Pentagon. It’s why I hope the United States joins many other countries where transgender people are free to serve openly.
“We also have to address the growing crisis of violence against transgender Americans. This year has seen the murder of at least 20 transgender women, primarily women of color, and so much violence goes unreported or ignored. When I was at the State Department we made it easier for transgender Americans to change their passports to reflect their true gender. And as president I will work to make sure that we provide respect and dignity for transgender Americans.
“Now, some of you might recall that as Secretary of State I had no role in any domestic politics, but I noticed as I traveled to 112 countries on your behalf there was a growing movement against the LGBT community. Laws were being passed, sometimes even laws calling for imprisonment, even the death penalty, for people who were LGBT, and it became a grave concern to me. I spent time talking to leaders, talking them out of supporting such legislation. But it became such a serious threat, because as I traveled I would meet with LGBT activists and several times I had to meet with them in secret because it was so dangerous for them to be identified.
“So in 2011, I went to Geneva to the Human Rights Council to say something that really should go without saying: Gay rights are human rights and human rights are gay rights. And the United States has to stand up for human rights everywhere. That’s who we are. And under my presidency that’s who we will continue to be.
“Now, to echo Linda and Jeff, this is just one of the many reasons, albeit a very important one, why this election is important. Candidates on the other side have often said quite intolerant things about the LGBT community. Ted Cruz slammed a political opponent for marching in a pride parade. Now, my response to that was that he clearly has no idea what he’s missing. I first marched in a — at a pride parade when I was the First Lady and then I marched in the parade when I was Senator. I want to invite Senator Cruz to join in next year.
“Amid ridiculous and offensive comments, there are deadly serious issues at stake. Every single Republican candidate is against marriage equality. Many of them are already on record as being against laws to end discrimination. Many are against same-sex couples adopting. And as has already been said, the next Supreme Court may have three, possibly four, openings during the next presidency. We cannot afford to take a risk. I will do my part to make sure issues such as these are given the attention they deserve on the campaign trail, and more importantly I intend to be and will be your partner in the White House. There is no doubt in my mind that progress is possible but not in any way inevitable. We have to keep working to make sure equality is a reality.
“And as I look out at all of you, I am struck by the variety of ages — some who have been in this struggle for a very long time and some quite young and new to it. That’s as it should be. I think of all the moms and dads out there who worry about whether their children will be okay. I think about the hospitals that still won’t let both moms into the emergency room with their sick child. I think about the parents and the kids who worry about whether their teachers and classmates will be accepting of them, whether law enforcement will treat them fairly — all those millions of worries, large and small, that LGBT Americans live with every single day.
“I’m fighting for an America where, if you do your part, you can get ahead and stay ahead, where you can be accepted for who you are; where liberty and equality, where diversity and unity, where opportunity and justice are not just values we recite but goals we work to achieve. I don’t want anybody to be left out. We need everybody’s talents in America today.
“And as I said in the beginning, we have a lot to celebrate. This is really the fastest civil rights movement that I’m aware of in the history of the world. But do not grow weary because there is still much left undone. And those who have been at the beginning of this movement, those who started SC Equality, have so much to pass on. But the torch inevitably will be passed and a new generation must step forward to continue to make the case to call out the champions as well as the adversaries, to be on the front lines tirelessly because there is no end to this struggle, and to support one another not just in good times but in the bad ones.
“I’m very proud to see all of you here tonight, because I represented New York, where being an advocate for equality was not quite as challenging. And one of the reasons I wanted to be here was to really congratulate you, because you have made such a difference for so many people, and I for one am grateful. Thank you all very much.”
Bil Browning
All Hell Breaks Loose After Vivica A. Fox Comments On 50 Cent's Sexuality
Vivica A. Fox had eyebrows raising after suggesting 50 Cent might be gay during an appearance on “Watch What Happens Live.”
Andy Cohen asked the actress about ex-boyfriend 50 Cent’s involvement in a conversation on Instagram about the possibility that “Empire” ratings have dropped because of “gay stuff.” (Fox is set to appear on the show as Cookie Lyon’s older sister.)
“First of all, you know, pot calling the kettle black is all I’m saying,” she said. When Cohen pressed and asked if Fox was insinuating that the rapper is gay, she smiled. “He’s not. We had a great time. I mean, he just seems like he’s got something that’s not quite clear,” thereby leaving room for further speculation about 50’s sexuality.
Fox, who dated the “In Da Club” rapper in 2003, also noted being suspicious of a 2010 XXL magazine cover featuring 50 and Soulja Boy. “He just looked like a booty snatcher on that one to me,” she said.
After Fox’s Bravo appearance, both 50 and Soulja Boy responded on social media. The rapper also lashed out by sharing explicit details about the couple’s sexual history.
A photo posted by Soulja Boy (@souljaboy) on
Man somebody should have told her I’m a Troll. I got my asshole merit badge on now. #EFFENVODKA #FRIGO #SMSAUDIO
A photo posted by 50 Cent (@50cent) on
Fox seemed unfazed by the fallout.
Exactly! He 4gets I’ve got some stories in my vault too!! Try it…#Unbothered #LifeIsGood 😉 t.co/LGisgnbPOL
— Vivica A. Fox (@MsVivicaFox) November 9, 2015
Also on HuffPost:
— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
Kylie Minogue and James Corden Cover Yazoo Classic ‘Only You': LISTEN
Fans of Yazoo’s (Vince Clarke and Alison Moyet) 1982 classic “Only You” should be thrilled to hear a new cover of the track by Kylie Minogue and Late Late Show host James Corden.
The track is the first single off Kylie’s album Kylie Christmas, forthcoming on November 13. We’re not sure why this track is on a Christmas album, but we’re not complaining. An a cappella cover of “Only You” was a Christmas #1 in the UK in 1983 when it was covered by The Flying Picketts.
Check out the lyric video below which Kylie tweeted out this morning.
SO excited to share my new single #OnlyYou featuring @JKCorden ⛄
❄️ #KylieChristmas. Time to sing along everyone!! t.co/d7FUJrbGXK
— kylie minogue (@kylieminogue) November 9, 2015
The post Kylie Minogue and James Corden Cover Yazoo Classic ‘Only You’: LISTEN appeared first on Towleroad.
Andy Towle
Kylie Minogue and James Corden Cover Yazoo Classic ‘Only You’: LISTEN
Would a New President Clinton Repeat DOMA's Mistakes?
In a recent interview with Rachel Maddow, former secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated that in 1996 she and her husband, President Bill Clinton, supported the so-called Defense of Marriage Act as a “defensive action” against a threatened constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages.
Activists who were working on lesbian and gay equality in the early and mid-1990s remember things differently, and when Buzzfeed‘s Chris Geidner took a deep dive into the Clinton Library documents, he found “no evidence” of such defensive posturing. During his 1992 campaign, Bill Clinton opposed same-sex marriage, and he came out early in 1996 in support of DOMA, Geidner notes.
It’s worth noting that in the 1990s, opposing marriage equality was the popular opinion, both politically and publicly. In March 1996, 68 percent of Americans believed marriage between same-sex couples “should not be valid,” according to Gallup’s historical polling. To be a member of Congress, beltway big-wig, or president opposing DOMA was a tough road. And voting against DOMA didn’t necessarily mean being in favor of same-sex marriage.
For example, Sen. Bernie Sanders, then representing Vermont in the U.S. House, voted against the bill because he didn’t believe the issues DOMA covered should be legislated by the federal government in the first place. But he opposed full marriage equality in Vermont initially, instead supporting his state’s first-in-the-nation legislation for civil unions. He recently told Maddow that he adopted a “not right now” approach to endorsing full marriage equality.
But Hillary Clinton’s continued support for portions of DOMA past 1996 belies her portrayal of the bill as a “defensive action.” In 2008, when then-Sen. Clinton was running for president, her stated position only supported repealing section 3 of DOMA, which forbade the federal government from recognizing legal same-sex marriages performed in a handful of states (and which was ultimately ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in its 2013 decision in Windsor v. U.S.)
Meanwhile, then-candidate Barack Obama supported repealing both substantive sections of DOMA, Section 3 and Section 2, which declared that states did not have to recognize legal same-sex marriages performed in other states. At the time, neither candidate was in favor of marriage equality.
Secretary Clinton didn’t publicly come out in favor of marriage equality until March 2013, after she left the State Department, and nearly a year after President Obama announced that it was “important for [him] to go ahead and affirm” that same-sex couples should be afforded equal marriage rights. As no shortage of pundits and political adversaries have pointed out, by the time Secretary Clinton came out for marriage equality, anyone with a finger to the wind could tell that it was a politically safe position for any Democrat to take.
Which leads us to the present, on the verge of a new Clinton presidency. Whether one buys Clinton’s “defensive action” narrative wholesale, or considers the secretary’s slow evolution to be callous political calculus, the question lingers: When it comes to the next LGBT civil rights battle, would a President Hillary Clinton follow her husband’s footsteps and take so-called “defensive action” that, by many estimates, sets progress back by a decade? Or would she live up to her powerful 2011 proclamation that “gay rights are human rights?”
With near-certainty, a President Hillary Clinton seems unlikely to compromise on the proposed federal Equality Act. She pledged as much during a sweeping speech to Human Rights Campaign volunteers last month. And as long as even one house of Congress is under Republican control, it’s extremely unlikely the Equality Act would pass into law — so compromise on the language of the bill prior to having both houses under Democratic control doesn’t appear to be something a new President Clinton would need to discuss.
And let’s be honest: the politically treacherous stance for a president Hillary Clinton won’t be over issues involving sexual orientation. The difficult stance, where Clinton might follow in her husband’s compromising path, would be on issues involving gender identity.
Don’t believe me? Take a look at the vicious, transphobic campaign just waged by anti-equality forces in Houston, which successfully repealed broad nondiscrimination protections by peddling the demonstrably false claim that equal access in employment, housing, and public accommodation would allow “men in women’s bathrooms.” (It wouldn’t, for the record — in more than 200 cities nationwide with trans-inclusive ordinances, there have been zero confirmed reports of anyone “pretending” to be trans to harass women in restrooms.)
While the Obama administration has made unprecedented strides to defend the dignity of transgender people in education, housing, and employment, it would be naive to think conservative members of Congress won’t take the lessons learned in Houston to try and roll back that progress.
If Congress sends to her presidential desk bills that would harm transgender people in a way that DOMA and “don’t ask, don’t tell,” harmed lesbian, gay, and bisexual people, would a President Hillary Clinton veto those bills?
Of course, it’s impossible to predict what bills may or may not be introduced, but if history is any guide, it seems more than possible that the future Madame President could be presented with anti-trans amendments to larger bills, often called “riders.”
As the Pentagon prepares to lift its longstanding ban on military service by out transgender Americans (who weren’t impacted by the repeal of DADT), what are the chances that a reauthorization bill for the National Defense Authorization Act landing on President Clinton’s desk could include a rider barring gender-affirming surgery for service members? Even though overwhelming medical, military, and psychological consensus insists that transgender people are fully capable of serving honorably, both before and after gender-affirming treatment, and that for many individuals such treatment is medically necessary, would President Hillary Clinton veto the NDAA if it had a transphobic rider?
Or envision multiple riders tacked on to reauthorization bills for Medicare, the Veterans Administration, and Social Security, barring all gender-affirming health care (which could include everything from hormones to gender-affirming surgeries), for all medical providers receiving federal funds. Would the next President Clinton have the guts to stand up for not just women’s health, but the health of trans women and men, too?
Alternately, the current Democratic frontrunner’s criminal justice reform speech in April recognized that “Black incarceration is a serious problem in America,” according to Talking Points Memo‘s summary. Clinton also called for an end to the “era of mass incarceration.” But when it’s time to sign legislation aimed at reforming the criminal justice system, will Clinton recognize the unique needs of transgender inmates, who are more likely to be assaulted, placed in solitary confinement, and punished more severely than their cisgender counterparts? Obama’s Department of Justice has increasingly thrown its weight behind trans prisoners seeking access to medically necessary care. Would a Clinton DOJ follow suit, or would she accept a “compromise” that fails to protect the right of trans prisoners?
Similarly, the Department of Education under President Obama has repeatedly affirmed that transgender students must be granted equal access to the gender-segregated facilities and teams that correspond with their gender identity. But given the success of transphobic, bathroom-focused scare tactics in Houston, it’s not hard to imagine that anti-trans forces would try to reign in the Department of Education’s ability to mandate such equal access in public schools, on the backs of inauthentic concerns about “parental rights” and student “privacy.” Would a new President Clinton call out that disingenuous strategy for what it is?
It’s not as if any of these kinds of riders on appropriation bills couldn’t come out of something that resembles our modern Congressional chambers. Would Democrats in vulnerable Senate seats be willing to cast hard votes on behalf of transgender people if these transphobic riders arrived in their chamber? And should such bills make it through the House and Senate, would a President Hillary Clinton veto broad appropriation bills because of anti-transgender riders?
I’m never going to have a chance to interview presidential candidate Clinton (or Sanders, for that matter) this election cycle, but perhaps someone will get a chance to ask her about all this. Because if Secretary Clinton is claiming that DOMA was defensive, the next natural question becomes on which LGB, and especially T, issue in the future would she consider a similar “defensive” position?
As we say in the military, it’s important to know what issues one will “die on a hill” for. And any commander-in-chief should be prepared to answer that question.
AUTUMN SANDEEN retired from the U.S. Navy in 2000 with 20 years of service. In 2010, she and other LGBT veterans were jailed twice in direct actions at the White House advocating repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” In the past she blogged for Pam’s House Blend, and currently she is an editor at Transadvocate and a columnist for LGBT Weekly.
Autumn Sandeen
www.advocate.com/commentary/2015/11/09/would-new-president-clinton-repeat-domas-mistakes
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