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Gay Wis. lawmaker hopes to win Baldwin’s seat

Pocan pledges active role in LGBT rights fight

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U.S. House candidate Mark Pocan (Blade photo by Michael Key)

It’ll be a tough act for Mark Pocan to follow.

The gay lawmaker in the Wisconsin State Assembly is seeking the seat being vacated at the end of this year by lesbian Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), who’s leaving the U.S. House to pursue a run for the U.S. Senate.

In an interview with the Washington Blade, Pocan, 47, said he wants to represent Wisconsin’s second congressional district to build on the work he’s done during his seven terms in the Wisconsin Assembly and to bring a progressive voice to Congress.

“I’ve always said there’s only one other job I would want,” Pocan said. “Our county executive recently left, and she said, ‘Do you want to run for that?’ She spent six months talking about manure digesters, and that wasn’t something I really thought was that exciting, but legislative work is something I really enjoy. It’s something that I think can have some of the same results at the state level at the federal level.”

The political careers of Baldwin and Pocan have been intertwined. Both served in the early 1990s as members of the Dane County Board of Supervisors. When Baldwin left the State Assembly in 1998 to pursue a run for Congress, Pocan ran to fill her seat.

Among his priorities, Pocan said, is “fighting the proper fight” for progressives on issues related to jobs and the economy. Having run a specialty printing firm for 23 years, Pocan said companies need access to capital to grow and jump start the economy.

“It’s funny to hear Republicans talk about job creators, and they get all excited when the say the words, ‘job creators,’ but their answer to everything is a new tax break for the wealthy,” Pocan said. “I think, when I look at, I know that what small businesses who are my customers need is access to capital, so they grow their business. So, I think I can very credibly provide a small business perspective, but matched with progressive values.”

If elected, Pocan would join other openly gay Democrats in the U.S. House and possibly keep that number at four after Baldwin leaves. Gay Reps. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), Jared Polis (D-Colo.) and David Cicilline (D-R.I.) are incumbents seeking re-election.

Denis Dison, spokesperson for the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, said Pocan has what it takes to join the ranks of the other openly gay lawmakers in Congress fighting for LGBT rights. The organization has already endorsed him.

“Mark is a vocal and respected fighter for progressive values, and that’s what people can expect from him as a member of Congress,” Dison said. “In the same tradition as Congresswoman Baldwin, Mark won’t be shy about speaking out for what he believes in, and he’ll be an effective champion for LGBT equality.”

Pocan is married to Phil Frank, 34, who works as operations manager at the print shop that they both own. The couple has been together nine years, and were married five years ago in Toronto, although the state doesn’t recognize their marriage due to a constitutional amendment ratified by Wisconsin voters in 2006.

Pocan said he “absolutely” wants to follow Baldwin’s lead when it comes to fighting for LGBT rights. It’ll be a tall order: Baldwin was the first non-incumbent openly gay person elected to Congress and is a lead coordinator for pro-LGBT initiatives in Congress.

Drawing on his work in the Wisconsin Assembly, Pocan asserted he has the ability to take the lead on LGBT issues in Congress. As a state lawmaker, he played a key role in pushing through domestic partner benefits for state employees and, as part of the state budget, a domestic partner registry enabling same-sex couples in the state to have 43 of the rights and protections of marriage. Both measures went though the Joint Committee on Finance, where Pocan serves as a member.

“Those are two pretty significant measures for our state that are we rather behind on, that we were able to get done through my committee and through my leadership in the last session once the Democrats took control,” Pocan said.

Asked which pro-LGBT measures he’d like to pursue at the federal level, Pocan said he “wants to work with the community” to determine which measures are the highest priority.

“It’s working with the community groups in deciding what we need to move at the right time,” Pocan said. “Because clearly, in some congresses, you’re not going to able to move bills, you’re going to be fighting any bad legislation that could happen.”

Pocan said he supports repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibits federal recognition of same-sex marriage, as well as passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and the Uniting American Families Act.

Recalling the recent backlash against the conservative, anti-labor policies of Gov. Scott Walker (R) — who’s facing potential recall — and the fight against the same-sex marriage ban in 2006, Pocan said the LGBT movement is an intrinsic part of the progressive movement as a whole. Earlier this year, Democrats led recall efforts against six Republican state senators and unseated two.

“When we had the fight for collective bargaining, our main political organization, Fair Wisconsin, and many people came with rainbow flags to show support from collective bargaining. I think it’s the collective fight that we have against people who want to take away rights — it’s just growing and becoming more sophisticated and more powerful.”

Pocan urged President Obama to take further action on LGBT rights. An endorsement of marriage equality, Pocan said, is among the steps he wants to see from Obama — as well as other members of Congress — and said an “education process” is necessary to enable Obama to “evolve” as he said he could do.

“When you talk to the president and other members of Congress, let them see what a same-sex couple looks like who are happy married after five years and defying most of the odds of heterosexual couples at that point,” Pocan said. “It’s a matter of getting public officials sometimes to lead like they’re supposed to and making them as a comfortable as possible so they can do the right thing.”

Additionally, Pocan said he “absolutely” wants to see Obama take action to address workplace discrimination against LGBT people. The candidate said he backs the idea of Obama issuing an executive order prohibiting federal dollars from going to contractors and suppliers that don’t have non-discrimnation policies based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

“We’ve looked at this in our state, too, where sometimes you just work the system the best you can,” Pocan said. “You can’t say you’re going to wait necessarily for the political winds that brought in the Tea Party and others to suddenly acquiesce to civil rights. So we need to have the president take a leadership role. I think he’s done a lot of positive things for the community, but there’s a lot more he can do, and I think we need to make it so that there’s a strong environment so that he can get those things accomplished.”

Such an executive order has been seen as an interim solution until Congress can pass ENDA, although the Obama administration hasn’t said whether it will issue the directive.

Wisconsin’s 2nd congressional district — which includes Madison, sometimes referred to as the most gay-friendly district in the country — is a Democratic stronghold, so most observers expect Pocan to have no trouble winning the seat in the general election.

But Pocan won’t have smooth sailing in getting to Congress. In the Democratic primary likely to take place Aug. 14, Pocan is facing at least two Democratic opponents: State Rep. Kelda Helen Roys, who’s been serving in the legislature since 2008, and David Worzala, who was elected three times to the Dane County Board of Supervisors and serves as Dane County Treasurer.

“For us, the primary is the general, so there’s that kind of emphasis on the primary,” Pocan said. “We have to convince the voters that I’ve been a proven fighter for progressive values, got 18 years to look at my record. You know where I’m at, I’m not suddenly going to change, sell out to the Tea Party or something like that. I can best use the skills I’ve built, the accomplishments I’ve had in the legislature and bring that to a federal level.”

Baldwin hasn’t made an endorsement in the House race. Phillip Walzak, a Baldwin campaign spokesperson, said Baldwin thinks either Pocan or Roys would be good candidates to succeed her in representing the second district.

“Tammy has worked closely with Mark over the years, and Tammy thinks both Mark Pocan and Kelda Helen Roys are great candidates for her House seat,” Walzak said.

In terms of fundraising, Pocan is ahead of his Democratic opponents. According to the most recent Federal Election Commission reports, Pocan has raised $123,000 this election cycle and has about the same amount in cash on hand. Comparatively, Roys has raised $70,000 and has $67,000 in cash on hand, while Worzala has raised $55,o00 and has $52,000 in cash on hand.

But Pocan said he has something else to offer the Democratic Party if he’s chosen as the standard-bearer heading into the general election: a track record of helping other Democrats win election. During his time in the Assembly, Pocan said he’s worked on the campaign committee to help elect Democrats to the state legislature.

“Two cycles ago, when we took the majority for the first time in 14 years, I was in charge of that operation,” Pocan said. “I think that that’s something hopefully I can also bring to Congress. Having a very safe district like the 2nd district means whoever wins the primary will very likely be the next member of Congress. I think there’s an obligation to seat like that to help elect other Democrats.”

The election of more Democrats, Pocan said, would be key to advancing LGBT rights and other issues important to the progressive movement.

“Hopefully I can do that sort of thing and help in Congress because unless I help elect more Democrats, it’s not likely that I’ll pass the very things, the values I have and my district has,” Pocan said.

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Oklahoma

Medical examine releases final autopsy on Nex Benedict’s death

Okla. high school student died by suicide in February

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Nex Benedict (Family photo)

The Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office released the full report Wednesday on the results of its investigation into the death of Nex Benedict, a 16-year-old transgender teen whose death has become a hot button topic in ongoing national discourse over transphobic and homophobic bullying in public school settings.

Earlier this month the medical examiner’s office released the first page of the report stating that Benedict’s death was caused by an overdose of Benadryl and Prozac, and ruled the death a suicide.

Owasso Police Department Lt. Nick Boatman said in a statement to the media at the time of the release of the initial finding: “From the beginning of this investigation, Owasso Police observed many indications that this death was the result of suicide. However, investigators did not wish to confirm that information without the final results being presented by the Oklahoma Medical Examiners Office.”

The Owasso Police Department released body cam footage from the interview conducted by the Owasso High School resource officer taken at the emergency room, investigating the attack on Benedict by three other female juveniles earlier that day in a school bathroom.

Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler released a statement last week that said no criminal charges will be filed in the death of the 16-year-old Owasso High School trans student.

In part the district attorney said because the finding by the Oklahoma State Medical Examiner precluded the possibility that the death was caused directly from the physical altercation at the school the day prior to the teen’s dying.

According to the district attorney, Benedict had written notes talking about suicide but did not reference the fight or incidents at school. Kunzweiler stated that the notes are personal to Benedict’s family and will not be released.

16-year-old trans teen Nex Benedict being recorded on Owasso Police Department body cam footage at the emergency room after he was attacked in a bathroom at Owasso High School speaking with the Owasso High School resource officer.

The report also detailed injuries sustained in the fight from the day before, including several small cuts and bruises on their face and body. Benedict also had a 4×3 inch bruise on his chest from resuscitation efforts. The medical examiner also found yellowing bruises on Benedict’s arms, legs and torso that were healing before the time of the fight. The medical examiner’s office also found evidence of self-inflicted wounds on the arm.

Several Oklahoma-based LGBTQ organizations responded to the release of the full autopsy report along with national LGBTQ advocacy groups GLAAD, the Human Rights Campaign and the Rainbow Youth Project.

“As our community continues to grieve and remember Nex, it’s clearer than ever that everyone from Oklahoma’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters to Owasso High School staff members to the Owasso Police Department, Tulsa District Attorney, and unaccredited-since-2009 state medical examiner’s office failed to deliver justice for Nex Benedict and Nex’s loved ones,” said Nicole McAfree, executive director of Freedom Oklahoma.

“A harm doubled by the continued lack of respect for the tribal law enforcement who should be involved in a case that involves the death of an Indigenous person on reservation land. As we approach the end of the Oklahoma legislative session, lawmakers should take the opportunity to send a message of adamant opposition to anti-2SLGBTQ+ legislation and policies; and support for measures that enable more empathy, kindness and compassion, not less. Nex should be alive, and the very least we can do in Nex’s memory is demonstrate our commitment to building a better world that makes it impossible for this heartbreaking tragedy to happen again,” McAfree added.

Oklahoma Pride Alliance President Kylan L. Durant said; “Today’s news is the latest disappointing development in Nex Benedict’s tragic story. The best way to honor Nex’s memory now is by taking tangible steps to secure meaningful policies and platforms that make life better for all LGBTQ and 2STGNC+ youth. All Oklahomans deserve to live in a world that treats us with full dignity and respect, and where we can access spaces that allow us to live as our honest, authentic selves. We will never stop advocating for equality and justice in honor of Nex and too many others who left us too soon.”

The Rainbow Youth Project reported an uptick in crisis calls from Oklahoma since Benedict’s death:

  • 1,097 calls from Oklahoma in February.
  • 824 calls from Oklahoma in March so far.
  • Note that the average for the state is 357 per month.
  • Oklahoma youth reaching out to Rainbow Youth Project reported experiencing anti-LGBTQ bullying and specifically called out Walters:
    • 82 percent reported bullying.
    • 62 percent cited anti-LGBTQ rhetoric from Walters.

More than 350 organizations signed a letter one month ago calling for the Walters’ removal following his long history of leadership failures and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric.

“Since Nex’s death, the crisis lines at the Rainbow Youth Project continue to increase in calls and outreach from young people who feel discouraged and hopeless. It’s incumbent upon all of us to secure safety and well-being for young people, especially those who are most at risk of being bullied and singled out,” said Christopher Sederburg, leader of the Rainbow Youth Project’s Transgender Action Committee. “It’s hard enough to be a young person in the world today without worrying about doing something as simple as attending school safely. Nex’s death is a tremendous loss and we must do everything in our power to prevent similar tragedies from taking place in the future. Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters and the Oklahoma Department of Education must enact change and do right by all students.”

GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis in a statement released after the report was made public said:

“This report cannot be seen as a conclusion of the investigation into the death of a teenager who should still be here today. Oklahoma’s supposed leaders must still provide answers to the public about the state-sponsored bullying by legislation, the inadequate response to violence in a school bathroom, and all the failures to keep Nex safe that continue to endanger LGBTQ and 2STGNC+ people in Oklahoma. GLAAD continues to call for an independent investigation to resolve the systemic failures that led to Nex’s death. Our hearts remain with Nex’s family, with Oklahoma’s incredible 2STGNC+ and equality advocates and all LGBTQ youth who deserve to grow up in peace and safety.”

Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, released the following statement: 

“The full report does little to fill in the gaps in information about that day or the more than a year of bullying and harassment that led up to it. It does not answer the questions of so many in Oklahoma and across the country. We continue to support the calls from Nex’s family for an independent investigation.

Young people in Oklahoma and across the country deserve to be safe and respected in school. This includes young people who may dress differently, speak differently, or identify differently from you. What’s clear from Nex’s death, and from what we’ve heard from so many students and parents in Owasso and across the state, is that this is not the case. Instead, we have seen the very adults who should be working to protect Oklahoma’s kids actively foster the hostile environment that makes students unsafe.

The release of today’s report does not change the fact that LGTBQ+ students in Oklahoma are not safe at school. And it does not change our continued calls for justice and accountability.  We reiterate our call for a full and complete investigation into the district, state Supt. Ryan Walters, the Oklahoma State Department of Education and into their response after Nex was attacked.”

On March 1, the U.S. Department of Education informed Robinson that the department will open an investigation in response to HRC’s letter regarding Owasso Public Schools and its failure to respond appropriately to sex-based harassment that may have contributed to the tragic death of Benedict.

This investigation was triggered by a formal complaint made last week by Robinson, who wrote to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and asked his department to use the enforcement mechanisms at its disposal to prevent similar tragedies from taking place in the future and to help hold accountable those responsible for Benedict’s tragic death.

Rainbow Youth Project USA Executive Director Lance Preston echoed his fellow non-profit CEOs at GLAAD and HRC, telling the Washington Blade:

“In a unified effort with Human Rights Campaign and GLAAD, Rainbow Youth Project USA is calling for an independent autopsy to ensure a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the youth’s death. 

Rainbow Youth Project USA, demands that educational institutions in Oklahoma and across the country take immediate action to address the pervasive issue of bullying and harassment faced by LGBTQ+ students. 

Statistics reveal that 58 percent of LGBTQ+ youth in Oklahoma feel unsafe at school, painting a grim picture of the challenges these individuals face on a daily basis. “Schools must be safe and inclusive environments for all students, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. It is unacceptable that a significant number of LGBTQ+ students are experiencing bullying and harassment.”

Rainbow Youth Project USA, based on recent data, received 1,097 crisis calls from Oklahoma in February alone. Nearly 86 percent of these callers reported instances of being bullied within the state’s schools, highlighting the urgent need for improved support and protection for LGBTQ youth. 

In a conversation with the Blade on Wednesday, investigative journalist T.J. Payne reflected on the report:

“I can’t help but feel a sickness around all of it. As a trans person, reading a trans child’s autopsy is really fucked. Referring to their various insides as normal, intact, not usual. If only we described trans people the same way externally. Just like everybody else in the world trying to survive.”

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Federal Government

National Security Council meets with Ugandan LGBTQ activist

Frank Mugisha met with the NSC on Monday

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Frank Mugisha, Gay News, Washington Blade
Sexual Minorities Uganda Executive Director Frank Mugisha (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)

The U.S. National Security Council met with Ugandan LGBTQ rights activist Frank Mugisha on Monday, according to a spokesperson who reaffirmed America’s opposition to civil rights abuses against LGBTQ people in the East African country.

Last year, Uganda passed the Anti-Homosexuality Act, a law that criminalizes, with prison sentences, identifying as gay or lesbian and imposes the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality.”

The Biden-Harris administration has repeatedly denounced the legislation and called for its repeal.

“There have been increased reports of evictions, vigilante attacks, and police harassment, abuse, and detainment of individuals who are or are perceived to be LGBTQI+, including reports of the Ugandan police subjecting individuals to forced anal examinations – an abusive, degrading practice that serves no investigative or public health purpose,” the White House wrote in a December 2023 fact sheet.

In a post on X about the meeting with Mugisha, Adrienne Watson, special assistant to the president and National Security Council senior director for press and spokesperson, wrote that the “United States continues to have zero tolerance for any form of discrimination or harmful activities.”

Mugisha, who is gay, is one of the most prominent LGBTQ advocates in Uganda, winning the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award and Thorolf Rafto Memorial Prize for his work in 2011. He was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.

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District of Columbia

D.C. events to commemorate International Transgender Day of Visibility

Monica Beverly-Hillz to attend Blossom Gala at Hook Hall

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(Washington Blade file photo by Michael K. Lavers)

Trans USA National Pageantry and the National Center for Transgender Equality will hold a series of events in D.C. on Sunday in commemoration of the International Transgender Day of Visibility.

The TRANSform the Vote rally will take place on the National Mall.

Organized by the Queer Equity Institute and NCTE, the event aims to celebrate trans liberation, combat violence and promote civic engagement. Elected officials, activists and artists are expected to participate. 

Queer Equity Institute Executive Director Leigh Finke and NCTE Executive Director Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen discussed the rally and how it will empower the trans community and promote advocacy.

“From restricting access to medically necessary healthcare to denying trans students the opportunity to participate in sports, we have seen nationwide efforts to exclude trans people from society,” said Heng-Lehtinen. “TRANSform the Vote presents a historical moment for us to empower our community — casting our votes and participating in democracy is just one of many ways our community can advocate for the issues that matter to us.”

Finke, Minnesota’s first openly trans lawmaker who wrote the state’s groundbreaking trans refuge bill, echoed Heng-Lehtinen.

“Over the past few years, we’ve watched again and again as ‘jokes’ became hate speech, hate speech became bills, bills became laws; and all the jokes, hate speech and laws created an environment where transgender people are assaulted, beaten and murdered,” said Finke. “Some of the most important tools we have to fight back against these attacks is to change the culture through voting, running for office and creating art and music that shift society. This rally is meant to highlight and encourage folks to use those tools in their communities.”

Confirmed speakers and participants aside from Finke and Heng-Lehtinen include:

  • Minnesota state Rep. Alicia “Liish” Kozlowski, who is one of the country’s foremost activists for Indigenous trans and two-spirit people.
  • Minneapolis City Council President Andrea Jenkins.
  • Angelica Ross, a Buddhist artist and human rights activist.
  • Visual artist Cassils

The first annual Blossom Gala will take place at Hook Hall (3400 Georgia Ave., N.W.) and will feature keynote speakers, a Q&A panel discussion featuring national leaders in the trans rights movement and drag performances. Cherry Bomb, which will cap off the event, is an all-trans drag showcase.

Mr. Trans USA 2020 Eddie Broadway; Miss Trans USA 2020 Bianca Nicole and Candi Stratton, a world-renowned Cher illusionist, are among those who are expected to perform. Other participants will include Miss Trans USA 2023 Anya Marino, Mr. Trans USA 2023 Trey C. Michaels and NCTE National Organizer Sybastian Smith.  

Monica Beverly-Hillz from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” will also participate.

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