National
Pro-LGBT Republican endorses Romney
Ros-Lehtinen co-sponsor of DOMA repeal

A Republican U.S. House member known for holding the most pro-LGBT views in her caucus has endorsed former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in his bid for president.
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), who also serves as chair of the House Foreign Relations Committee, announced her support for Romney in a statement on Tuesday that also criticized President Obama.
“The policies of the past three years have put America’s standing in the world at risk,” Ros-Lehtinen said. “It is time we had a president who understands that our country must lead. Mitt Romney believes that America is an exceptional nation and has a strategy to restore our country’s greatness.”
On the Romney economic plan, which, among other things, would cut the corporate income tax to 25 percent, Ros-Lehtinen said, “The Romney jobs plan will create jobs and opportunity for all especially in South Florida where we are passionate in the pursuit of the American dream.”
Ros-Lehtinen’s endorsement of Romney is noteworthy to the LGBT community because she’s among the most pro-LGBT Republicans in Congress. In September, she became the first Republican to co-sponsor legislation to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act — much to the consternation of social conservatives.
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She’s also an original co-sponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and the Domestic Partnership & Benefits Obligations Act. Last year, she was among five Republicans to vote for “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal in May even before the Pentagon report was published.
Ros-Lehtinen endorsed Romney along with Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) and his brother former Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, who also represented a district in Florida before he retired early this year. All three were also designated as Romney’s foreign policy advisers and made part of his Latin American Working Group.
The three Floridians are Cuban-Americans and come from a state with a large population of people of Cuban descent. The endorsement could be a boost to Romney in winning a state primary that is seen as critical for securing the Republican nomination.
In a statement, Romney thanked Ros-Lehtinen and the Diaz-Balart brothers for supporting his campaign.
“I am proud to be working with Ileana, Mario, and Lincoln,” Romney said. “They’re conservative leaders who will help me articulate my vision to make America more prosperous at home and respected throughout the world.”
Romney, seen as the establishment candidate among GOP presidential hopefuls, has distinguished himself among other Republicans pursuing the White House for saying he’s open to the idea of LGBT rights.
Last week, he told the Nashua Telegraph, “I favor gay rights,” and said he doesn’t “believe in discriminating in employment or opportunity for gay individuals.” Still, Romney said he doesn’t support same-sex marriage.
His comments recall a letter his signed as a U.S. Senate candidate in 1994 pledging to co-sponsor ENDA and to be a better advocate on LGBT rights than the late Sen. Edward Kennedy.
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But in August, he was among the presidential candidates who signed a pledge to back a U.S. constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and to defend DOMA in court.
Also last week, the Romney campaign distributed a flier in Iowa emphasizing his social conservative values — including his opposition to same-sex marriage.
“As governor, Mitt Romney fought against gay marriage in Massachusetts,” the mailer reads. “He supports a federal amendment to define marriage as between one man and one woman.”
Ros-Lehtinen’s endorsement of Romney inspired mixed reactions among LGBT groups — largely depending on the political affiliation of the organizations.
R. Clarke Cooper, executive director of Log Cabin Republicans, said Ros-Lehtinen’s endorsement doesn’t reflect the views of his organization, although he’s pleased Romney welcomed her support.
“Log Cabin Republicans does not issue endorsements until the RNC convention, but we are pleased to see Gov. Romney welcomed the endorsement of Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a strong conservative advocate for the gay community,” Cooper said.
Fred Sainz, vice president of communications for the Human Rights Campaign, said he isn’t surprised that a Republican lawmaker — pro-LGBT or otherwise — would back a pro-LGBT candidate.
“Her endorsement of a Republican presidential candidate was not a surprise,” Sainz said. “Rep. Ros-Lehtinen has proven that you can totally square being a Republican and wholeheartedly support LGBT issues.”
But Jerame Davis, interim executive director of the National Stonewall Democrats, took a dig at the multiple positions that Romney has held on LGBT issues in response to the Ros-Lehtinen endorsement.
“It’s hard to say what Rep. Ros-Lehtinen’s endorsement of Mitt Romney says about her relationship with the LGBT community,” Davis said. “Which Mitt Romney did she endorse? Was it the Mitt Romney who just last week signed the National Organization for Marriage’s draconian anti-equality pledge? Or was it the Mitt Romney who claimed in 1994 that he’d be a better advocate for LGBT equality than the late Sen. Ted Kennedy?”
Davis concluded, “So many choices — I’m sure she picked the one that was closest to her own views.”
New York
Two teens shot steps from Stonewall Inn after NYC Pride parade
One of the victims remains in critical condition

On Sunday night, following the annual NYC Pride March, two girls were shot in Sheridan Square, feet away from the historic Stonewall Inn.
According to an NYPD report, the two girls, aged 16 and 17, were shot around 10:15 p.m. as Pride festivities began to wind down. The 16-year-old was struck in the head and, according to police sources, is said to be in critical condition, while the 17-year-old was said to be in stable condition.
The Washington Blade confirmed with the NYPD the details from the police reports and learned no arrests had been made as of noon Monday.
The shooting took place in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, mere feet away from the most famous gay bar in the city — if not the world — the Stonewall Inn. Earlier that day, hundreds of thousands of people marched down Christopher Street to celebrate 55 years of LGBTQ people standing up for their rights.
In June 1969, after police raided the Stonewall Inn, members of the LGBTQ community pushed back, sparking what became known as the Stonewall riots. Over the course of two days, LGBTQ New Yorkers protested the discriminatory policing of queer spaces across the city and mobilized to speak out — and throw bottles if need be — at officers attempting to suppress their existence.
The following year, LGBTQ people returned to the Stonewall Inn and marched through the same streets where queer New Yorkers had been arrested, marking the first “Gay Pride March” in history and declaring that LGBTQ people were not going anywhere.
New York State Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, whose district includes Greenwich Village, took to social media to comment on the shooting.
“After decades of peaceful Pride celebrations — this year gun fire and two people shot near the Stonewall Inn is a reminder that gun violence is everywhere,” the lesbian lawmaker said on X. “Guns are a problem despite the NRA BS.”
New York
Zohran Mamdani participates in NYC Pride parade
Mayoral candidate has detailed LGBTQ rights platform

Zohran Mamdani, the candidate for mayor of New York City who pulled a surprise victory in the primary contest last week, walked in the city’s Pride parade on Sunday.
The Democratic Socialist and New York State Assembly member published photos on social media with New York Attorney General Letitia James, telling followers it was “a joy to march in NYC Pride with the people’s champ” and to “see so many friends on this gorgeous day.”
“Happy Pride NYC,” he wrote, adding a rainbow emoji.
Mamdani’s platform includes a detailed plan for LGBTQ people who “across the United States are facing an increasingly hostile political environment.”
His campaign website explains: “New York City must be a refuge for LGBTQIA+ people, but private institutions in our own city have already started capitulating to Trump’s assault on trans rights.
“Meanwhile, the cost of living crisis confronting working class people across the city hits the LGBTQIA+ community particularly hard, with higher rates of unemployment and homelessness than the rest of the city.”
“The Mamdani administration will protect LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers by expanding and protecting gender-affirming care citywide, making NYC an LGBTQIA+ sanctuary city, and creating the Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs.”
U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court upholds ACA rule that makes PrEP, other preventative care free
Liberal justices joined three conservatives in majority opinion

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday upheld a portion of the Affordable Care Act requiring private health insurers to cover the cost of preventative care including PrEP, which significantly reduces the risk of transmitting HIV.
Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh authored the majority opinion in the case, Kennedy v. Braidwood Management. He was joined by two conservatives, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett, along with the three liberal justices, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown-Jackson.
The court’s decision rejected the plaintiffs’ challenge to the Affordable Care Act’s reliance on the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force to “unilaterally” determine which types of care and services must be covered by payors without cost-sharing.
An independent all-volunteer panel of nationally recognized experts in prevention and primary care, the 16 task force members are selected by the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to serve four-year terms.
They are responsible for evaluating the efficacy of counseling, screenings for diseases like cancer and diabetes, and preventative medicines — like Truvada for PrEP, drugs to reduce heart disease and strokes, and eye ointment for newborns to prevent infections.
Parties bringing the challenge objected especially to the mandatory coverage of PrEP, with some arguing the drugs would “encourage and facilitate homosexual behavior” against their religious beliefs.
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