National
Two Senate retirements mean two losses for gays
With two veteran Democratic senators last week announcing plans to retire at year’s end, the LGBT community is losing two lawmakers that have largely been allies on Capitol Hill.
Media reports circulated last week that Sens. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) are not seeking re-election this year — and pundits are speculating their retirement foretells a dismal election year for Democrats.
Whatever their exit means in November at the polls, the retirement of these senators means LGBT people will be losing voices that have been largely reliable in supporting gay rights. It’s particularly true for Dodd, who was an advocate for advancing LGBT rights even when such stances weren’t as politically tenable as they are today.
Dodd has consistently voted in favor of hate crimes legislation, including the most recent bill that was signed into law last year by President Obama. The senator also has been a co-sponsor for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act since 1994 and a co-sponsor for the Uniting American Families Act since 1996.
One of the votes in favor of a version of ENDA in 1996 — which ultimately failed by a 49-50 vote — came from Dodd.
Dorgan isn’t a co-sponsor of UAFA or ENDA, but has been a supporter of hate crimes legislation, and voted in favor of the 1996 version of ENDA. The North Dakota senator also voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2004 and 2006. Dodd voted against the measure in 2004, but cast no vote in 2006.
The records on LGBT issues for Dodd and Dorgan aren’t spotless. Both senators voted in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act when it came to a Senate floor vote in 1996. Dodd seemed have to recanted that vote last year, though, when he came out in favor of same-sex marriage.
Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement to DC Agenda that Dodd and Dorgan would be missed.
“Senators Chris Dodd and Byron Dorgan have been reliable supporters of LGBT civil rights and stood strongly in opposition to the Federal Marriage Amendment,” Solmonese said. “In particular, Chris Dodd has been a leader in speaking out for marriage equality and repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act. They will be missed.”
Who will succeed the two senators remains to be seen. In Connecticut, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, is in contention for Dodd’s seat. LGBT activists have been pressuring Blumenthal to join a federal lawsuit against DOMA filed last year by the state of Massachusetts.
Former U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons is running for the Republican nomination, and he’s a favorite among LGBT Republicans. Before he was voted out of Congress in 2006, Simmons had been a co-sponsor of ENDA and hate crimes legislation.
North Dakota is known for being a solidly Republican state. The favorite in the race seems to be Republican Gov. John Hoeven. He’s against civil unions and same-sex marriage, and spoke in favor of a state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage in 2004.
On the Democratic side, the Huffington Post reported MSNBC talk show host Ed Schultz is considering a run for Dorgan’s seat.
Also named as a contender is Rep. Earl Pomeroy, a Democratic House member from North Dakota. He’s voted in favor of hate crimes legislation and ENDA and twice voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment.
National
Queen Jean is Tony’s first transgender winner
Designer/activist wins for work on ‘Cats: The Jellicle Ball’
It was a historic night at the 79th annual Tony Awards on Sunday as Queen Jean won the award for Best Costume Design of a Musical, making her the first out transgender person to win a Tony.
“This experience has been monumental. We are here for the legacy of queer people, trans people,” she said. “We are taking up space in ways we have to take up space. We have to shift the paradigm. So I just want to say, thank you all so much for this incredible honor. The world right now is deeply, deeply combating so many ailments, and we know as a society that when we come together, we can make real, permanent change.”
She won the award for her work on “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” and was also nominated for best costume design of a play for “Liberation.”
In addition to her stage work, Queen Jean is the founder of Black Trans Liberation, an organization that supports trans and gender-nonconforming people in New York City.
National
Madonna turns Times Square into massive dance floor
Pop icon celebrates Pride month with surprise performance
Pop icon Madonna celebrated Pride month with a pop-up performance in New York City’s Times Square on Thursday to the delight of 50,000 fans.
She performed for about 15 minutes high above street level, including several songs from her new album “Confessions II” due on July 3, along with a trio of songs from the first “Confessions on a Dance Floor.”
In addition to the brand new “Love Sensation,” she performed “I Feel So Free” and “Bring Your Love,” plus “Hung Up,” “Get Together” and “I Love New York.” She wished the crowd a happy Pride season; the event was shared with audiences through Grindr’s first-ever livestream.
National
Gallup finds LGBTQ support among Americans is dropping
Marriage equality support lowest since 2016
Gallup, one of the leading organizations in public opinion polling, has found that LGBTQ support among Americans is dropping.
The poll, whose data was collected using Gallup’s annual Values and Beliefs survey, was conducted in May and was published on Wednesday. The data was collected through telephone interviews from a sample of more than 1,000 adults living in all 50 states and D.C. using random digit dialing.
It highlights declining attitudes surrounding LGBTQ issues in multiple areas — from support for same-sex marriage to views on gender identity and the morality of one’s sexuality.
One of the most striking findings was that support for marriage equality fell six points from its 2022-2023 high.
The survey also found that 62 percent of Americans view gay and lesbian relations as morally acceptable, the lowest level since 2016 just after same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide by the U.S. Supreme Court.
One newer question on the poll found that the perceived morality of changing one’s gender has dropped eight points since 2021, indicating the American public is less supportive of transgender people.
The data attributes much of the decline to shifting Republican views alongside the party itself. Conservative leaders have pushed back against diversity, equity, and inclusion programs that were intended to foster greater acceptance of LGBTQ people and other historically disadvantaged groups.
President Donald Trump has been a guiding force behind waves of anti-LGBTQ sentiment, particularly when it comes to trans rights. The president has enacted multiple executive orders, including Executive Order 14168, “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” which mandates that gender be defined by one’s sex assigned at birth. He also signed Executive Order 14183, “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,” which barred qualified trans applicants from joining the military and led to the removal of trans service members already serving in the armed forces.
Additionally, he signed Executive Order 14201, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” which prohibits trans female athletes from participating on women’s and girls’ sports teams.
In February, Gallup found that an estimated 9 percent of Americans identified as part of the LGBTQ community in some form.
The organization also found that 23 percent of adults under age 30 identify as LGBTQ, compared with 10 percent of those ages 30 to 49 and 3 percent or less among those ages 50 and older.
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