Politics
HRC issues scorecard for 111th Congress
The Human Rights Campaign on Friday issued its scorecard for the 111th Congress detailing the level of support that lawmakers have for pro-LGBT legislation.
On a scale of 0 to 100, U.S. House members and U.S senators are scored for their support for pro-gay bills in Congress, such the vote on hate crimes protection legislation or co-sponsorship of bills such as the Uniting American Families Act.
“While advancements for equality were made this Congress, a strong and devoted group of anti-LGBT legislators continues to stymie the progress LGBT people deserve,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “The fact that the first ever vote to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ in the House of Representatives was countered by a filibuster in the Senate illustrates the landscape.”
Paul Guequierre, an HRC spokesperson, said the scorecard is not yet final and his organization will publish a complete version after the lame duck session of Congress. LGBT rights supporters are hoping for another vote in the Senate on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal legislation by the year’s end.
Scores for individual House members and senators can be viewed at www.hrc.org/scorecard.
The scorecard has a number of notable ranking for U.S. House members and U.S. senators:
* Gay Reps. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Jared Polis (D-Colo.) each received scores of 100. But Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), another gay lawmaker, received a score of 96. He lost points for not co-sponsoring legislation that would overturn the Defense of Marriage Act.
* U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) received a score of 100, although she’s not a co-sponsor of many pro-LGBT bills. As speaker, Pelosi often doesn’t co-sponsor legislation even if she doesn’t support it.
* House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) received a score of 0. He’s likely to become speaker if — as pundits across the board predict — Republicans take control of the House on Election Day.
* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) received a score of 100 even though he isn’t a co-sponsor of many pro-LGBT bills. Like the speaker, his position as majority leader means he often doesn’t co-sponsor legislation even if he supports it.
By contrast, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell received a score of 0.
* Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) received a score of 0. He railed against the inclusion of a hate crimes protection measure in major defense budget legislation last year and successfully lead a filibuster of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal legislation in September.
* The Republican senators from Maine known to be moderates received high scores, but neither obtained a perfect rating.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) received a score of 81. She lost points for voting to block legislation containing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” from coming to the Senate floor and for not co-sponsoring UAFA.
Similarly, Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) received a score of 77. She lost points for also voting against bringing a bill containing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal to the Senate floor and for not co-sponsoring UAFA. She also doesn’t co-sponsor legislation that would eliminate the tax paid on employer-provided health coverage for domestic partners.
Politics
First lady warns Trump is ‘dangerous to the LGBTQ community’ at HRC event
Jill Biden spoke in Arlington, Va., on Friday
Delivering a keynote address at the Human Rights Campaign’s Equality in Action event Friday, First lady Jill Biden warned former President Donald Trump is “a bully” who is “dangerous to the LGBTQ community.”
Her appearance at the three-day volunteer and board gathering at the Sheraton Pentagon City in Arlington, Va., comes as part of the Biden-Harris reelection campaign’s “Out for Biden” program, which aims to “mobilize LGBTQ+ voters, communities, and leaders across the country.”
“Today, this community is under attack,” Biden said. “Rights are being stripped away. freedoms are eroding. More and more state laws are being passed targeting this community. Just last month, we had to fend off more than 50 anti-gay amendments that Republicans tried to force into the government funding bill.”
“These were extreme measures aimed directly at this community — measures that would have limited health care and weakened protections for same sex couples,” she said. “And they served only one purpose to spread hate and fear.”
In a nod to her long career as an educator, Biden said, “History teaches us that our rights and freedoms don’t disappear overnight. They disappear slowly. Subtly. Silently.”
She continued, “A book ban. A court decision. A ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law. One group of people loses their rights and then another. And another. Until one day you wake up and no longer live in a democracy … This is our chapter of history and it’s up to us how it ends.”
Biden then highlighted some of the advancements for LGBTQ rights secured under the Biden-Harris administration.
“Thanks to President Biden, marriage equality is now the law of the land,” she said. “He ended the ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood. He’s made it possible for trans Americans to serve openly and honorably in our military. And he’s standing firmly against conversion therapy.”
“Yes, there are forces outside these walls that are trying to erase these hard fought gains, trying to unwind all the progress that we’ve made,” Biden said. “They want to take our victories away, but we won’t let them. Your president will not let them — I will not let them.”
Politics
‘Out for Biden-Harris’ LGBTQ-targeted campaign is launched
Several events planned in coming weeks
The Biden-Harris campaign on Wednesday debuted “Out for Biden-Harris,” which is a “national organizing and engagement program to mobilize LGBTQ+ voters, communities, and leaders across the country.”
Out for Biden-Harris “will train supporters to organize within their own networks and leverage messengers from the community to ensure we are meeting LGBTQ+ voters where they are,” the campaign wrote in a press release announcement.
“From drag queens to elected leaders to LGBTQ+ faith leaders, Team Biden-Harris will use a wide range of validators to communicate what’s at stake for the LGBTQ+ community in this election and why it’s critical that we vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.”
The campaign also previewed some of the events and initiatives in coming weeks, which will include:
- A virtual organizing call featuring actor Wilson Cruz, Congressman Robert Garcia, HRC President Kelley Robinson, to mobilize LGBTQ+ supporters;
- A series of virtual relational organizing trainings focused on activating and reaching new volunteers targeting battleground voters. The campaign will be engaging trusted messengers, including high-profile and trusted messengers in the LGBTQ+ community, like Brita Filter, Danica Roem, Gina Ortiz Jones, and Rev.
- Hosting a series of Out For Biden-Harris house parties and community events including events in Phoenix, Arizona, Ferndale, Michigan, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Las Vegas, Nevada to mobilize supporters.
- First Lady Jill Biden will be a featured speaker at the Human Rights Campaign Equality In Action Conference bringing together a network of 400 organizers and activists in Arlington, VA.
The campaign noted that LGBTQ voters will be “a key part” of its coalition, while 39 percent of voters consider LGBTQ equality a “make-or-break issue.”
“In 2020, nearly 11,000 LGBTQ+ volunteers mobilized to help elect President Biden and Vice President Harris,” the campaign wrote. “This year, Out for Biden-Harris will re-engage these supporters and build on their work. The program is designed around the idea that there is no better messenger to mobilize LGBTQ+ voters than their friends and neighbors to bring new supporters into our campaign.”
The Biden-Harris administration is the most pro-LGBTQ in history, and LGBTQ groups with a combined 3.8 million members have endorsed President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign.
However, “the fight for equality for all Americans is at stake this November as Trump and his allies plan to roll back the rights and freedoms of LGBTQ+ Americans,” the Biden campaign wrote. “Trump and his MAGA allies are running on an extreme, anti-LGBTQ+ agenda which would push to discriminate against the LGBTQ+ community, even going after the right to marry who you love.”
“LGBTQ+ voters are a force to be reckoned with. They were critical to our victory in 2020, and they will be critical to winning again this November,” said Biden-Harris 2024 Campaign Manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez. “That’s why we’re thrilled to launch Out for Biden-Harris, which will harness the LGBTQ+ community’s organizing prowess to reelect President Biden and Vice President Harris this November.”
Chavez Rodriguez continued, “LGBTQ+ Americans couldn’t have more at stake this election: Donald Trump and his extremist allies are running to gut LGBTQ+ rights and erase history as their top priorities. LGBTQ+ Americans deserve leaders who will fight for every American’s freedom and dignity. That’s what President Biden and Vice President Harris have done throughout their time in office, and what they will do if reelected, including pressing Congress to pass the Equality Act.”
“There has never been a more critical time to protect the rights of all Americans, no matter who you love or how you identify, and Out for Biden-Harris will be critical to not just safeguarding, but strengthening the rights and voice of every single American,” she said.
Politics
Melania Trump to host Log Cabin Republicans event
Former first lady is close with the group
Former first lady Melania Trump is back on the campaign trail with plans to host a fundraising event for the conservative LGBT group Log Cabin Republicans on April 20 at Mar-a-Lago, Politico reported on Thursday.
Funds will be used to support the group’s “Road to Victory” program, which will target voters in swing states. LCR has had a close relationship with Mrs. Trump, who was a special guest for its Spirit of Lincoln Gala in 2021, where she received the Spirit of Lincoln Award.
Politico reports that the host committee for this month’s event will include GOP donors Saul Fox, Amanda Schumacher, Bill White, Bryan Eure and Richard Grenell, who is gay and served as ambassador to Germany and acting director of national intelligence during the Trump administration.
“Melania Trump’s work as first lady, from helping children reach their full potential to championing a more inclusive Republican Party, has been historic,” LCR President Charles Moran said in a 2021 press release concerning the Spirit of Lincoln event.
“Her vocal support of Log Cabin Republicans has been a signal to Republicans everywhere that it is possible to simultaneously be conservative and support equality under the law for all Americans,” he said.
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