National
GOP letter complicates ‘Don’t Ask’ repeal efforts
All 42 members of GOP caucus penned names to missive
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) is among the signers of a letter vowing to obstruct movement on certain bills before the Senate (Blade photo by Michael Key.)
A recent letter in which the Senate Republican caucus has pledged to obstruct movement on legislation unrelated to government funding or taxes is complicating efforts for “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal.
In the missive, dated Nov. 29, Republicans vow to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) that they’ll vote against cloture for any legislative item until the Senate has “acted to fund the government and we have prevented the tax increase that is currently awaiting all taxpayers.”
“With little time left in this Congressional session, legislative scheduling should be focused on these critical priorities,” the letter states. “While there are other items that might ultimately be worthy of the Senate’s attention, we cannot agree to prioritize any matters above the critical issues of funding the government and preventing a job-killing tax hike.”
The letter is signed by all 42 members of the Republican caucus, including those who are seen as swing votes on moving forward with “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” such as Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Scott Brown (R-Mass.). Newly seated Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) is also among the signers.
Capitol Hill observers see the letter as an attempt to derail movement on the DREAM Act, an immigration-related bill, as well as repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Legislation to repeal the military’s gay ban is pending before the Senate as part of the fiscal year 2011 defense authorization bill.
A Democratic aide, who spoke to the Washington Blade on condition of anonymity, said the letter is “very, very bad news” for “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal efforts.
“They’ve essentially said that they’re going to vote against cloture on any bill but the tax bill, so they’ve actually just all drawn the line … on all armed services bills,” the aide said.
Kevin Kelley, a Collins spokesperson, said in a statement that although the Maine senator signed the letter and believes tax cuts and funding for the government “are the top two priorities for the lame duck session,” she still wants to see “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal this year.
“However, she also believes the there is time in December to consider all three issues, including the defense authorization bill, which includes a repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,'” Collins said. “She has made it clear that if the majority leader brings the defense authorization bill to the floor and allows sufficient debate and amendments, she would vote to proceed to that bill.”
In a statement, Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, chided Republicans for not being as committed to the defense authorization bill as they are to taxes.
“The Republican caucus that has expressed strong support for a vote on extending the Bush era tax cuts should be as equally unified in support of a vote in the lame-duck session on the nation’s defense bill, the very bill which provides for our security and the well being of service members who defend us every day,” Sarvis said.
Winnie Stachelberg, senior vice president for external affairs at the Center for American Progress, said the letter underscores Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has a “sole focus on obstruction” and wants to make President Obama a one-term president.
“Rather than dealing with the myriad of issues that face this country, he’s made clear what his route is,” Stachelberg said.
Stachelberg also noted a recent report from the Washington Post’s Greg Sargeant quoting a Collins spokesperson as saying even though the senator signed the letter, she would be open to voting for a motion to proceed on the defense authorization bill.
Additionally, Stachelberg said she’s had conversations with people on Capitol Hill suggesting Collins, Sen. Richard Lugar and Sen. Lisa Murkowski would be open to voting to moving forward on the defense legislation.
“They actually maintain that while the focus should be on taxes and the economy, that they believe, too, that other issues should be considered as well,” Stachelberg said.
One gay GOP organization was sympathetic to the goals of the letter. R. Clarke Cooper, executive director of the National Log Cabin Republicans, said Congress must push forward with tax legislation “to avoid punitive tax increases come 2011,” but said the Senate can take action on taxes as well as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” before the year’s end.
“Further, while time is limited, the Congress can complete action on taxes as well as a [‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’] repeal inclusive [defense authorization bill],” Cooper said.
Download a copy of the letter here.
The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at [email protected].
Congratulations to Gil Pontes III on his recent appointment to the Financial Advisory Board for the City of Wilton Manors, Fla. Upon being appointed he said, “I’m honored to join the Financial Advisory Board for the City of Wilton Manors at such an important moment for our community. In my role as Executive Director of the NextGen Chamber of Commerce, I spend much of my time focused on economic growth, fiscal sustainability, and the long-term competitiveness of emerging business leaders. I look forward to bringing that perspective to Wilton Manors — helping ensure responsible stewardship of public resources while supporting a vibrant, inclusive local economy.”
Pontes is a nonprofit executive with years of development, operations, budget, management, and strategic planning experience in 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and political organizations. Pontes is currently executive director of NextGen, Chamber of Commerce. NextGen Chamber’s mission is to “empower emerging business leaders by generating insights, encouraging engagement, and nurturing leadership development to shape the future economy.” Prior to that he served as managing director of The Nora Project, and director of development also at The Nora Project. He has held a number of other positions including Major Gifts Officer, Thundermist Health Center, and has worked in both real estate and banking including as Business Solutions Adviser, Ironwood Financial. For three years he was a Selectman, Town of Berkley, Mass. In that role, he managed HR and general governance for town government. There were 200+ staff and 6,500 constituents. He balanced a $20,000,000 budget annually, established an Economic Development Committee, and hired the first town administrator.
Pontes earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth.
Kansas
ACLU sues Kansas over law invalidating trans residents’ IDs
A new Kansas bill requires transgender residents to have their driver’s licenses reflect their sex assigned at birth, invalidating current licenses.
Transgender people across Kansas received letters in the mail on Wednesday demanding the immediate surrender of their driver’s licenses following passage of one of the harshest transgender bathroom bans in the nation. Now the American Civil Liberties Union is filing a lawsuit to block the ban and protect transgender residents from what advocates describe as “sweeping” and “punitive” consequences.
Independent journalist Erin Reed broke the story Wednesday after lawmakers approved House Substitute for Senate Bill 244. In her reporting, Reed included a photo of the letter sent to transgender Kansans, requiring them to obtain a driver’s license that reflects their sex assigned at birth rather than the gender with which they identify.
According to the reporting, transgender Kansans must surrender their driver’s licenses and that their current credentials — regardless of expiration date — will be considered invalid upon the law’s publication. The move effectively nullifies previously issued identification documents, creating immediate uncertainty for those impacted.
House Substitute for Senate Bill 244 also stipulates that any transgender person caught driving without a valid license could face a class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. That potential penalty adds a criminal dimension to what began as an administrative action. It also compounds the legal risks for transgender Kansans, as the state already requires county jails to house inmates according to sex assigned at birth — a policy that advocates say can place transgender detainees at heightened risk.
Beyond identification issues, SB 244 not only bans transgender people from using restrooms that match their gender identity in government buildings — including libraries, courthouses, state parks, hospitals, and interstate rest stops — with the possibility for criminal penalties, but also allows for what critics have described as a “bathroom bounty hunter” provision. The measure permits anyone who encounters a transgender person in a restroom — including potentially in private businesses — to sue them for large sums of money, dramatically expanding the scope of enforcement beyond government authorities.
The lawsuit challenging SB 244 was filed today in the District Court of Douglas County on behalf of anonymous plaintiffs Daniel Doe and Matthew Moe by the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Kansas, and Ballard Spahr LLP. The complaint argues that SB 244 violates the Kansas Constitution’s protections for personal autonomy, privacy, equality under the law, due process, and freedom of speech.
Additionally, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a temporary restraining order on behalf of the anonymous plaintiffs, arguing that the order — followed by a temporary injunction — is necessary to prevent the “irreparable harm” that would result from SB 244.
State Rep. Abi Boatman, a Wichita Democrat and the only transgender member of the Kansas Legislature, told the Kansas City Star on Wednesday that “persecution is the point.”
“This legislation is a direct attack on the dignity and humanity of transgender Kansans,” said Monica Bennett, legal director of the ACLU of Kansas. “It undermines our state’s strong constitutional protections against government overreach and persecution.”
“SB 244 is a cruel and craven threat to public safety all in the name of fostering fear, division, and paranoia,” said Harper Seldin, senior staff attorney for the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Rights Project. “The invalidation of state-issued IDs threatens to out transgender people against their will every time they apply for a job, rent an apartment, or interact with police. Taken as a whole, SB 244 is a transparent attempt to deny transgender people autonomy over their own identities and push them out of public life altogether.”
“SB 244 presents a state-sanctioned attack on transgender people aimed at silencing, dehumanizing, and alienating Kansans whose gender identity does not conform to the state legislature’s preferences,” said Heather St. Clair, a Ballard Spahr litigator working on the case. “Ballard Spahr is committed to standing with the ACLU and the plaintiffs in fighting on behalf of transgender Kansans for a remedy against the injustices presented by SB 244, and is dedicated to protecting the constitutional rights jeopardized by this new law.”
National
After layoffs at Advocate, parent company acquires ‘Them’ from Conde Nast
Top editorial staff let go last week
Former staff members at the Advocate and Out magazines revealed that parent company Equalpride laid off a number of employees late last week.
Those let go included Advocate editor-in-chief Alex Cooper, Pride.com editor-in-chief Rachel Shatto, brand partnerships manager Erin Manley, community editor Marie-Adélina de la Ferriére, and Out magazine staff writers Moises Mendez and Bernardo Sim, according to a report in Hollywood Reporter.
Cooper, who joined the company in 2021, posted to social media that, “Few people have had the privilege of leading this legendary LGBTQ+ news outlet, and I’m deeply honored to have been one of them. To my team: thank you for the last four years. You’ve been the best. For those also affected today, please let me know how I can support you.”
The Advocate’s PR firm when reached by the Blade said it no longer represents the company. Emails to the Advocate went unanswered.
Equalpride on Friday announced it acquired “Them,” a digital LGBTQ outlet founded in 2017 by Conde Nast.
“Equalpride exists to elevate, celebrate and protect LGBTQ+ storytelling at scale,” Equalpride CEO Mark Berryhill said according to Hollywood Reporter. “By combining the strengths of our brands with this respected digital platform, we’re creating a unified ecosystem that delivers even more impact for our audiences, advertisers, and community partners.”
It’s not clear if “Them” staff would take over editorial responsibilities for the Advocate and Out.
Comings & Goings
Kansas passes bathroom bounty hunter bill
ACLU sues Kansas over law invalidating trans residents’ IDs
After layoffs at Advocate, parent company acquires ‘Them’ from Conde Nast
Spring into sold
New book profiles LGBTQ Ukrainians, documents war experiences
PHOTOS: Queen of Hearts
Two very different views of the State of the Union
Va. activists preparing campaign in support of repealing marriage amendment
