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Preibus elected as new RNC chair

New GOP head opposes same-sex marriage

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The Republican National Committee took a new direction on Friday when it elected the chair of the Wisconsin Republican Party — who has stated opposition to same-sex marriage — as its new head.

Reince Priebus claimed the position after seven rounds voting by winning 97 votes among the delegates voting at the conference. To win this chairmanship, Preibus needed to obtain 85 votes.

In the final round of voting, Maria Cino, who served most recently as deputy chair of the RNC, received 43 votes, while Saul Anuzis, former chair of the Michigan Republican Party, received 28 votes.

Michael Steele, the immediate former chair of the RNC, dropped out after the fouth round of voting as he was struggling to find votes necessary to maintain his position. The gaffe-prone Steele had served for two years as RNC chair before deciding to withdraw.

Upon taking the podium for his acceptance speech, Priebus thanked both God and Jesus for his victory. He called for unification of the Republican Party so members of the GOP could mount a more concerted effort to oust President Obama from the White House in 2012.

“We all recognize that there’s a steep hill here ahead of us, and the only way we’ll be able to move forward is if we’re all together,” Priebus said. “We must never forget why we all do this. Because as [President] Reagan said, ‘Our nation is that shining city upon a hill.’ We must work to keep it that way.”

Priebus said he wants to begin his leadership by putting a in place “solid business plan” to “operate effectively and efficiency to begin to restore the faith of our donors.”

“We must know how to spend these funds effectively to aid in our redistricting efforts, to support our 2011 candidates, to hold a world-class convention and to be sure that our Republican presidential nominee has the organization in place to beat Barack Obama,” he said.

The new chair also said he wants to develop a new line of communication with state parties and Republican leaders like House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

Where Priebus will lead the Republican Party on LGBT issues remains to be seen, alth0ugh he’s known for having a history of opposition to same-sex marriage.

Gay bloggers have expressed concern about how Priebus pledged to block marriage rights for same-sex couples in a video posted online prior to his election in response to a question National Organization for Marriage chair Maggie Gallagher.

“There are certain legal definitions that are not just legal and not just protected by our Constitution, but they’re also protected by the sanctity of marriage given to us by God,” Priebus said.

Priebus said he doesn’t believe judges should advance same-sex marriage in their states through court rulings and emphasized the importance of the Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibits federal recognition of same-sex marriage.

The new RNC chair also recalled how he took part in the 2006 effort in Wisconsin to institute a state constitutional ban on gay nuptials.

“I was a part of that,” he said. “I was helpful to make sure that that happened. I was helpful to our attorney general to make sure that that’s happened.

Gay Republicans and GOP organizations have expressed optimism about the election of the new RNC chair and the direction he would take the party.

In a statement, R. Clarke Cooper, executive director of Log Cabin Republicans, praised Preibus calling for unification of the Republican Party over “common interests.”

“Inclusion wins and our party is strongest when we embrace a big tent philosophy centered on the core principles that unite us as Republicans,” Cooper said. “It is onward and upward to win back the White House.”

Via e-mail to the Washington Blade, Cooper commended Preibus for focusing on new management of the RNC during his acceptance speech.

“Chairman Priebus’s first comments focused solely on the operations and management of the RNC as well as raising money for the 2012 cycle,” Cooper said. “He emphasized for all the party elements to work as a team. Prior to the election, Preibus called for additional grassroots and coalition efforts.”

Chris Barron, chair of GOProud, said the election of Preibus marks the end of “Michael Steele’s disastrous tenure at the RNC.”

“The election of Reince Priebus marks a changing of the guard,” Barron said. “Finally we will have an RNC Chair who understands that his or her role is to raise money and build party infrastructure, not to sell books, hire friends and family, and pontificate on policy.”

In July, GOProud was among the GOP organizations calling for Steele’s ouster after then-RNC chair made remarks suggesting that the war in Afghanistan was unwinnable.

Torrey Shearer, a gay D.C. Republican activist, said Preibus’ election is exciting because he would be bring new energy to the Republican Party to capitalize on recent victories at the ballot box.

“This is an opportunity to build on our success from the mid term elections and strengthen the GOP for success in 2012,” Shearer said. “The election of Reince provides a fresh face to a growing movement of Americans wanting a change from the status quo.”

Asked where he thinks Priebus will lead the Republican Party on LGBT issues, Shearer said such movement would “come from the party’s membership, not from its leadership.”

“The recent critical support of GOP members of the House and Senate illustrates the growing acceptance of our issues in the GOP mainstream,” Shearer said

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Federal Government

RFK Jr.’s HHS report pushes therapy, not medical interventions, for trans youth

‘Discredited junk science’ — GLAAD

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HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

A 409-page report released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services challenges the ethics of medical interventions for youth experiencing gender dysphoria, the treatments that are often collectively called gender-affirming care, instead advocating for psychotherapy alone.

The document comes in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order barring the federal government from supporting gender transitions for anyone younger than 19.

“Our duty is to protect our nation’s children — not expose them to unproven and irreversible medical interventions,” National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya said in a statement. “We must follow the gold standard of science, not activist agendas.”

While the report does not constitute clinical guidance, its findings nevertheless conflict with not just the recommendations of LGBTQ advocacy groups but also those issued by organizations with relevant expertise in science and medicine.

The American Medical Association, for instance, notes that “empirical evidence has demonstrated that trans and non-binary gender identities are normal variations of human identity and expression.”

Gender-affirming care for transgender youth under standards widely used in the U.S. includes supportive talk therapy along with — in some but not all cases — puberty blockers or hormone treatment.

“The suggestion that someone’s authentic self and who they are can be ‘changed’ is discredited junk science,” GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement. “This so-called guidance is grossly misleading and in direct contrast to the recommendation of every leading health authority in the world. This report amounts to nothing more than forcing the same discredited idea of conversion therapy that ripped families apart and harmed gay, lesbian, and bisexual young people for decades.”

GLAAD further notes that the “government has not released the names of those involved in consulting or authoring this report.”

Janelle Perez, executive director of LPAC, said, “For decades, every major medical association–including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics–have affirmed that medical care is the only safe and effective treatment for transgender youth experiencing gender dysphoria.

“This report is simply promoting conversion therapy by a different name – and the American people know better. We know that conversion therapy isn’t actually therapy – it isolates and harms kids, scapegoats parents, and divides families through blame and rejection. These tactics have been used against gay kids for decades, and now the same people want to use them against transgender youth and their families.

“The end result here will be a devastating denial of essential health care for transgender youth, replaced by a dangerous practice that every major U.S. medical and mental health association agree promotes anxiety, depression, and increased risk of suicidal thoughts and attempts.

“Like being gay or lesbian, being transgender is not a choice, and no amount of pressure can force someone to change who they are. We also know that 98% of people who receive transition-related health care continue to receive that health care throughout their lifetime. Trans health care is health care.”

“Today’s report seeks to erase decades of research and learning, replacing it with propaganda. The claims in today’s report would rip health care away from kids and take decision-making out of the hands of parents,” said Shannon Minter, legal director of NCLR. “It promotes the same kind of conversion therapy long used to shame LGBTQ+ people into hating themselves for being unable to change something they can’t change.”

“Like being gay or lesbian, being transgender is not a choice—it’s rooted in biology and genetics,” Minter said. “No amount or talk or pressure will change that.” 

Human Rights Campaign Chief of Staff Jay Brown released a statement: “Trans people are who we are. We’re born this way. And we deserve to live our best lives and have a fair shot and equal opportunity at living a good life.

“This report misrepresents the science that has led all mainstream American medical and mental health professionals to declare healthcare for transgender youth to be best practice and instead follows a script predetermined not by experts but by Sec. Kennedy and anti-equality politicians.”




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The White House

Trump nominates Mike Waltz to become next UN ambassador

Former Fla. congressman had been national security advisor

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U.N. headquarters in New York (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)

President Donald Trump on Thursday announced he will nominate Mike Waltz to become the next U.S. ambassador to the U.N.

Waltz, a former Florida congressman, had been the national security advisor.

Trump announced the nomination amid reports that Waltz and his deputy, Alex Wong, were going to leave the administration after Waltz in March added a journalist to a Signal chat in which he, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and other officials discussed plans to attack Houthi rebels in Yemen.

“I am pleased to announce that I will be nominating Mike Waltz to be the next United States ambassador to the United Nations,” said Trump in a Truth Social post that announced Waltz’s nomination. “From his time in uniform on the battlefield, in Congress and, as my National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz has worked hard to put our nation’s Interests first. I know he will do the same in his new role.”

Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as interim national security advisor, “while continuing his strong leadership at the State Department.”

“Together, we will continue to fight tirelessly to make America, and the world, safe again,” said Trump.

Trump shortly after his election nominated U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) to become the next U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Trump in March withdrew her nomination in order to ensure Republicans maintained their narrow majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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U.S. Federal Courts

Second federal lawsuit filed against White House passport policy

Two of seven plaintiffs live in Md.

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Lambda Legal on April 25 filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of seven transgender and nonbinary people who are challenging the Trump-Vance administration’s passport policy.

The lawsuit, which Lambda Legal filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland in Baltimore, alleges the policy that bans the State Department from issuing passports with “X” gender markers “has caused and is causing grave and immediate harm to transgender people like plaintiffs, in violation of their constitutional rights to equal protection.”

Two of the seven plaintiffs — Jill Tran and Peter Poe — live in Maryland. The State Department, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and the federal government are defendants.

“The discriminatory passport policy exposes transgender U.S. citizens to harassment, abuse, and discrimination, in some cases endangering them abroad or preventing them from traveling, by forcing them to use identification documents that share private information against their wishes,” said Lambda Legal in a press release.

Zander Schlacter, a New York-based textile artist and designer, is the lead plaintiff.

The lawsuit notes he legally changed his name and gender in New York.

Schlacter less than a week before President Donald Trump’s inauguration “sent an expedited application to update his legal name on his passport, using form DS-5504.”

Trump once he took office signed an executive order that banned the State Department from issuing passports with “X” gender markers. The lawsuit notes Schlacter received his new passport in February.

“The passport has his correct legal name, but now has an incorrect sex marker of ‘F’ or ‘female,'” notes the lawsuit. “Mr. Schlacter also received a letter from the State Department notifying him that ‘the date of birth, place of birth, name, or sex was corrected on your passport application,’ with ‘sex’ circled in red. The stated reason was ‘to correct your information to show your biological sex at birth.'”

“I, like many transgender people, experience fear of harassment or violence when moving through public spaces, especially where a photo ID is required,” said Schlacter in the press release that announced the lawsuit. “My safety is further at risk because of my inaccurate passport. I am unwilling to subject myself and my family to the threat of harassment and discrimination at the hands of border officials or anyone who views my passport.”

Former Secretary of State Antony Blinken in June 2021 announced the State Department would begin to issue gender-neutral passports and documents for American citizens who were born overseas.

Dana Zzyym, an intersex U.S. Navy veteran who identifies as nonbinary, in 2015 filed a federal lawsuit against the State Department after it denied their application for a passport with an “X” gender marker. Zzyym in October 2021 received the first gender-neutral American passport.

Lambda Legal represented Zzyym.

The State Department policy took effect on April 11, 2022.

Trump signed his executive order shortly after he took office in January. Germany, Denmark, Finland, and the Netherlands are among the countries that have issued travel advisories for trans and nonbinary people who plan to visit the U.S.

A federal judge in Boston earlier this month issued a preliminary injunction against the executive order.  The American Civil Liberties Union filed the lawsuit on behalf of seven trans and nonbinary people.

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