National
UAFA-inclusive family immigration bill introduced
Bill enables gay Americans to sponsor foreign partners for residency

A U.S. House member from California on Thursday introduced family immigration legislation that includes language allowing gay Americans to sponsor their foreign partners for residency in the United States.
Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.) introduced the Reuniting Families Act, which has a provision that would protect bi-national same-sex couples as one of its six prongs to keep families together in the country.
During a conference call Thursday, Honda touted his legislation as a means to make U.S. immigration policy more fair for gay Americans and their foreign partners.
“RFA also ends discrimination in our immigration system by allowing same-sex permanent partners to sponsor their foreign national partners for immigration benefits,” Honda said.
The provision allowing gay Americans to sponsor their foreign partners for residency in the United States is identical to other legislation known as the Uniting American Families Act, which is sponsored by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) in the House and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) in the Senate.
Rachel Tiven, executive director for Immigration Equality, praised Honda for including a provision for bi-national same-sex couples as part of his legislation.
“Separating families has an enormously expensive impact, it is a drain on the economy and separating Americans from their loved ones and forcing them to move abroad because they can’t keep their family together in this country is simply pointless,” Tiven said.
In addition to including UAFA-like language, Honda’s legislation would help shorten the wait times that can keep legal immigrants and their overseas loved ones separated for years. The bill would classify spouses and children of permanent U.S. residents as āimmediate relativesā and exempt them from numerical caps on immigration.
“The reality is almost 6 million people are stuck the log jam of our family visa system,” Honda said. “The current system has not been updated in over 20 years, and many family members who apply for visas are not granted admission for decades ā and that undermines their economic contributions to our country and encourages some frustrated relatives to resort to illegal migration.”
The Reuniting Families Act has 73 co-sponsors, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) as well as gay Reps. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Jared Polis (D-Colo.). The co-sponsors are all Democrats; no Republicans have signed on in support.
Rep. David Cicilline, another gay lawmaker, isn’t among the co-sponsors. His office didn’t respond on short notice to explain why his name isn’t on the list of supporters.
During the conference call, Honda said he intends his legislation to be a marker to set the tone for debate on larger comprehensive immigration reform legislation in the 112th Congress. President Obama is set to give a speech on Tuesday calling for the passage of legislation to reform U.S. immigration code.
“It’s to also tell our citizens and those with legal permanent resident status to be part of the movement for a comprehensive package for everyone in this country,” Honda said. “I’d like to make sure that we just go through the arc once and just fix all the holes and make sure that this thing we call immigration system … is a better vessel for people that we’re trying to care of.”
Until comprehensive immigration reform can be passed, Honda called on Obama to issue a moratorium to stop the deportation of foreign nationals in same-sex unions who would eligible for married-based green cards if not for the Defense of Marriage Act.
“The president has at his disposal certain kinds of statutory existing powers that he can stay a deportation process,” Honda said. “He can put in a place a situation where folks will be held in abeyance and allowed to work and allowed to continue their lives until such time that we correct our immigration system.”
Last month, Honda was among the 47 U.S. House members, who, along with Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), wrote the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security Meanwhile to stop the deportations of foreigners in legally recognized same-sex marriages in the United States.
In the 111th Congress, Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) sponsored the Senate version of the Reuniting Families Act, but he has yet to introduce this bill this year.
The version of the bill that Menendez previously introduced didn’t include a provision for bi-national same-sex couples, although the legislation was similar in other respects to Honda’s bill. However, at the end of last year, Menendez introduced larger comprehensive immigration reform legislation in which the both the Reuniting Families Act and the Uniting American Families Act were provisions.
Menendez’s office didn’t respond by deadline to a request to comment when the senator would reintroduce the Reuniting Families Act or whether it would include a provision to keep bi-national same-sex couples together in the United States.
Steve Ralls, a spokesperson for Immigration Equality, said he thinks Menendez will likely again introduce comprehensive legislation this Congress that would include both Uniting American Families Act and the Reuniting Families Act.
“Sen. Menendez would be the best person to talk about the Senate CIR strategy, but my expectation is that we will see an inclusive, all-encompassing Senate bill which incorporates the various other bills, such as UAFA and RFA, into one,” Ralls said.
The White House
Biden issues Transgender Day of Visibility proclamation
Statement comes against backdrop of anti-transgender laws

President Joe Biden on Thursday issued a proclamation that recognizes the Transgender Day of Visibility.
“Transgender Day of Visibility celebrates the joy, strength, and absolute courage of some of the bravest people I know ā people who have too often had to put their jobs, relationships, and lives on the line just to be their true selves,” reads the proclamation. “Today, we show millions of transgender and nonbinary Americans that we see them, they belong, and they should be treated with dignity and respect. Their courage has given countless others strength, but no one should have to be brave just to be themselves. Every American deserves that freedom.”
Biden said “transgender Americans shape our nation’s soul ā proudly serving in the military, curing deadly diseases, holding elected office, running thriving businesses, fighting for justice, raising families and much more.”
“As kids, they deserve what every child deserves: The chance to learn in safe and supportive schools, to develop meaningful friendships, and to live openly and honestly,” he said. “As adults, they deserve the same rights enjoyed by every American, including equal access to health care, housing, and jobs and the chance to age with grace as senior citizens. But today, too many transgender Americans are still denied those rights and freedoms.”
Biden notes “a wave of discriminatory state laws is targeting transgender youth, terrifying families and hurting kids who are not hurting anyone.”
“An epidemic of violence against transgender women and girls, in particular women and girls of color, has taken lives far too soon,” he added. “Last year’s Club Q shooting in Colorado was another painful example of this kind of violence ā a stain on the conscience of our nation.”
The full proclamation is below:
TRANSGENDER DAY OF VISIBILITY, 2023 – – – – – – – BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION |
Ā Ā Ā Transgender Day of Visibility celebrates the joy, strength, and absolute courage of some of the bravest people I know ā people who have too often had to put their jobs, relationships, and lives on the line just to be their true selves. Today, we show millions of transgender and nonbinary Americans that we see them, they belong, and they should be treated with dignity and respect. Their courage has given countless others strength, butĀ no one should have to be brave just to be themselves. EveryĀ American deserves that freedom. Ā Ā Ā Ā Transgender Americans shape our Nation’s soul ā proudly serving in the military, curing deadly diseases, holding elected office, running thriving businesses, fighting for justice, raising families, and much more. As kids, they deserve what every child deserves: The chance to learn in safe and supportive schools, to develop meaningful friendships, and to live openly and honestly.Ā As adults, they deserve the same rights enjoyed by every American, including equal access to health care, housing, and jobs and the chance to age with grace as senior citizens.Ā But today, too many transgender Americans are still denied those rights and freedoms.Ā A wave of discriminatory state laws is targeting transgender youth, terrifying families and hurting kids who are not hurting anyone. An epidemic of violence against transgender women and girls, inĀ particular women and girls of color, has taken lives far too soon. Last year’s Club Q shooting in Colorado was another painful example of this kind of violence ā a stain on the conscience of our nation. Ā Ā Ā Ā My administration has fought to end these injustices from day one, working to ensure that transgender people and the entire LGBTQI+ community can live openly and safely.Ā On my first day as president, I issued an executive order directing the federal government to root out discrimination against LGBTQI+ people and their families.Ā We have appointed a record number of openly LGBTQI+ leaders, and I was proud to rescind the ban on openly transgender people serving in the military.Ā WeĀ are also working to make public spaces and travel more accessible, including with more inclusive gender markers on United States passports. We are improving access to public services and entitlements like Social Security. We are cracking down on discrimination in housing and education. And last December, I signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law, ensuring that every American can marry the person they love and have that marriage accepted, period. Ā Ā Ā Ā Meanwhile, we are also working to ease the tremendous strain that discrimination, bullying, and harassment can put onĀ transgender children ā more than half of whom seriously considered suicide in the last year.Ā The Department of Education is, for example, helping ensure that transgender students have equal opportunities to learn and thrive at school, and the Department of Justice is pushing back against extreme laws that seek to ban evidence-based gender-affirming health care. Ā Ā Ā Ā There is much more to do. I continue to call on the Congress to finally pass the Equality Act and extend long-overdue civil rights protections to all LGBTQI+ Americans to ensure they can live with safety and dignity. Together, we also have to keep challenging the hundreds of hateful state laws that have been introduced across the country, making sure every child knows that they are made in the image of God, that they are loved, and that we are standing up for them. Ā Ā Ā Ā America is founded on the idea that all people are created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout their lives. We have never fully lived up to that, but we have never walked away from it either. Today, as we celebrate transgender people, we also celebrate every American’s fundamental right to be themselves, bringing us closer to realizing America’s full promise. Ā Ā Ā Ā NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 31, 2023, as Transgender Day of Visibility.Ā I call upon all Americans to join us in lifting up the lives and voices of transgender people throughout our nation and to work toward eliminating violence and discrimination against all transgender, gender nonconforming, and nonbinary people. Ā Ā Ā Ā IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord twoĀ thousandĀ twenty-three, and of the independence of the UnitedĀ States ofĀ America the twoĀ hundred and forty-seventh. Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR. |
Kentucky
Ky. lawmakers override veto of anti-transgender bill
Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear sharply critical of SB 150

Both chambers of the Kentucky Legislature voted Wednesday to override Democratic Gov. Andy Beshearās veto on Senate Bill 150 that would severely restrict the lives of transgender youth in the state.
The law will:
- Ban gender-affirming medical care, including treatments that delay puberty, other forms of hormone therapy and surgery, for trans and nonbinary people under 18 years old.
- Require revoking the licenses of doctors who provide such services.
- Tell public schools to block trans students from using bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity.
- Allow public school teachers to misgender trans students.
- Prevent public schools from allowing educational presentations that study gender identity or sexual orientation.

Beshear stressed that the bill conflicted with his faith and noted the billās repercussions would include an increase in LGBTQ youth suicides: āMy faith teaches me that all children are children of God and Senate Bill 150 will endanger the children of Kentucky.ā Beshear also called it ātoo much government interference in personal healthcare issues and rips away the freedom of parents to make medical decisions for their children.ā
In an emailed statement to the Washington Blade, Fairness Campaign Executive Director Chris Hartman reflected on the Assembly’s actions:
“While we lost the battle in the legislature, our defeat is temporary. We will not lose in court. And we are winning in so many other ways. Thousands of Kentucky kids came to the Capitol today to make their voices heard against the worst anti-trans bill in the nation. They are our hope for a Kentucky future that is more fair, more just, and more beautifully diverse and accepting than ever before.
I applaud the brave protesters who stood their ground in the Kentucky House gallery today before being removed by Kentucky State Troopers. Their chants and pain were heard by all in the chamber and were a necessary show of the grief and harm Senate Bill 150 will cause. Transgender children and their families in Kentucky are scared, rightfully so. We will do all we can to ensure they can continue to access the life-saving medical care they deserve.”
According to Hartman, “Brave, devastated protesters held each other in solidarity and chanted for 30 minutes in the House gallery before being taken out in zip ties by state troopers.”
BREAKING: Police in the Kentucky State House Chamber are forcefully removing people who are protesting SB 150, which they consider to be an extreme anti-trans bill. @LEX18News pic.twitter.com/urqwPa9Ij0
ā Ricky Sayer (@RickyReports) March 29, 2023
SB 150 protesters had arms linked together, preventing police from removing them all at once. @LEX18News pic.twitter.com/gd0XvdrF4L
ā Ricky Sayer (@RickyReports) March 29, 2023
Tennessee
Tennessee queens brace for ‘drag ban’ law
All-ages drag brunch raises $3,500 for school gun violence prevention efforts

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. ā Tennessee has passed a number of anti-LGBTQ bills this year, including a measure that criminalizes gender-affirming care for transgender youth and a law that could be used to stop all drag shows on public property or in the presence of anyone under the age of 18.
In response to the anti-drag law, the owner and staff at the Tennessee gay bar New Beginnings held an all-ages drag brunch fundraiser on Sunday, raising $3,500 to combat gun violence in schools.
Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed Senate Bill 2, the so-called ādrag ban,ā into law on March 2, setting fines and even jail time for āmale or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient interestā in the presence of minors or on public property. The vague language of the new law, set to take effect on April 1 has advocates, business owners and entertainers concerned about how the law might be enforced.
āWe don’t view the language of the bill as banning all public drag,ā Tennessee Equality Project Executive Director Chris Sanders told the Washington Blade. āBut with that said, it is restrictive and it will embolden those who want to police and harass drag performances outside 18+ clubs. The implementation will be in the hands of law enforcement and district attorneys across the state and that is really where the potential for arbitrary enforcement comes in. In some of the larger cities, I do not believe that law enforcement or the district attorneys will view a drag brunch as a violation. I don’t speak for them, though. But in other parts of the state, the matter could be more complicated. Regardless of how one reads the text of the law, it will embolden groups who go around filming drag performances and take segments out of context.ā
New Beginnings is a āsafe spaceā

One place where drag thrives in the state is New Beginnings, a sprawling nightclub located in Johnson City. New Beginnings, founded in 1987, is the only full-time LGBTQ venue currently in operation in the Tri-Cities area that includes Johnson City and Kingsport, Tenn., as well as Bristol, Va.
āWe try to give the young people who come here something nicer than the circumstances they live in,ā Mark, a New Beginnings bartender, told the Blade. āMany of these kids have never been on a plane, have never left the Tri-Cities area. We provide them with a safe space to be who they are and to experience the world: To see something of New Orleans or places outside.ā
New Beginnings faces regular protesters and had an inauspicious beginning, according to Michael Trivette, who owns New Beginnings with his husband and extended family. He recounted to the Blade, āWhen we first opened up here in 1987, I was in the back parking lot painting stripes because they had to be marked for permits and a police officer came through and said, āI understand that you are putting a gay bar in here . . . you can just tell whoever that thereās not going to be no gay bar in my district.ā He said, āIāll close it down.ā and this was before we even opened.ā
Things have changed over the years as both New Beginnings and the LGBTQ community as a whole have gained wider acceptance, according to Trivette.
Trivette tells the Blade that New Beginnings often holds a drag brunch around the time of TriPride, an annual event that rotates between Bristol, Kingsport and Johnson City. The TriPride drag brunch is now in jeopardy given concerns around the enforcement of the new law.
“When TriPride had pitched [having Pride in Johnson City in 2023] to the city commissioners and the mayor, they spoke so eloquently of an event to bring all of the people of the Tri-Cities together in a unified moment where they could celebrate the diversity of different people. The mayor wrote this glowing letter,” Trivette recounted. “Itās just so wonderful to think of, this is where we were and now this is where we are.ā
āBut now, this is where weāre going back to,ā Trivette added.
Trivette said there was even talk of moving TriPride from Johnson City to nearby Bristol, Va., across the state line, just to be safe. However, TriPride told the Blade they resolve to continue with plans for a September parade and festival in Tennessee.
āAs it stands currently, TriPride intends to continue with the parade and festival in Johnson City,ā TriPride Board President Melody Taylor said. āWe will continue to have open communication with the city as well as monitoring how the new law is being interpreted and if or when anyone is charged. TriPride has always prided itself on being an all-ages friendly event and our festival entertainment has never been obscene and this year will be no different.ā
Tenn. anti-drag law goes into effect on April 1

āOf course we think itās ridiculous,ā Trivette said when asked what he thought of the new drag law. āI just truthfully have to wonder who saw what that made them feel compelled to go back to their offices and write this law about drag queens.ā
Trivette continued, āYou take a bunch of middle-aged, middle-class people and you talk about the good old days and how much better it used to be and you point your finger at a group of people and you blame them for your problems. And when you have an enemy, you have a focus.ā
Kyelee Moffatt, mother, social worker and self-described ājack of all tradesā at New Beginnings was blunt about her feelings concerning the anti-drag law: āI think itās bullshit.ā
Moffett elaborated, āI think itās a lot of white, old men in Nashville making laws about things they know nothing about because they are being told things from people who are ignorant. They arenāt educated as to what drag is: it is a form of art. It is a wonderful form of entertainment. These people making these laws are afraid of them, the drag performers, because they are different.ā
āI have fear for this law being interpreted in different ways to affect our trans community, especially,ā she continued. āEspecially with the recent ban on gender-affirming care for our trans youth in the state, I think that this is another way for politics and law enforcement to persecute our trans community. Iām afraid that law enforcement is going to target the trans community as well.ā
āFor me, it is reflective of laws in the 50s,ā Moffett cautioned. āItās just a huge red flag that our civil rights are being violated. I think weāre going backwards instead of forwards because, again, because people are afraid of what they donāt know.ā
Odessa Mann, a drag artist who headlines alongside a large troupe of performers in the only regular drag show in the Tri-Cities, met with the Blade before hosting Saturday nightās drag show at New Beginnings. Mann, a spirited performer who is equally animated when talking about the importance of drag, explained, āDrag has been such a part of everybodyās culture: Not just queer culture. Itās been a part of theater and entertainment culture for as long as entertainment has been a thing. And so, it just feels that it is very convenient that now they want to bring up an issue with it all of the sudden.ā
āQueer celebration and queer joy has always been a riot and has been a political movement in and of itself,ā Mann said. āYou can marginalize us and push us to the outsides of the community if you would like to but weāre still going to celebrate and weāre still going to find joy in ourselves. And now they have a problem with that again. So it’s even more important to stay louder in our celebration, louder in our joy and make sure that those people know that weāre not going anywhere. You can make as many bills as you want to, but weāre going to still be right here.ā

āWith the current rhetoric being lobbed at the LGBTQ+ community not only in Tennessee but across the country we at TriPride feel our mission of providing a safe environment for our community to rejoice in being their authentic selves is more important than ever,ā TriPride Board President Taylor elaborated in an email. āThese hateful messages are intended to incite fear and push the LGBTQ community back in the closet, so to speak. TriPride refuses to simply disappear and will continue showing the love, kindness, and pride that our community has. Our community has been fighting for our right to exist for generations and we will continue that fight as long as necessary.ā
āEvery week of the legislative session, we have published campaigns against the discriminatory bills and we continue to do that,ā Sanders of Tennessee Equality Project told the Blade. āWe have helped numerous people meet with their legislators and helped people prepare testimony against the bills. We have to continue doing that because we still face an anti-trans student pronoun bill, a new anti-trans amendment to a bill about camps, and much more. In my 20 years of working on anti-LGBTQ legislation in Tennessee, this is the worst year yet. But the community has stepped up and keeps coming back to fight the bills.ā
The all-ages drag brunch at New Beginnings completely filled the cavernous club with supporters on Sunday. Children danced alongside drag queens at the G-rated show. Singers serenaded the patrons with live music and a āwilderness fairyā read a story to the youth. It was a bittersweet gathering, as it was perhaps the last of its kind to be had for a while.
Mann thanked the audience.
āI really appreciate you seeing us for what we are. Weāre entertainers, weāre here to bring joy, weāre here to bring light. Thatās all it is,ā Mann said. “And Iād like to bring a little light to the stage right now. All the spotlight has been on us and Iād like to put the spotlight on these little baby drag queens we got. Iāve seen some youngunsā and theyāve been dancing with us, honey. I know they want the spotlight.ā
Mann then led a group of parents and children in a dance to the popular kidsā song, āBaby Shark.ā
Covering for @WashBlade New Beginnings in Johnson City, Tennessee defying the state at an all-ages drag brunch. Here is baby shark: pic.twitter.com/Z9iyY7zTO8
ā Michael Patrick Key (@MichaelKeyWB) March 26, 2023
āWe want to talk to you for a minute about whatās going on in our country, specifically our state,ā Sister Lolo of the Little City Sisters told the crowd.
Sister Lolo, a member of newly formed local chapter of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence drag order, continued, āThis is the last time under the new law that we as drag entertainers are allowed to interact with some of you. And they say that this law is designed to protect you, but we know thatās not the truth.ā
āNow, weāre going to follow the law, because as good citizens we have to,ā said Sister Lolo. āBut we know the truth and you know the truth. Weāre going to work together to change these laws. Weāre going to stand for the truth. We are not going to be afraid. Because when we are afraid, they win. And when we stand up for ourselves, we stand up for the truth, we will prevail.ā
At the conclusion of the brunch, Trivette announced that more than $3,000 was raised to combat gun violence in schools. He beamed, āthere was a bar in New York that was being hassled by the police department there: They didnāt want to have a gay bar in their district. So they started harassing them. And at some point, a drag queen . . . and leave it to a drag queen . . . picked up a brick and threw it at the police officers. That was the beginning, that was Stonewall in New York and thatās what started gay Pride. And now today ladies and gentlemen . . . and children, we just threw a rock.ā

CLICK HERE to see more photos from the all-ages drag brunch at New Beginnings.
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