National
McDonnell won’t let lesbian vet testify before GOP platform committee
Spokesperson says participants have already been selected
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell won’t let a lesbian vet testify before the GOP platform committee (photo by Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia commons)
The governor of Virginia and chair of the GOP platform committee won’t allow a lesbian veteran from his state to testify on same-sex marriage and repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act before the panel.
Tucker Martin, a spokesperson for Gov. Bob McDonnell, said retired Navy Capt. Joan Darrah, an Alexandria, Va., resident, won’t have an opportunity to speak before the platform committee — which will meet in Tampa, Fla., prior to the Republican National Convention — because speaking opportunities have already been allocated.
“First and foremost, the Governor thanks Capt. Darrah for her service to our nation,” Martin said. “Capt. Darrah has dedicated her life to the defense of the United States and the Governor salutes her for it. In the weeks leading up to Tampa, the Platform Committee has heard directly from hundreds of groups and individuals regarding suggestions and proposals for inclusion in the Platform. The Committee continues to welcome submissions from individuals and outside groups via the website: www.gopplatform2012.com. However, once in Tampa, the only individuals to speak at the Platform Committee are the Platform Delegates and Subcommittee Chairs. We thank Capt. Darrah for her interest in the Republican Party Platform, and, we also hope that she will still submit her suggestions to the Platform Committee via the online submission process.”
In an open letter to McDonnell, Darrah, who along with her partner Lynne Kennedy is a plaintiff in Servicemembers Legal Defense Network’s lawsuit against DOMA, requested the opportunity to speak before the committee about the importance of repealing the anti-gay as well as endorsing marriage equality. The committee is meeting the week of August 20.
“Quite simply, these objectives correspond with the ideals of the Republican Party: opposition to government intrusion in people’s lives, and a modern military that supports all our service members and their families,” Darrah writes.
An advocate for “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal, Darrah had testified before the House Armed Services personnel subcommittee on lifting the military’s gay ban. Over the course of serving nearly two decades in the armed forces, Darrah narrowly escaped death while working at the Pentagon during the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks,
The Washington Blade reported on Wednesday that Log Cabin Republicans is touting being credentialed to send a four-member delegation before the platform committee in Tampa. Striking out anti-gay language that appeared in the 2008 platform, such as the endorsement of the Federal Marriage Amendment, is one goal of the group.
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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