National
Maine marriage campaign optimistic going into referendum
Polls indicate majority of voters would support ballot measure to allow same-sex marriage.
SCARBOROUGH, Maine ā Portland resident Ellen Ward never thought she would find herself speaking with fellow voters in support of marriage rights for same-sex couples.
The self-described introvert changed her mind, however, in 2009 when she listened to gays and lesbians and others testify in support of a same-sex marriage bill during a legislative hearing in Augusta, the state capital.
āThey were leading very what most people call normal lives and just wanted to be able to affirm their love and commitment in the same way that other people got too,ā Ward told the Washington Blade as she canvassed a suburban Portland neighborhood in the rain on Thursday afternoon. āAnd I was just really impressed with people standing up and testifying about that and churches testifying about that.ā
Nearly three years after Maine voters repealed the stateās same-sex marriage law that then-Gov. John Baldacci signed, supporters of nuptials for gays and lesbians remain confident that a ballot question that would allow them to tie the knot will pass.
āWhatās so unique about Maine is because weāre the first state to ever go on the offensive and bring the issue directly to the voters; weāve been able to dictate our own timeline,ā Matt McTighe, campaign manager of Mainers United for Marriage, the group supporting Question 1, told the Blade during an interview at his Portland office on Friday. āThere was never a ticking clock. Every time this has come up before when itās defensive itās always in the current ā something happens, a precipitating action, a court case, a legislative victory whatever. Our opponents then do something to undermine that or write something into the constitution or whatever. And now weāre on their turf. Now weāre playing defense on their side of the field.ā
Voters in 2009 repealed the same-sex marriage law by a 53-47 percent margin. McTighe, a former Human Rights Campaign staffer who has worked on marriage efforts in Massachusetts and in other New England states for MassEquality and the Boston-based Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, described the 2012 campaign in Maine as a ānight and day kind of differenceā from that run ahead of the 2009 referendum.
āItās always been designed from the ground up as a campaign for voters,ā he said. āWe didnāt have to worry about the legislature. We werenāt thinking about a court case or anything like that. Right from the beginning weāve tried to figure out who are the voters we need to be talking to, letās employ some of the most sophisticated modeling and tactics that have ever been applied to the marriage movement, letās bring in the best people, the best consultants, the best field organizers, the best team and put together a plan and a model to figure out who we need to talk to.ā
Voter: Same-sex marriage ādoesnāt really affect meā
Maine is one of four states with either a same-sex marriage referendum or a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as between a man and a woman on the ballot next month. The Maine Freedom to Marry Coalition in January submitted more than 105,000 signatures to the Secretary of State in order to bring the issue before voters.
A Portland Press Herald poll conducted between Sept. 12-16 shows Question 1 leads by a 57-36 percent margin. A Public Policy Polling survey late last month indicates 52 percent of likely voters support the ballot measure, compared to 44 percent who oppose it and four percent who remain undecided.
Several Scarborough residents with whom Ward spoke said they would support Question 1.
āIāll probably vote for it,ā said one teenager who turns 18 on Nov. 1. He told Ward that he also works with a lesbian. āIt doesnāt really affect me. Iām not really 100 percent for it, but I have nothing against it. Not to put it the wrong way but I really donāt care. Do whatever you want. If anything itāll be better for the economy.ā
A woman who lives on a nearby cul-de-sac told Ward that she plans to vote against the ballot question.
āI personally donāt have a problem with you getting together, but Iām not in favor of calling it marriage,ā she said. āItās a sacrament. To redefine marriage, I would vote no.ā
Ward conceded the womanās position against marriage rights for same-sex couples was ādiscouraging.ā She did acknowledge, however, that she feels that her support of basic rights for gays and lesbians was encouraging.
āPeople have come a long way on that issue, certainly than even 20 years ago,ā said Ward, who recalled a telephone conversation she had a couple of months ago with a 90-year-old woman who marched against racial segregation in the 1960s. She initially said she opposed nuptials for gays and lesbians, but Ward said she suddenly changed her mind when she realized the parallels between the civil rights and same-sex marriage movements. āI just feel there are so many people that we talk to these days who are completely supportive.ā
Marriage remains āpersonalā for voters
Six Mainers United for Marriage ads continue to air on local television stations. These include one that features four generations of a family from the Downeast town of Machias and another that spotlights firefighters who support nuptials for gays and lesbians. Protect Marriage Maine, the group opposing Question 1, debuted their first two television ads on Monday.
āYou have to make this about the voter themselves. You need to give them a personal reason to connect with the gay people that they know in their lives, to think about this issue in a way that they havenāt thought of before,ā said McTighe, who is also a firefighter in the southern coastal Maine town of York. He applauded President Obama for supporting marriage rights for same-sex couples, but stressed the issue remains what he described as a deeply personal one for each potential voter. āYou donāt just change your mind because somebody else did. You have to change your mind because somebody made it personal to you. Somebody showed you what is at stake. And also gave you an opportunity to have your questions and concerns addressed. Thatās why the grassroots approach has been so unique, to be able to go out and have door-to-door with everyone in our persuadable universe, those people we identified early on.ā
Mainers United for Marriage reported to the state Commission on Ethics and Election Practices late on Friday that it has raised slightly more than $3.35 million so far this year, compared with the $429,794.32 that Protect Marriage Maine has pulled in. McTighe told the Blade that he would like to raise another $750,000 to $1 million āto keep pace withā the amount of airtime that the National Organization for Marriage has reserved on the stateās television stations in the weeks leading up to Election Day.
āNow is sort of the crunch time,ā he said. āWeāve been prepping for his. Weāve been planning for this so now we feel like weāre prepared for everything. When they come out with one attack, weāve got plan A. When they come out with a different attack, weāve got plan B. We can pull it as needed. We can execute as we need to, as long as we have the resources.ā
McTighe said another challenge that the campaign faces of potential complacency.
āBecause we are doing really well in the polls and because people are seeing all this great stuff and people love our TV ads and all this other stuff and weāre getting all this great earned media, itās almost too easy for people to say, well they donāt need my help. They donāt me to volunteer. They donāt need me to donate. They donāt need me to write a check. Theyāve got 57 percent in the polls. Well I donāt care as much now,” he said. “But the fact is weāve never won before. Whether that 57 percent is solid or soft or who knows, weāll see, but weāve never won. Until we win, we should just assume that our opponents will dump whatever resources they need. We should just assume that they will stop at nothing. And we should assume that no lead is safe until we can actually win and hold one for just once, at least once. Then we can start saying okay well is a point where youāre safe. Weāre just not there yet. Weāre not there in any of the states.ā
In spite of these potential hurdles, McTighe remains optimistic that Mainers United for Marriage will be able to successfully respond to Question 1 opponents’ ads and statements against nuptials for gays and lesbians during the final weeks of the campaign.
āWe feel extremely well positioned to deal with anything they throw our way because weāve had two and a half years to prepare for everything,ā he said. āThat is whatās so unique about Maine.ā
Ward agreed.
āPeople have had a lot more chance to think about this,ā she said, noting the passage of same-sex marriage laws in New York and other states since the 2009 vote. āItās very much on peopleās minds and people are talking about it now. Itās not so unheard of. I think people are just kind of more getting used to the idea and saying, oh, I have people in my family that this [impacts] or I have neighbors and I think theyāre very nice people and wow, you know they want to get married. A lot of people had never thought of that before. I think part of it is people are getting used to the idea. And people who are already on board are saying of course, of course this matters. And more and more they want to see this happen. It just seems a no brainer to them.ā
Oklahoma
Medical examine releases final autopsy on Nex Benedict’s death
Okla. high school student died by suicide in February
The Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office released the full report Wednesday on the results of its investigation into the death of Nex Benedict, a 16-year-old transgender teen whose death has become a hot button topic in ongoing national discourse over transphobic and homophobic bullying in public school settings.
Earlier this month the medical examiner’s office released the first page of the report stating that Benedictās death was caused by an overdose of Benadryl and Prozac, and ruled the death a suicide.
Owasso Police Department Lt. Nick Boatman said in a statement to the media at the time of the release of the initial finding: āFrom the beginning of this investigation, Owasso Police observed many indications that this death was the result of suicide. However, investigators did not wish to confirm that information without the final results being presented by the Oklahoma Medical Examiners Office.ā
The Owasso Police Department released body cam footage from the interview conducted by the Owasso High School resource officer taken at the emergency room, investigating the attack on Benedict by three other female juveniles earlier that day in a school bathroom.
Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler released a statement last week that said no criminal charges will be filed in the death of the 16-year-old Owasso High School trans student.
In part the district attorney said because the finding by the Oklahoma State Medical Examiner precluded the possibility that the death was caused directly from the physical altercation at the school the day prior to the teen’s dying.
According to the district attorney, Benedict had written notes talking about suicide but did not reference the fight or incidents at school. Kunzweiler stated that the notes are personal to Benedictās family and will not be released.
The report also detailed injuries sustained in the fight from the day before, including several small cuts and bruises on their face and body. Benedict also had a 4×3 inch bruise on his chest from resuscitation efforts. The medical examiner also found yellowing bruises on Benedict’s arms, legs and torso that were healing before the time of the fight. The medical examiner’s office also found evidence of self-inflicted wounds on the arm.
Several Oklahoma-based LGBTQ organizations responded to the release of the full autopsy report along with national LGBTQ advocacy groups GLAAD, the Human Rights Campaign and the Rainbow Youth Project.
āAs our community continues to grieve and remember Nex, itās clearer than ever that everyone from Oklahomaās State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters to Owasso High School staff members to the Owasso Police Department, Tulsa District Attorney, and unaccredited-since-2009 state medical examinerās office failed to deliver justice for Nex Benedict and Nexās loved ones,” said Nicole McAfree, executive director of Freedom Oklahoma.
“A harm doubled by the continued lack of respect for the tribal law enforcement who should be involved in a case that involves the death of an Indigenous person on reservation land. As we approach the end of the Oklahoma legislative session, lawmakers should take the opportunity to send a message of adamant opposition to anti-2SLGBTQ+ legislation and policies; and support for measures that enable more empathy, kindness and compassion, not less. Nex should be alive, and the very least we can do in Nexās memory is demonstrate our commitment to building a better world that makes it impossible for this heartbreaking tragedy to happen again,ā McAfree added.
Oklahoma Pride Alliance President Kylan L. Durant said; āTodayās news is the latest disappointing development in Nex Benedictās tragic story. The best way to honor Nexās memory now is by taking tangible steps to secure meaningful policies and platforms that make life better for all LGBTQ and 2STGNC+ youth. All Oklahomans deserve to live in a world that treats us with full dignity and respect, and where we can access spaces that allow us to live as our honest, authentic selves. We will never stop advocating for equality and justice in honor of Nex and too many others who left us too soon.ā
The Rainbow Youth Project reported an uptick in crisis calls from Oklahoma since Benedictās death:
- 1,097 calls from Oklahoma in February.
- 824 calls from Oklahoma in March so far.
- Note that the average for the state is 357 per month.
- Oklahoma youth reaching out to Rainbow Youth Project reported experiencing anti-LGBTQ bullying and specifically called out Walters:
- 82 percent reported bullying.
- 62 percent cited anti-LGBTQ rhetoric from Walters.
More than 350 organizations signed a letter one month agoĀ calling for the Walters’ removal following his long history of leadership failures and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric.
āSince Nexās death, the crisis lines at the Rainbow Youth Project continue to increase in calls and outreach from young people who feel discouraged and hopeless. Itās incumbent upon all of us to secure safety and well-being for young people, especially those who are most at risk of being bullied and singled out,” said Christopher Sederburg, leader of the Rainbow Youth Project’s Transgender Action Committee. “Itās hard enough to be a young person in the world today without worrying about doing something as simple as attending school safely. Nexās death is a tremendous loss and we must do everything in our power to prevent similar tragedies from taking place in the future. Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters and the Oklahoma Department of Education must enact change and do right by all students.ā
GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis in a statement released after the report was made public said:
“This report cannot be seen as a conclusion of the investigation into the death of a teenager who should still be here today. Oklahoma’s supposed leaders must still provide answers to the public about the state-sponsored bullying by legislation, the inadequate response to violence in a school bathroom, and all the failures to keep Nex safe that continue to endanger LGBTQ and 2STGNC+ people in Oklahoma. GLAAD continues to call for an independent investigation to resolve the systemic failures that led to Nexās death. Our hearts remain with Nexās family, with Oklahomaās incredible 2STGNC+ and equality advocates and all LGBTQ youth who deserve to grow up in peace and safety.ā
Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, released the following statement:
āThe full report does little to fill in the gaps in information about that day or the more than a year of bullying and harassment that led up to it. It does not answer the questions of so many in Oklahoma and across the country. We continue to support the calls from Nexās family for an independent investigation.
Young people in Oklahoma and across the country deserve to be safe and respected in school. This includes young people who may dress differently, speak differently, or identify differently from you. Whatās clear from Nexās death, and from what weāve heard from so many students and parents in Owasso and across the state, is that this is not the case. Instead, we have seen the very adults who should be working to protect Oklahomaās kids actively foster the hostile environment that makes students unsafe.
The release of todayās report does not change the fact that LGTBQ+ students in Oklahoma are not safe at school. And it does not change our continued calls for justice and accountability. We reiterate our call for a full and complete investigation into the district, state Supt. Ryan Walters, the Oklahoma State Department of Education and into their response after Nex was attacked.ā
On March 1, the U.S. Department of Education informed Robinson that the department will open an investigation in response to HRCās letter regarding Owasso Public Schools and its failure to respond appropriately to sex-based harassment that may have contributed to the tragic death of Benedict.
This investigation was triggered by a formal complaint made last week by Robinson, who wrote to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and asked his department to use the enforcement mechanisms at its disposal to prevent similar tragedies from taking place in the future and to help hold accountable those responsible for Benedictās tragic death.
Rainbow Youth Project USA Executive Director Lance Preston echoed his fellow non-profit CEOs at GLAAD and HRC, telling the Washington Blade:
“In a unified effort with Human Rights Campaign and GLAAD, Rainbow Youth Project USA is calling for an independent autopsy to ensure a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the youth’s death.
Rainbow Youth Project USA, demands that educational institutions in Oklahoma and across the country take immediate action to address the pervasive issue of bullying and harassment faced by LGBTQ+ students.
Statistics reveal that 58 percent of LGBTQ+ youth in Oklahoma feel unsafe at school, painting a grim picture of the challenges these individuals face on a daily basis. “Schools must be safe and inclusive environments for all students, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. It is unacceptable that a significant number of LGBTQ+ students are experiencing bullying and harassment.”
Rainbow Youth Project USA, based on recent data, received 1,097 crisis calls from Oklahoma in February alone. Nearly 86 percent of these callers reported instances of being bullied within the state’s schools, highlighting the urgent need for improved support and protection for LGBTQ youth.
In a conversation with the Blade on Wednesday, investigative journalist T.J. Payne reflected on the report:
“I canāt help but feel a sickness around all of it. As a trans person, reading a trans childās autopsy is really fucked. Referring to their various insides as normal, intact, not usual. If only we described trans people the same way externally. Just like everybody else in the world trying to survive.”
Federal Government
National Security Council meets with Ugandan LGBTQ activist
Frank Mugisha met with the NSC on Monday
The U.S. National Security Council met with Ugandan LGBTQ rights activist Frank Mugisha on Monday, according to a spokesperson who reaffirmed America’s opposition to civil rights abuses against LGBTQ people in the East African country.
Last year, Uganda passed the Anti-Homosexuality Act, a law that criminalizes, with prison sentences, identifying as gay or lesbian and imposes the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality.”
The Biden-Harris administration has repeatedly denounced the legislation and called for its repeal.
“There have been increased reports of evictions, vigilante attacks, and police harassment, abuse, and detainment of individuals who are or are perceived to be LGBTQI+, including reports of the Ugandan police subjecting individuals to forced anal examinations ā an abusive, degrading practice that serves no investigative or public health purpose,” the White House wrote in a December 2023 fact sheet.
In a post on X about the meeting with Mugisha, Adrienne Watson, special assistant to the president and National Security Council senior director for press and spokesperson, wrote that the “United States continues to have zero tolerance for any form of discrimination or harmful activities.”
The United States continues to have zero tolerance for any form of discrimination or harmful activities, including the horrific practice of forced anal examinations and the criminalization of LGBTQI+ persons. pic.twitter.com/umr4rXBr8a
— Adrienne Watson (@NSC_Spox) March 26, 2024
Mugisha, who is gay, is one of the most prominent LGBTQ advocates in Uganda, winning the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award and Thorolf Rafto Memorial Prize for his work in 2011. He was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.
District of Columbia
D.C. events to commemorate International Transgender Day of Visibility
Monica Beverly-Hillz to attend Blossom Gala at Hook Hall
Trans USA National Pageantry and the National Center for Transgender Equality will hold a series of events in D.C. on Sunday in commemoration of the International Transgender Day of Visibility.
The TRANSform the Vote rally will take place on the National Mall.
Organized by the Queer Equity Institute and NCTE, the event aims to celebrate trans liberation, combat violence and promote civic engagement. Elected officials, activists and artists are expected to participate.
Queer Equity Institute Executive Director Leigh Finke and NCTE Executive Director Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen discussed the rally and how it will empower the trans community and promote advocacy.
āFrom restricting access to medically necessary healthcare to denying trans students the opportunity to participate in sports, we have seen nationwide efforts to exclude trans people from society,ā said Heng-Lehtinen. āTRANSform the Vote presents a historical moment for us to empower our community ā casting our votes and participating in democracy is just one of many ways our community can advocate for the issues that matter to us.ā
Finke, Minnesotaās first openly trans lawmaker who wrote the stateās groundbreaking trans refuge bill, echoed Heng-Lehtinen.
“Over the past few years, weāve watched again and again as ‘jokes’ became hate speech, hate speech became bills, bills became laws; and all the jokes, hate speech and laws created an environment where transgender people are assaulted, beaten and murdered,” said Finke. “Some of the most important tools we have to fight back against these attacks is to change the culture through voting, running for office and creating art and music that shift society. This rally is meant to highlight and encourage folks to use those tools in their communities.”
Confirmed speakers and participants aside from Finke and Heng-Lehtinen include:
- Minnesota state Rep. Alicia āLiishā Kozlowski, who is one of the countryās foremost activists for Indigenous trans and two-spirit people.
- Minneapolis City Council President Andrea Jenkins.
- Angelica Ross, a Buddhist artist and human rights activist.
- Visual artist Cassils
The first annual Blossom Gala will take place at Hook Hall (3400 Georgia Ave., N.W.) and will feature keynote speakers, a Q&A panel discussion featuring national leaders in the trans rights movement and drag performances. Cherry Bomb, which will cap off the event, is an all-trans drag showcase.
Mr. Trans USA 2020 Eddie Broadway; Miss Trans USA 2020 Bianca Nicole and Candi Stratton, a world-renowned Cher illusionist, are among those who are expected to perform. Other participants will include Miss Trans USA 2023 Anya Marino, Mr. Trans USA 2023 Trey C. Michaels and NCTE National Organizer Sybastian Smith.
Monica Beverly-Hillz from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” will also participate.
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