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Anti-gay speakers take stage at Values Voter Summit
‘There is no reason that man needs to change the definition of marriage’
Conservative commentator Ben Carson opposes same-sex marriage. (Washington Blade photo by Lee Whitman)
Anti-gay views were largely downplayed on stage Friday during the first day of an annual gathering for social conservatives, although some political commentators bared their teeth against the LGBT community.
Ben Carson, a former neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins University who was recently hired by Fox News as a commentator, echoed his previous opposition to “change the definition” of marriage to include same-sex couples during the Values Voter Summit, which is hosted by the Family Research Council.
“We need to recognize that God created the family structure for a reason and marriage is a sacred institution from God himself, and there is no reason that man needs to change the definition of marriage,” Carson said.
Carson said “it is true” that people should “be respectful” of everyone’s rights and expressed support for some kind of contractual agreement between same-sex couples, but drew the line at marriage equality.
“And I personally believe that any two adults have the right to bind themselves legally in such a way that they have visitation rights, property rights, various other rights,” Carson said. “But that does not require to change the definition of marriage.”
But the most extreme anti-gay sentiment on stage came from Sandy Rios, host of the American Family Association’s “Sandy Rios in the Morning,” who railed against what she called health risks of homosexuality — taking note of the high rate of HIV infection in the gay community — as well as relationship issues she says gay men face.
“Because the love is misplaced they find themselves in a series of heartbreaking situations,” Rios said. “In the homosexual life, especially with men, there are so many partners, there’s so much heartbreak and rejection. You think youth is worshipped in heterosexual sex? It is top of line. And they like young men, young virile men. When you get older when you’re a gay man, there’s so much rejection, there’s heartache.”
Further, Rios dismissed the notion that the death of Matthew Shepard in Laramie Wyo., in 1998, was a bias-motivated crime, and said it was instead the result of a drug deal gone bad, pointing to a recent book by gay journalist Stephen Jimenez to back up her claims.
Rios said social conservatives will continue to offer gay people “hope and redemption,” pointing to those who identify as “ex-gay” as examples. She said gay people who have undertaken ex-gay sexual orientation conversion therapy — a practice debunked and condemned by mainstream psychological groups — are unable to tell their stories “because they’re maligned and threatened.”
“There are tons of ex-gays with fabulous stories that the American people don’t even know about,” Rios said.
Additionally, Rios criticized the Southern Poverty Law Center for identifying the Family Research Council and the American Family Association as hate groups and refusing to apologize for it after a gunman attempted a mass shooting at the Family Research Council headquarters last year.
But for the most part, conservatives abstained from making anti-gay comments on stage. The major focus was screeds against abortion, the implementation of health care reform and blaming President Obama and Democrats for the government shutdown.
Carson, who’s black, won significant media attention and applause for comparing the health care reform law to slavery.
“Obamacare is really, I think, the worst thing that has happened in this nation since slavery,” Carson said. “And it is – in a way, it is slavery, in a way because it is making all of us subservient to the government.”
More than 2,000 people were estimated to have registered for the summit, according to the Family Research Council. That’s slightly less than the estimated 2,500 people who attended the summit last year during a presidential election.
Another reference to same-sex marriage came from Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), who criticized Obama for not enforcing marriage laws along with other laws, including the individual mandate in health care reform.
“I think about how our president is today picking and choosing the laws he wants to enforce,” Scott said. “We cannot have a president who picks and chooses, who says, ‘I don’t really like the marriage law,” so he isn’t enforcing it. He says, ‘I don’t like the immigration law, so I’ll go around it.’ He says, ‘I don’t even like the Obamacare law, so I’m going to delay part of it.'”
Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) (Washington Blade photo by Lee Whitman)
Presumably, Scott was referring to President Obama’s decision to no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act against litigation, which led to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Section 3 of the law. However, Obama continued to enforce the law even as he refused to defend the law in court.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) also made a reference to “traditional marriage,” but as part of a litany of reasons why the Republican Party needs to focus more on the family.
“For the rapid changes that we’ve seen in America in recent years have only made the family more important, not less,” Lee said. “The family is the foundation not only of our society, but also of our economy, our culture and our Republican form of government.”
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) received significant attention for his speech, but focused for the most part on his objections to health care reform and his pursuit of defunding the law. The senator also accused of the administration of telling “servicemen and women that they cannot share their faith or risk discipline.”
Multiple times during his speech, protesters interrupted Cruz. One called on him to support a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, a provision of immigration reform that he has opposed.
The stronger anti-gay sentiment was seen at the convention booths across the hall at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. Kiosks were set up by the National Organization for Marriage, the Liberty Counsel, the Heritage Foundation and Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays.
Attendees who spoke with the Washington Blade weren’t enthusiastic about expressing their opposition t0 same-sex marriage.
Drew Grotelueschen, a 20-year-old student from Trinity International Law School, said he’s “not really sure” if the country is settling on accepting same-sex marriage, but wasn’t against the idea.
“Honestly, with the culture right now, it’s probably leaning more toward making gay marriage free everywhere, but I’m not sure yet,” Grotelueschen said. “I haven’t thought it that much.”
Diane Orosz, a 20-year-old student from University of Buffalo, said she opposes same-sex marriage on the grounds that gay couples can’t procreate, but seemed resigned to the idea that it’s legal in many places.
“With the society that we do have, it’s more liberal,” Orosz said. “I feel as though, unfortunately, there might be a settlement on gay marriage itself, but I don’t agree with [it.]…Love, the feeling, the emotion is the same, but marriage defines a man and a woman and their union together…Unfortunately, with our more liberal society, and free hippy type of society, I feel like gay marriage is inevitable.”
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) expressed a view in favor of “social issues,” but didn’t articulate with detail what they consist of or voice any anti-gay sentiment.
“And I’ve also been lectured, as many of you have, about how we need to stop talking about social issues if we want to win elections,” Rubio said. “But if we’re serious about saving the American dream, we can’t stop talking about these issues. We can’t stop talking about the importance of our values and our culture. We can’t stop talking about them because the moral well-being of our people is directly linked to their economic well-being.”
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said the Republican Party should embrace social issues (Washington Blade photo by Lee Whitman).
U.S. Federal Courts
Renee Good’s family files two federal lawsuits
ICE officer killed lesbian mother of three in Minneapolis in January
The family of lesbian woman who a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement killed in Minneapolis in January have filed two federal lawsuits.
The Associated Press notes Renee Good’s partner, Becca Good, and her brother, Brent Ganger, in the lawsuits accuse the Trump-Vance administration and ICE officer Jonathan Ross of “unjustified and excessive use of force.”
Renee Good was a 37-year-old mother of three.
Ross on Jan. 7 shot and killed her in Minneapolis.
The shooting took place during the Trump-Vance administration’s so-called Operation Metro Surge that targeted Somalis and other immigrant groups in Minneapolis. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents on Jan. 24 shot and killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse who worked for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, in Minneapolis.
Both shooting sparked outrage across the U.S. and around the world.
“Every morning, she is my first thought. I think about how the kids are growing up without their mama, and how I will grow old without the love of my life. I think about how we should have had 40 more years together. But I also think about what she would have wanted after all of this,” said Becca Good in a statement the Human Rights Campaign released after she and her partner’s family announced the lawsuits.
“As we have tried to navigate our own massive loss, I am also devastated by how many other lives have been destroyed in this darkest of times. So many other families are dealing with the loss of their loved ones; to everyone who has had to witness it — the pain of this moment extends far beyond our family,” added Becca Good. “What happened to us should never happen to any family. No child should grow up without a parent because of it. No one should lose their sister or their daughter. No one should have to live without their soulmate. Accountability — real accountability — is the only way to make sure that no other family has to go through what we have.”
HRC President Kelley Robinson in her own statement said the Good family “is one of our own — and today, the Human Rights Campaign joins them in demanding justice.”
“It has been eight months and 24 days since Renee was shot and killed by an ICE agent, and the United States government has failed to take responsibility for its actions,” said Robinson. “Her partner, Becca, and brother Brent, have made the brave and bold decision to hold the government accountable, and we stand with them. Like every person murdered by ICE, Renee should be alive today. The Goods were robbed of what every American family deserves: to be together.”
Turkey
House Democrats urge White House to confront Turkish government over anti-LGBTQ crackdown
More than 60 lawmakers signed letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio
More than 60 House Democrats on Thursday called upon the Trump-Vance administration to confront the Turkish government over its anti-LGBTQ crackdown.
Turkish authorities last month detained dozens of people during raids that targeted the country’s LGBTQ community, advocacy groups, and HIV/AIDS service organizations. Journalists were among those taken into custody outside an Istanbul courthouse on Sept. 15 during a protest against the raids that are part of the government’s “My Family Is Safe” campaign.
Council for Global Equality is among the groups that organized a protest outside the Turkish Embassy in D.C. on Sept. 18.
View on Threads
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Sept. 21 during a U.N. LGBTI Core Group event that took place on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly specifically referenced Turkey.
The Core Group is a group of U.N. member states that have pledged to support LGBTQ and intersex rights.
The U.S. withdrew from the Core Group after the Trump-Vance administration took office. The White House has not publicly commented on Turkey’s anti-LGBTQ crackdown.
“These developments warrant an urgent diplomatic response from the United States to protect the rights of freedom of expression, association, and assembly for all Turkish citizens, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” reads the letter the lawmakers sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “We therefore urge you to use all available channels to raise these concerns directly with the Turkish government; press for the immediate release of those arrested and detained for their legitimate human rights activities; and ensure that the U.S. Embassy in Ankara closely monitors related judicial proceedings.”
“We further urge the Department to press Turkish authorities to cease efforts to criminalize LGBTQI+ organizations and advocacy and to affirm the right of all people to peacefully assemble,” it adds.
Arizona Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari and U.S. Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.) spearheaded the letter. House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.); House Foreign Affairs Ranking Member Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.); Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.); Delaware Congresswoman Sarah McBride, and U.S. Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), who chairs the Congressional Equality Caucus, are among the 65 House Democrats who signed the letter.
“The United States must be a leader in defending human rights and what is happening in Turkey demands an urgent diplomatic response. It’s absolutely appalling to see LGBTQI+ people and the organizations that stand up for their rights be targeted by the (President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan regime,” said Ansari in a press release. “I stand proudly with the LGBTQI+ community here and abroad and will continue to fight for their right to live openly, freely, and without fear, anywhere and everywhere.”
The press release notes the Human Rights Campaign, the Council for Global Equality, and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America support the letter.
“Turkey’s attacks on its LGBTQI+ community are a disturbing reminder that the fight for equality and human rights does not stop at our borders. No one should be silenced or detained for simply being who they are or peacefully demanding dignity and freedom,” said HRC Government Affairs Senior Director Jennifer Pike Bailey. “We are grateful to Representatives Ansari and Titus for recognizing that the fight for LGBTQI+ equality is global and that, even amid the many challenges facing our community here at home, we cannot turn our backs on LGBTQI+ people facing persecution abroad.”
A State Department spokesperson on Friday told the Washington Blade that “as a matter of policy, we do not comment on congressional correspondence.”
Federal Government
988 restores crisis services for LGBTQ youth
The lifesaving 988 call-in number to help people experiencing mental health crises or suicidal thoughts has once again restored its specialized services for LGBTQ youth.
The lifeline, which used to have the option to “press 3” to be directly sent to specialized services for LGBTQ youth facing mental health crises or suicidal thoughts, was returned on Wednesday following an over-year-long battle with the Trump-Vance administration, which removed the service in May 2025.
The Press 3 option rolled out as a pilot program in 2022 through a government contract with the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ people.
Then, in June 2025, the federal government announced that the lifeline would be eliminated within a month. By July 2025, 988 Lifeline’s “Press 3” services were terminated.
Openly gay U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) helped lead Congress in reversing the removal of the lifesaving resource from American phones. As a member of the Senatw Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee, she started the process of securing $535 million for 988 — a $15 million increase — as well as dedicated funding for LGBTQ youth specialized services.
Then, in September 2025, Baldwin, along with U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), introduced bipartisan legislation in the Senate, the 988 LGBTQ+ Youth Access Act, to codify the 988 Lifeline’s specialized services for LGBTQ young people.
At the same time, U.S. Rep Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) introduced the legislation in the House of Representatives alongside U.S. Reps. Michael Lawler (R-N.Y.) Sharice Davids (D-Kan.) Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Seth Moulton (D-Mass.)
The Senate passed Baldwin’s bipartisan funding bill in January 2026, funding the Department of Health and Human Services with explicit language mandating the return of 988’s LGBTQ youth specialized services.
In February 2026, Congress passed legislation mandating that the previously eliminated “Press 3” specialized services be restored and funded with $33,100,000 — but it was unclear if the Press 3 option would still be allowed under current executive orders, namely Executive Order 14168, or “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.”
Despite the securing of federal funding for the Press 3 resource, the battle to get the 988 LGBTQ+ Youth Access Act through Congress is ongoing — and would provide codafied protection from this removal ever happening again.
According to data on the Trevor Project’s website, LGBTQ young people are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers.
Baldwin’s office touts the immense help the lifeline provides to LGBTQ people in their moments of greatest need. The press release on the reinstatement of Press 3 highlighted the continued demand for the service:
“The volume of calls, texts, and chats 15 percent higher than a year earlier and nearly 50 percent higher than two years ago. Since the lifeline launched, it has received over 27 million contacts, including over 18 million calls, 4 million texts, and 3 million chats.”
Advocates for LGBTQ rights and mental health awareness have agreed with the increasing numbers and hailed the return as a win for everyone.
“Suicide and mental health struggles touch every community across our state, and that’s why creating the 988 crisis lifeline to make sure help is there for everyone is one of my proudest accomplishments,” said Baldwin said in a statement. “But, last year, the Trump administration decided to make these real struggles a political football and ripped away the specialized line that helped LGBTQ children. This was a deliberate choice. The Trump administration chose to put children’s lives on the line to score some political points.
“I’ve fought tooth and nail to restore this lifesaving resource. When I realized the Trump administration was not going to do it on their own, I wrote it into federal law to require them to restore the Press 3 option,” the Wisconsin senator said. “This lifesaving resource never should have gone away in the first place, but I am glad the lifesaving support Press 3 provides is once again there for people who need it.”
“I’m proud that we secured the funding to restore this lifesaving LGBTQ+ crisis line and successfully pressured the Trump administration to bring the program back,” Krishnamoorthi said. “When an LGBTQ+ young person reaches out for help in a moment of crisis, they deserve to reach a counselor trained to understand and support them. This program should never have been taken away, and now we need to make sure it stays available for every young person who needs it. I’m grateful to the Trevor Project, NAMI Chicago, Equality Illinois, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and all the advocates and young people who worked alongside us to bring these services back.”
Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project who works with the SAMHSA, in their press three operations celebrated the return of the resource.
“We are grateful to see that the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s ‘Press 3’ specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth have been restored. Resuming this national resource will be critical in addressing the public health crisis of suicide among LGBTQ+ young people, and supporting the estimated more than 1.8 million LGBTQ+ youth who seriously consider attempting suicide in the U.S. each year,” Black said via a statement. “We are thankful for the large coalition of bipartisan lawmakers, mental health advocates, allies, and supporters who fought tirelessly for this restoration. We will monitor the launch and usage of these important services to ensure all LGBTQ+ youth are supported with clinically best standards.”
If you or someone you know needs mental health resources and support, please call, text, or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit 988lifeline.org for 24/7 access to free and confidential services. Trans Lifeline, designed for transgender or gender-nonconforming people, can be reached at (877) 565-8860. The lifeline also provides resources to help with other crises, such as domestic violence situations. The Trevor Project Lifeline, for LGBTQ+ youth (ages 24 and younger), can be reached at (866) 488-7386. Users can also access chat services at TheTrevorProject.org/Help or text START to 678678.
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