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Gay and trans Republicans shocked DeSantis now targeting them

Fla. governor’s War Room released new ad

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(Los Angeles Blade/EIM graphic)

By Erin Reed | Gay and transgender Republicans expressed dismay after the DeSantis campaign’s rapid-response Twitter account, DeSantis War Room, recently released an attack ad that unabashedly promotes what it calls the “most extreme slate of anti-LGBTQ+ laws in history” and claims its policies “threaten trans existence.” 

The ad also goes after former President Donald Trump, critiquing him for his purported support of Pride and the LGBTQ community — in spite of his anti-LGBTQ record. LGBTQ advocates have continually warned about the escalation of anti-trans attacks into broader anti-hostility, and LGBTQ Republican operatives are suddenly finding out the consequences of supporting such policies.

The ad itself has been described as one of the worst anti-LGBTQ attack ads ever, with one reporter calling it “the closest thing to what a Benito Mussolini TikTok ad would’ve looked like.”

The backlash to the ad was swift. A number of gay and trans Republicans, who have in the past supported anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ policies, now found themselves criticizing the campaign for turning on them. Notably, Scott Presler, co-founder of “Gays For Trump,” publicly questioned the DeSantis campaign’s stance and asked what the campaign felt about a gay person like him. 

It’s worth mentioning that Presler had previously endorsed DeSantis’ anti-LGBTQ policies, including the contentious “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” law, and has boasted about his voter registration efforts playing a role in DeSantis’ electoral success.

Richard Grenell, a prominent gay Republican political operative and former member of Trump’s cabinet, also expressed consternation, labeling the ad as “undeniably homophobic.” 

It’s noteworthy that Grenell has a history of criticizing “wokeness” and “trans radicalism,” and has been an advocate for various anti-LGBTQ measures, including bans on gender-affirming care and the “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” law.

Caitlyn Jenner, a trans Republican political commentator, stated that the candidate had “hit a new low.” It’s important to highlight that Jenner herself has been a consistent proponent of DeSantis’ anti-LGBTQ policies, including some featured in the ad. She has often contended that supporting LGBTQ individuals in schools equates to “grooming,” backed drag bans, and previously expressed being a “big supporter of Ron DeSantis” specifically for his “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” law.

Even the Log Cabin Republicans, the principal LGBTQ Republican organization, chimed in, denouncing the ad as “divisive and desperate” and labeling DeSantis’ policies as “naive” and “politically stupid.” Intriguingly, the organization had previously lauded Governor DeSantis for some of the very anti-LGBTQ policies featured in the ad. 

For instance, Log Cabin Republicans have participated in anti-drag protests and support bathroom bans. The official account has in the past accused “LGBTQ leftists” of attempting to “censor Ron DeSantis’ speech,” and commended him for the “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” law.

The conflict reached a fever pitch on Monday as heated exchanges erupted on Twitter between the aforementioned individuals and accounts associated with DeSantis campaign. Jenner, for instance, criticized the anti-LGBTQ organization “Gays Against Groomers,” and disclosed that the organization’s leader is on the payroll of DeSantis campaign.

Meanwhile, Christina Pushaw, the rapid response director for DeSantis’ campaign, addressed criticism by gay and trans Republicans by calling for an end to the federal recognition of Pride month. Republicans who oppose LGBTQ rights and those who support some level of rights continued to argue throughout the day over what level of acceptance LGBTQ people should receive.

Ultimately, the distinction between Trump and DeSantis is one without much difference when it comes to LGBTQ people. While DeSantis’ ad stood out for its brazen display of anti-LGBTQ positions, Donald Trump has not fared any better. 

The Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ rights organization, has labeled Trump “the worst president on LGBTQ+ issues ever.” Trump’s tenure was marked by policies such as the ban on trans individuals serving in the military, the nomination of Supreme Court justices who have since voted in favor of allowing businesses to deny service to LGBTQ individuals, and the denial of asylum to LGBTQ seekers. Moreover, Trump recently released a campaign ad advocating for sweeping curtailments of transgender rights “for any age” and prohibitions on gender-affirming care for trans youth.

Although LGBTQ Republicans may believe themselves to be reforming the party, the party itself continues to target them with harmful policies. It seems unlikely that those policies will change in the near future given the heated rhetoric coming out of Republican legislatures across the country targeting LGBTQ people. Increasingly, these individuals find themselves pushed further to the periphery as the American right-wing steams onward in policies designed around eradication.

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Erin Reed is a transgender woman (she/her pronouns) and researcher who tracks anti-LGBTQ+ legislation around the world and helps people become better advocates for their queer family, friends, colleagues, and community. Reed also is a social media consultant and public speaker.

Follow her on Twitter (Link)

Website here: https://www.erininthemorning.com/

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The preceding article was first published at Erin In The Morning and is republished with permission.

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Congress

Congress passes ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ with massive cuts to health insurance coverage

Roughly 1.8 million LGBTQ Americans rely on Medicaid

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U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The “Big, Beautiful Bill” heads to President Donald Trump’s desk following the vote by the Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives Thursday, which saw two nays from GOP members and unified opposition from the entire Democratic caucus.

To partially offset the cost of tax breaks that disproportionately favor the wealthy, the bill contains massive cuts to Medicaid and social safety net programs like food assistance for the poor while adding a projected $3.3 billion to the deficit.

Policy wise, the signature legislation of Trump’s second term rolls back clean energy tax credits passed under the Biden-Harris administration while beefing up funding for defense and border security.

Roughly 13 percent of LGBTQ adults in the U.S., about 1.8 million people, rely on Medicaid as their primary health insurer, compared to seven percent of non-LGBTQ adults, according to the UCLA School of Law’s Williams Institute think tank on sexual orientation and gender identities.

In total, the Congressional Budget Office estimates the cuts will cause more than 10 million Americans to lose their coverage under Medicaid and anywhere from three to five million to lose their care under Affordable Care Act marketplace plans.

A number of Republicans in the House and Senate opposed the bill reasoning that they might face political consequences for taking away access to healthcare for, particularly, low-income Americans who rely on Medicaid. Poorer voters flocked to Trump in last year’s presidential election, exit polls show.

A provision that would have blocked the use of federal funds to reimburse medical care for transgender youth was blocked by the Senate Parliamentarian and ultimately struck from the legislation — reportedly after the first trans member of Congress, U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.) and the first lesbian U.S. senator, Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), shored up unified opposition to the proposal among Congressional Democrats.

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Congress

Ritchie Torres says he is unlikely to run for NY governor

One poll showed gay Democratic congressman nearly tied with Kathy Hochul

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U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Gay Democratic Congressman Ritchie Torres of New York is unlikely to challenge New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) in the state’s next gubernatorial race, he said during an appearance Wednesday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

“I’m unlikely to run for governor,” he said. ““I feel like the assault that we’ve seen on the social safety net in the Bronx is so unprecedented. It’s so overwhelming that I’m going to keep my focus on Washington, D.C.”

Torres and Hochul were nearly tied in a poll this spring of likely Democratic voters in New York City, fueling speculation that the congressman might run. A Siena College poll, however, found Hochul leading with a wider margin.

Back in D.C., the congressman and his colleagues are unified in their opposition to President Donald Trump’s signature legislation, the “Big Beautiful Bill,” which heads back to the House after passing the Senate by one vote this week.

To pay for tax cuts that disproportionately advantage the ultra-wealthy and large corporations, the president and Congressional Republicans have proposed massive cuts to Medicaid and other social programs.

A provision in the Senate version of the bill that would have blocked the use of federal funds to reimburse medical care for transgender youth was blocked by the Senate Parliamentarian and ultimately struck from the legislation, reportedly after pressure from transgender U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.) and lesbian U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.).

Torres on “Morning Joe” said, “The so-called Big Beautiful Bill represents a betrayal of the working people of America and nowhere more so than in the Bronx,” adding, “It’s going to destabilize every health care provider, every hospital.”

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Congress

House Democrats oppose Bessent’s removal of SOGI from discrimination complaint forms

Congressional Equality Caucus sharply criticized move

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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

A letter issued last week by a group of House Democrats objects to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s removal of sexual orientation and gender identity as bases for sex discrimination complaints in several Equal Employment Opportunity forms.

Bessent, who is gay, is the highest ranking openly LGBTQ official in American history and the second out Cabinet member next to Pete Buttigieg, who served as transportation secretary during the Biden-Harris administration.

The signatories to the letter include a few out members of Congress, Congressional Equality Caucus chair and co-chairs Mark Takano (Calif.), Ritchie Torres (N.Y.), and Becca Balint (Vt.), along with U.S. Reps. Nikema Williams (Ga.), Hank Johnson (Ga.), Raja Krishnamoorthi (Ill.), Delia Ramirez (Ill.), Joyce Beatty (Ohio), Lloyd Doggett (Texas), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D.C.), Josh Gottheimer (N.J.), and Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas).

The letter explains the “critical role” played by the EEO given the strictures and limits on how federal employees can find recourse for unlawful workplace discrimination — namely, without the ability to file complaints directly with the Employment Opportunity Commission or otherwise engage with the agency unless the complainant “appeal[s] an agency’s decision following the agency’s investigation or request[s] a hearing before an administrative judge.”

“Your attempt to remove ‘gender identity’ and ‘sexual orientation’ as bases for sex discrimination complaints in numerous Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) forms will create unnecessary hurdles to employees filing EEO complaints and undermine enforcement of federal employee’s nondiscrimination protections,” the members wrote in their letter.

They further explain the legal basis behind LGBTQ inclusive nondiscrimination protections for federal employees in the EEOC’s decisions in Macy v. Holder (2012) and Baldwin v. Foxx (2015) and the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Bostock v. Clayton County (2020).

“It appears that these changes may be an attempt by the department to dissuade employees from reporting gender identity and sexual orientation discrimination,” the lawmakers wrote. “Without forms clearly enumerating gender identity and sexual orientation as forms of sex discrimination, the average employee who experiences these forms of discrimination may see these forms and not realize that the discrimination they experienced was unlawful and something that they can report and seek recourse for.”

“A more alarming view would be that the department no longer plans to fulfill its legal obligations to investigate complaints of gender identity and sexual orientation and ensure its
employees are working in an environment free from these forms of discrimination,” they added.

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