National
National news in brief: August 5
AFTAH non-profit status yanked, anti-gay group voter fraud alleged in Wisconsin recall, three new reports charting LGBT progress and more
Anti-gay group’s tax-exempt status yanked
CHICAGO — Despite long being certified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a “hate group,” Illinois-based Americans for the Truth About Homosexuality has maintained its tax-free non-profit status since 2006, and its president, Peter LaBarbera, has continued to bill himself as a credible source to media outlets on LGBT issues.
However, as of June 10 donations to the organization will not be considered tax-exempt after losing 501(c)3 status for “failure to file a Form 990, 990-EZ, 990-N, or 990-PF for 3 consecutive years,” according to LGBT blog and watchdog group, ExGayWatch.
Tea Party group accused of voter fraud in Wis.
MILWAUKEE — Tea Party activist group, Americans for Prosperity and anti-LGBT group Wisconsin Family Action are accused of voter fraud after allegedly mailing absentee ballots with inaccurate deadline dates and wrong return addresses to Democratic voters in districts where two Republican senators face recall.
Several voters reported receiving the ballots with instructions to return “by August 11,” two days after the actual Aug. 9 deadline, and asks for ballots to be mailed not to the County Clerk, but to “Application Processing Center,” at a mailing address belonging to the anti-gay WFA, all according to the Minnesota Independent online newspaper.
“I’m sure the liberals will try to make a mountain out of a molehill in an attempt to distract voters’ attention from the issues,” Wisconsin state director of Americans for Prosperity, Matt Seaholm told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, calling the mistakes “typos.”
S.C. paper prints same-sex wedding announcement
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The State, a prominent South Carolina newspaper, this week published the New York wedding announcement of two men native to South Carolina who have been together since 1984. It was the first time the paper has published a same-sex wedding announcement.
Gregory Smith and William Hasty III, who were both commissioned officers in the Army, met in Columbia S.C., raised two sons, and were finally married in Mamaroneck, N.Y. on July 26, 2011, two days after same-sex marriages began to be recognized. The paper developed a policy of printing same-sex wedding announcements of local couples who marry in states where such marriages are legal.
3 reports show state of LGBT acceptance
WASHINGTON — Three separate reports released on Wednesday show significant gains and ongoing challenges for the LGBT community in terms of college campus inclusively, television responsibility and equal access under the law.
Campus Pride released its annual “LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index,” which seeks to help campuses assess their ongoing efforts to provide a more “inclusive, welcoming and respectful,” college experience. According to the report, campuses receiving a perfect 5-star rating rose from 19 in 2010 to 33. However, Campus Pride also found that only seven percent of American colleges have institutional support for LGBT students, only thirteen percent include sexual orientation in campus non-discrimination statements, and only six percent include gender identity in those same statements.
Also on Wednesday, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation released its annual Network Responsibility Index, grading television networks on positive LGBT portrayals. ABC Family is only the second network ever to receive an “excellent” rating in the report, with positive LGBT impressions included in more than 55 percent of all programming hours.
CW topped broadcast networks at 33 percent of programming hours and A&E, TBS received failing grades. CBS was named “least improved” broadcast network over the course of 5 years.
Finally, the Movement Advancement Project released its biennial Momentum report, highlighting “challenges among accelerating change.” The report cited public opinion supporting marriage equality, as well as significant gains in relationship recognition with marriage expanding from two to six states and civil recognition extended in six new states in two years. The report also celebrated a tremendous increase in LGBT-inclusive policy at the federal level, repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” striking of adoption bans in Arkansas and Florida, strengthening of employment protections in four states, and anti-bullying laws in six states.
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.
PHOTOS: Fairfax City Pride
EXCLUSIVE: Pelosi reflects on four decades of LGBTQ advocacy
D.C. prepares to party as Pride celebrations kick off Saturday
David Archuleta, Monroe Alise named D.C. Pride parade marshals
