Opinions
Last week Trump screwed everyone
The president has set a new low water mark
One would think last week had to be a low water mark for this administration; but then one can never assume anything with Trump. Last week he managed to screw nearly everyone in the country and the world with his words and actions.
He signed two executive orders with the intention of gutting the Affordable Care Act with no consideration for the millions who will either lose insurance or have to pay much higher premiums because he really doesnāt understand what his actions will mean and how they will adversely impact even his own voters. Then he decertified the Iran agreement against the advice of his secretary of defense and other advisors thereby screwing our allies and bringing the world one step closer to war. Some surmise both these actions were a challenge to his Republican Congress to do something; but if true Trumpās game of chicken is frightening and morally bankrupt.
He announced new policies which will allow virtually any employer to claim a religious or moral objection to the ACA birth control coverage mandate under a sweeping rollback announced Friday. These policies will take effect immediately. What is sure to happen is this will renew legal action at all levels. He did this to appease his religious base who long opposed the requirement to provide FDA-approved contraception at no cost. It has been in litigation for over five years.Ā āThe administration issued two rules ā one outlining how an employer could claim an exemption for religious beliefs, the other outlining an exemption for sincerely held moral convictions ā on the same day Attorney General Jeff Sessions called for sweeping protections for religious freedom in a government-wide memo that could have far-reaching implications.ā
Then on Thursday according to the New York Times āThree weeks after a killer hurricane ravaged Puerto Rico, President Trump indicated he was losing patience. At least some of the blame for the continuing crisis is yours, he told the island territory, and the federal government will not stay āforever.ā
Then ensuring everyone would know he was rolling back protections for the LGBTQ+ community Trump keynoted the Family Research Councilās Values Voter Summit. According to Chris Johnsonās report in the Blade āPresident Trump took the opportunity Friday of speaking at an anti-LGBT summit to express pleasure in his administrationās actions reversing the legacy of the Obama years, citing among other things recent āreligious freedomā guidance seen to enable anti-LGBT discrimination.ā
Trump continued his twitter war with members of Congress and managed to continue to undermine his secretary of state. Things got so bad that on Friday, for the first time since he was named chief of staff, Gen. Kelly appeared in the White House press briefing room to deny he is quitting or that he is being fired. Chaos clearly rules the White House with an out-of-control Trump acting to harm millions of Americans every day.
Many Americans are asking āRobert Mueller where are you and when can you start handing down those first indictments?āĀ It is difficult to imagine how much more Americans will have to suffer from this president; a man his own secretary of state called a f’ingĀ moron. And IQ has nothing to do with it.
So what can be done? The answer is not much unless some Republican leaders in Congress, which is asking much from gutless wonders like Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will have the spine to take him down or at least counter some of his crap. This can be done. Congress must pass a bill that counters what he has done to bring down the ACA even if only temporarily so as not to be complicit with Trump in screwing millions of Americans. They can pass simple legislation ensuring the subsidies for the poor and preventing association health plans from going national with plans that might be cheap but cover nothing. Democrats should introduce the legislation and remind people if it doesn’t pass the disaster is officially Republican Trumpcare.
Then Congress should refuse to pass new sanctions on Iran. They should issue a statement clearly stating they agree with the secretary of defense and the secretary of state Iran has met their technical commitments under the agreement and Congress will do nothing to remove us from the agreement. They must speak out and let the world know our entire government is not as crazy or sick as our president.Ā We need to tell the world despite our president the United States government believes we must abide by our treaties and agreements. If we donāt why would any country enter into an agreement or treaty with the United States ever again?
Peter RosensteinĀ is a longtime LGBT rights and Democratic Party activist. He writes regularly for the Blade.
Commentary
Celebrating 15th anniversary of Harvey Milk Day
A powerful reminder that one person can make a difference
Harvey Milkās birthday, May 22, is officially a Day of Special Significance in California. Other states also honor Milk.
Milk was the first openly gay man elected to public office in U.S. history. In 1977, he was elected to a seat on the Board of Supervisors in San Francisco. His term began in January 1978 and ended in November when disgruntled former Supervisor Dan White assassinated Milk and Mayor George Moscone at City Hall.
In his 1982 book āMayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk,ā Randy Shilts wrote a moving account of San Franciscoās 1978 memorial for Milk. A āmassive crowd stretched the entire distance from City Hall to Castro Street, some 40,000 strong utterly silent,ā Shilts wrote. The crowd āostensibly memorialized both George Moscone and Harvey, but few speakers quarreled that the crowd had amassed chiefly to remember the gangly ward politician [Milk] who had once called himself the mayor of Castro Street.ā
Shilts quoted Board of Supervisors President Dianne Feinstein, at the time acting mayor, telling the mourners that Milk āwas a leader who represented your voices.ā Another speaker said Milk āwas to us what Dr. King was to his people. Harvey was a prophet [who] lived by a vision.ā Equality was Milkās vision.
Shilts presciently titled the last section in his book āThe Legend Begins.ā In 1979, after a jury gave assassin White a light seven-year sentence, LGBT rioters rocked San Francisco in what is called āThe White Night Riots.ā During the riots, Shilts wrote that āa lesbian university professor yelled into a feeble bullhorn: āHarvey Milk lives.āā Since 1978, Harvey Milk’s courageous leadership has been celebrated globally.
Over four years, 2006-2010, San Francisco reminded the country that Milk was a gay man worthy of great honors. The 2008 movie āMilk,ā filmed partly in San Francisco, with Sean Penn as Milk, ignited greater public interest in the legendary gay activist. Gay screenwriter Dustin Lance Black and Penn won Academy Awards in 2009.
The film led Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to sign legislation making Milkās birthday a Day of Special Significance. Also, President Barack Obama awarded Milk with a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom. On Milkās 84th birthday, the U.S. Postal Service issued a commemorative Forever stamp in his honor.
Californiaās Harvey Milk Day recognizes Milk for his contributions to the state. It also encourages public schools to conduct āsuitable commemorative exercisesā to honor Milk.
āTo me, [Milk] was a man who was a capitalist, and an entrepreneur who happened to be gay,ā said Republican Sen. Abel Maldonado, the only Republican to vote for the bill to create Harvey Milk Day.
The newer scholarship about Milk provided additional insight into his activism. āAn Archive of Hope: Harvey Milkās Speeches and Writingsā edited by James Edward Black, Charles Morris, and Frank Robinson, published in 2013 by the Univ. of California Press, is an excellent example.
The bookās title is drawn from Milkās 1978 speech called āThe Hope Speech.ā He spoke about people [gays, seniors, Black Americans, disabled, Latinos, Asians] āwhoāve lost hope.ā He proceeds to talk about inspiring hope in others who are struggling when the āpressures at home are too great.ā It is a passionate speech, based largely on Milkās conversations with people in the Castro. In a review of the book for The Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide, I wrote it is: āAn important contribution to the corpus of work on Harvey Milk as a writer and orator.ā
Milk believed that it was important for members of the LGBTQIA+ community to come out. If more people were aware of their LGBTQIA+ associates who were their friends, family, and loved ones, then discrimination would end. To Milk, coming out would lead to ensuring LGBTQIA+ civil rights.
In 2007, during Pride in San Francisco I worked at a nonprofit’s booth in Civic Center Plaza. A man stopped to talk. I mostly listened. He was a veterinarian from a small town in Arkansas. He was gay and closeted. He regularly visited San Francisco for Pride. Afterward, he regularly returned to his closeted life in Arkansas. I felt sorry for him. Though I was a stranger to him, he needed to come out to me. I was reminded of Milkās wisdom about the freedom of coming out.
Harvey Milk Day is for all people who need hope. Milkās life is a lesson that one person can make a difference. A strong, united community inspired by Milk and others has changed and continues to change the world.
Milkās short political career led to long-term LGBTQIA+ political leadership from the Bay Area to Washington, D.C. to Miami to Seattle. To paraphrase a Woody Guthrie song: This LGBTQIA+ Land is Our Land. Happy Milk Day 2024!
James Patterson is a lifetime member of the American Foreign Service Association.
Opinions
Rosenstein: Vote McGuiness for Delawareās 14th District
For responsible growth and continued improvements in Sussex County
I know Kathy McGuiness, and there is no one more qualified to replace Pete Schwartzkopf as 14th District Representative.
I have owned a home in Sussex County for more than 25 years, and have been coming to Rehoboth Beach for 40. I followed Kathyās career, and know the time she has given to the people of the state and District. No one can match her ability to do the job. Kathy is a health care professional, and a mother, committed to continue to fight to protect every womanās health and reproductive rights.
āAs a registered pharmacist, Iāve been on the front lines when it comes to health care,ā she said. āIāve been with patients who cried at the counter when they couldnāt afford their medicines, administered COVID shots during the pandemic, struggled when my mother couldnāt schedule a doctorās appointment for weeks, and joined my sister to advocate for her son, who is in a wheelchair, when he canāt get the services he needs. We have a health care crisis in Sussex County.ā
Kathy is committed to attracting, and retaining, doctors, nurses, specialists, and pharmacists, to the fastest-growing county in the state. She has committed to seeing state and federal regulators never again identify the families, and retirees, in the 14th district, as being under-served in healthcare.
Kathy graduated from Cape Henlopen High School and her mom taught 6th grade at Shields Elementary. She knows first hand the struggles of our children, and teachers. She is committed to listening to, and working with, local and state officials, parents, and teachers, to ensure the resources needed to facilitate the best possible education for all our children.
Born and raised in the district, now bringing her family up here, Kathy understands the value of the unique, precious, natural resources in Eastern Sussex County. She will continue to work to protect our beaches and natural resources. She will fight for state funding for sensible, responsible, infrastructure and traffic projects, that truly meet the needs of the community. Kathy takes the fight to Dover understanding tourism with her experience as a six-term Rehoboth Beach Commissioner. She is a businesswoman, and founding president of Rehoboth Beach Main Street. She will fight to protect and promote local businesses, press DelDOT to improve traffic flow, and importantly, work with state and county officials to create more safe and affordable workforce housing.
No one has the broad experience Kathy has. She has been a member of the 14th Districtās Democratic Committee; a trustee at Delaware State University; a member of the Delaware Film Commission; a member of CAMP Rehoboth Board of Directors and the YMCA Sussex Board; and Lewes-Rehoboth Meals on Wheels board. She volunteered with Delaware Food Bank, Just Soup Ministry, Shepherdās House, Planned Parenthood, and the Seashore Striders.
Kathy was named State of Delaware, Tourism Person of the Year; Business and Professional Womenās Employer of the Year; and recently, 2022 Delaware Pharmacist of the Year. She is married to Steve, a river boat pilot, and is mom to three amazing children. Has one grandchild, and another on the way.
Let me address the only issue some may have with Kathy. She was accused of six very questionable criminal counts when serving as a successful State Auditor. Of the most serious, the jury found her not guilty on three, and the judge threw two others out. She was convicted of one simple misdemeanor, for hiring her daughter as an intern, which she only did after the Delaware Attorney General assigned to her office, said it was legal. As Pete Schwartzkopf said at her campaign announcement, this is nothing that so many others in the state have done. Kathy said, āIāve paid my debt to the state through a fine and community service. Now Iām ready to get back to what I have done my entire adult life ā help and serve the people of Eastern Sussex County.ā
So, I am honored to add my name to those of Speaker of the Delaware House Pete Schwartzkopf, 20th District Representative Stell Selby, Dewey Beach Mayor Bill Stevens, Dewey Council member Paul Bauer, former Rehoboth Planning Commission Chair Richard Perry, former Ambassador Tom McDonald, former Rehoboth Beach Commissioner Steve Scheffer, former Dewey Mayor Pat Wright, and former Democratic County Chair and Judge, Mitch Crane, all endorsing Kathy McGuiness for 14th District Representative.
They know Kathy is the candidate for those who want to see responsible, sustainable growth, and continued improvements in Sussex County. She said, āWhen elected, I promise to listen to your questions and concerns. I will reach out, and remain available for conversations with everyone. I will serve with renewed dedication and humility. I promise to give it everything Iāve got.ā So, vote Kathy McGuiness for District 14th Representative on Sept. 10. She will make us all proud.
Peter Rosenstein is a longtime LGBTQ rights and Democratic Party activist. He writes regularly for the Blade.
Opinions
Advocating for the Queer Community On and Off The Job
One organ donor can save up to eight lives
As a proud trans man, Kai Sprando recognizes the importance of visibility and education in fostering understanding and acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ community. His commitment to spreading awareness and advocating for queer experiences is something he champions on both a personal and professional level.Ā
In 2019, Kai began working in the organ donation field as it provides a convergence of purpose and opportunity, which he embraced wholeheartedly to make a difference in peopleās lives. Kai works as an Instructional Designer at Infinite Legacy, where he develops educational resources, curriculum and training plans primarily for clinical staff. At Infinite Legacy, he found not just a job, but a community of compassionate individuals who support him in every aspect of his trans journey.
In Kai’s eyes, organ donation is more than a medical procedure; it is a lifeline and second chance for individuals with end stage organ failure. He also sees it as a way for organ donors to continue their legacy of kindness beyond their time on Earth. He is deeply moved by the profound impact that one organ donor has to save up to eight lives. This knowledge fuels Kai’s passion for his work, driving him to encourage others to learn about the transformative power of organ donation.
For Kai, education is key. He believes that the more people know about and understand organ donation, the better equipped they are to make informed decisions and advocate for the cause.
āThe opportunity to make a difference by saving lives as an organ donor is very powerful. When I pass, I want to know that if nothing else, I tried my best to help others. Thatās what life is all about to meā¦finding ways to make the hard things in life a little less hard, one act of kindness at a time.ā said Kai.
With his background in teaching and his viewpoint as a trans man, Kai has been invited to and spoken at several national organ donation and transplantation conferences providing insight and perspective on what it means to be trans and queer, allowing his peers the ability to be more effective and caring while interacting with LGBTQIA+ people and their families.
Kai is passionate about advocating for marginalized communities and through his openness, vulnerability and willingness to share his lived experiences, Kai contributes to positive change in healthcare, particularly around gender and sexuality representation.
As he continues to advocate for change and build a better infrastructure around LGBTQIA+ needs and representation, Kai remains hopeful for the future. He has seen the important shifts and positive changes in healthcare in recent years and is determined to keep pushing for progress, one conversation at a time.
Everyone can register to be an organ donor. To learn more, visit infinitelegacy.org.
-
South America2 days ago
Peruvian government classifies transgender people as mentally ill
-
District of Columbia2 days ago
Meet Jay Jones: Howardās first trans student body president
-
Africa4 days ago
Ugandan president meets with US ambassador
-
LGBTQ Non-Profit Organizations5 days ago
Blade contributor wins GLAAD Media Award