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McCain warns against ‘social issues’ in immigration reform

‘Gang of Eight’ senators say gay inclusion not yet discussed

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John McCain, Republican Party, Arizona, Senate, gay news, Washington Blade
John McCain, Republican Party, Arizona, Senate, gay news, Washington Blade

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) warns against including ‘social issues’ in immigration reform (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) responded angrily when asked about including protections for same-sex couples in immigration reform during a panel discussion Wednesday.

During a Politico breakfast discussion at the W Hotel in D.C., Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) indicated the issue hadn’t yet come up in Senate discussions on immigration reform, and they had wildly different takes on whether to include language for same-sex couples in the bill.

McCain warned that using comprehensive immigration reform as a vehicle for advancing “social issues” would lead to failure for the legislation when asked by Politico’s Mike Allen about including bi-national same-sex couples in the bill.

“I think it is a red herring,” McCain said. “I think then, do we want to guarantee a tax payer free abortion? I’m telling you now, if you load this up with social issues and things that are controversial, then it will the endanger the issue.”

McCain referenced a similar question he answered on the issue Tuesday during an appearance on “CBS This Morning.” At the time, he said such language was “not of paramount importance” and would be a “red flag” for him.

“Yesterday morning the first question was that,” McCain said. “Look, we are talking about four principles that we have to act on.”

Asked by Allen whether McCain’s response indicates opposition to gay inclusion in the bill, McCain relented, saying, “I’ll be glad to talk about it, discuss it, what the ramifications are and all that. But if somebody views that as the most important aspect of comprehensive immigration reform, then we just have a fundamental disagreement.”

Schumer chimed in to indicate his support for the proposed language — which would enable gay Americans to sponsor their foreign partners for residency in the United States — but said discussion on the issue hasn’t yet begun. Standalone legislation that would address the issue is known as the Uniting American Families Act.

“I’m a sponsor of this bill,” Schumer said. “I’m for it, I care about it. We haven’t discussed it yet, and certainly it’ll be one of the issues on the table, but as John said, we first got to get our basic structure and framework before we make decisions on this.”

But McCain wasn’t yet finished with expressing his displeasure.

“Which is more important, LGBT or border security, huh?” McCain said. “I’ll tell you what my priorities are. So, again, if you’re going to load it up with social issues, that is the best way to derail it in my view.”

Both senators took part in the bipartisan “Gang of Eight” that unveiled a blueprint for a comprehensive immigration reform on Monday that lacks references to bi-national same-sex couples.

President Obama included a line for bi-national same-sex couples as part of his fact sheet for comprehensive immigration reform unveiled on Tuesday, which states the plan “treats same-sex families as families by giving U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents the ability to seek a visa on the basis of a permanent relationship with a same-sex partner.”

As an aside, McCain’s use of the acronym “LGBT” is notable because in 2007 when running as a presidential candidate, he was unaware of the term when asked about it during a high school rally, saying, “I had not heard that phrase before.”

Watch a video of the exchange here:

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Federal Government

UPenn erases Lia Thomas’s records as part of settlement with White House

University agreed to ban trans women from women’s sports teams

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U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon (Screen capture: C-SPAN)

In a settlement with the Trump-Vance administration announced on Tuesday, the University of Pennsylvania will ban transgender athletes from competing and erase swimming records set by transgender former student Lia Thomas.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights found the university in violation of Title IX, the federal rights law barring sex based discrimination in educational institutions, by “permitting males to compete in women’s intercollegiate athletics and to occupy women-only intimate facilities.”

The statement issued by University of Pennsylvania President J. Larry Jameson highlighted how the law’s interpretation was changed substantially under President Donald Trump’s second term.

“The Department of Education OCR investigated the participation of one transgender athlete on the women’s swimming team three years ago, during the 2021-2022 swim season,” he wrote. “At that time, Penn was in compliance with NCAA eligibility rules and Title IX as then interpreted.”

Jameson continued, “Penn has always followed — and continues to follow — Title IX and the applicable policy of the NCAA regarding transgender athletes. NCAA eligibility rules changed in February 2025 with Executive Orders 14168 and 14201 and Penn will continue to adhere to these new rules.”

Writing that “we acknowledge that some student-athletes were disadvantaged by these rules” in place while Thomas was allowed to compete, the university president added, “We recognize this and will apologize to those who experienced a competitive disadvantage or experienced anxiety because of the policies in effect at the time.”

“Today’s resolution agreement with UPenn is yet another example of the Trump effect in action,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement. “Thanks to the leadership of President Trump, UPenn has agreed both to apologize for its past Title IX violations and to ensure that women’s sports are protected at the university for future generations of female athletes.”

Under former President Joe Biden, the department’s Office of Civil Rights sought to protect against anti-LGBTQ discrimination in education, bringing investigations and enforcement actions in cases where school officials might, for example, require trans students to use restrooms and facilities consistent with their birth sex or fail to respond to peer harassment over their gender identity.

Much of the legal reasoning behind the Biden-Harris administration’s positions extended from the 2020 U.S. Supreme Court case Bostock v. Clayton County, which found that sex-based discrimination includes that which is based on sexual orientation or gender identity under Title VII rules covering employment practices.

The Trump-Vance administration last week put the state of California on notice that its trans athlete policies were, or once were, in violation of Title IX, which comes amid the ongoing battle with Maine over the same issue.

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New York

Two teens shot steps from Stonewall Inn after NYC Pride parade

One of the victims remains in critical condition

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The Stonewall National Memorial in New York on June 19, 2024. (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)

On Sunday night, following the annual NYC Pride March, two girls were shot in Sheridan Square, feet away from the historic Stonewall Inn.

According to an NYPD report, the two girls, aged 16 and 17, were shot around 10:15 p.m. as Pride festivities began to wind down. The 16-year-old was struck in the head and, according to police sources, is said to be in critical condition, while the 17-year-old was said to be in stable condition.

The Washington Blade confirmed with the NYPD the details from the police reports and learned no arrests had been made as of noon Monday.

The shooting took place in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, mere feet away from the most famous gay bar in the city — if not the world — the Stonewall Inn. Earlier that day, hundreds of thousands of people marched down Christopher Street to celebrate 55 years of LGBTQ people standing up for their rights.

In June 1969, after police raided the Stonewall Inn, members of the LGBTQ community pushed back, sparking what became known as the Stonewall riots. Over the course of two days, LGBTQ New Yorkers protested the discriminatory policing of queer spaces across the city and mobilized to speak out — and throw bottles if need be — at officers attempting to suppress their existence.

The following year, LGBTQ people returned to the Stonewall Inn and marched through the same streets where queer New Yorkers had been arrested, marking the first “Gay Pride March” in history and declaring that LGBTQ people were not going anywhere.

New York State Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, whose district includes Greenwich Village, took to social media to comment on the shooting.

“After decades of peaceful Pride celebrations — this year gun fire and two people shot near the Stonewall Inn is a reminder that gun violence is everywhere,” the lesbian lawmaker said on X. “Guns are a problem despite the NRA BS.”

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New York

Zohran Mamdani participates in NYC Pride parade

Mayoral candidate has detailed LGBTQ rights platform

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NYC mayoral candidate and New York State Assembly member Zohran Mamdani (Screen capture: NBC News/YouTube)

Zohran Mamdani, the candidate for mayor of New York City who pulled a surprise victory in the primary contest last week, walked in the city’s Pride parade on Sunday.

The Democratic Socialist and New York State Assembly member published photos on social media with New York Attorney General Letitia James, telling followers it was “a joy to march in NYC Pride with the people’s champ” and to “see so many friends on this gorgeous day.”

“Happy Pride NYC,” he wrote, adding a rainbow emoji.

Mamdani’s platform includes a detailed plan for LGBTQ people who “across the United States are facing an increasingly hostile political environment.”

His campaign website explains: “New York City must be a refuge for LGBTQIA+ people, but private institutions in our own city have already started capitulating to Trump’s assault on trans rights.

“Meanwhile, the cost of living crisis confronting working class people across the city hits the LGBTQIA+ community particularly hard, with higher rates of unemployment and homelessness than the rest of the city.”

“The Mamdani administration will protect LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers by expanding and protecting gender-affirming care citywide, making NYC an LGBTQIA+ sanctuary city, and creating the Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs.”

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