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Schiff: The GOP Has Become ‘A Cult Of Trump’s Personality’

House Democrats continue to wrestle within their own party regarding the idea of beginning impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump.

This was front and center today as House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos that he’s ‘just not convinced, not yet,’ that it’s the best thing for the country right now.

“In terms of the impeachment process, it’s not mandated by the Constitution. We can avail ourselves of this when the president demonstrates acts that are high crimes or misdemeanors. It is certainly true that much of his conduct qualifies for that, but at the same time we have to recognize the reality that one party, the Republican Party, has turned itself into a cult of the president’s personality and is not likely to act consistent with its constitutional obligations. And we have to figure out in that context, is this the right thing for the country, and I’m just not convinced, not yet, that that’s the case.”

Several freshman rank and file Democrats are ready to dive into impeachment proceedings, but as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said earlier this week, even if articles of impeachment pass in the Democratic-controlled House, the GOP-led Senate (which acts as the judge and jury over such allegations) will never find Trump guilty.

That would then make Trump a martyr to his followers and could embolden them even more in the 2020 election.

Plus, were he to be found ‘not guilty’ by the Senate, that verdict could dissuade any charges being brought against Trump in the private sector once he’s out of office.

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Joe Biden: Passing The Equality Act Will Be Top Priority As President

Speaking at the Human Rights Campaign Dinner in Columbus, Ohio, former Vice President Joe Biden promised to make LGBTQ equality a priority.

Speaking at the Human Rights Campaign Dinner in Columbus, Ohio, former Vice President Joe Biden promised to make LGBTQ equality a priority.

In a wide-ranging speech, the 2020 presidential candidate called out the Trump administration as a “disaster for human rights,” pointing out many of its ongoing attacks on the rights and protections of LGBTQ Americans.

Biden also denounced current vice current Vice President Mike Pence for using religious freedom as a license to discriminate against LGBTQ folks.

“Just like with racial justice and women’s rights, we are seeing pushback against all the progress we’ve made toward equality,” said Biden as he discussed protections for transgender Americans. “It’s wrong and it is immoral what they’re doing.”

Biden announced during the half hour speech that signing the Equality Act would be his top legislative priority. “It will be the first thing I ask to be done,” Biden said.

In a lighthearted moment, Biden recalled announcing his support for marriage equality in 2012 before President Obama had done so.

Biden remembered many political pundits thinking, “I had just committed this gigantic blunder.” He also shared that he’d told the president if asked about same-sex marriage, “I was not going to be quiet.”

It’s a great speech – well worth the watching.

In advance of his HRC speech, Biden tweeted out his support for Pride Month:

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Pride Music: Billy Porter “Edelweiss”

When Tony Award winner & Pose star Billy Porter released his take on the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic, “Edelweiss,” he shared in the social media post:

The Edelweiss flower blooms in the cold and snow and reminds us that we can and must flourish in the darkest of times.

Billy chose to release the track as the lead single from his new album, Billy Porter Presents: The Soul of Richard Rodgers, as the last presidential election has just occurred – and he was concerned.

Of course, now, we can see Billy was wise to be worried.

The recording was on my mind today as I was thinking about the beginning of Pride Month.

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Taylor Swift Urges Federal Government To Pass Equality Act

International pop star Taylor Swift shared a message of support for the LGBTQ community to her 200 million social media followers just minutes into the first day of Pride Month 2019.
Taylor Swift (image via Instagram)

International pop star Taylor Swift shared a message of support for the LGBTQ community to her 200 million social media followers just minutes into the first day of Pride Month 2019.

Not only does Taylor wish us all a Happy Pride Month, but she’s launched a petition on Change.org demanding the federal government enact The Equality Act.

Here’s the text of her petition:

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH! While we have so much to celebrate, we also have a great distance to go before everyone in this country is truly treated equally. In excellent recent news, the House has passed the Equality Act, which would protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in their places of work, homes, schools, and other public accommodations. The next step is that the bill will go before the Senate.

While there’s no information yet as to when the Equality Act will go before the Senate for a vote, we do know this: Politicians need votes to stay in office. Votes come from the people. Pressure from massive amounts of people is a major way to push politicians towards positive change. That’s why I’ve created this petition to urge the Senate to support the Equality Act.

Our country’s lack of protection for its own citizens ensures that LGBTQ people must live in fear that their lives could be turned upside down by an employer or landlord who is homophobic or transphobic. The fact that, legally, some people are completely at the mercy of the hatred and bigotry of others is disgusting and unacceptable.

Let’s show our pride by demanding that, on a national level, our laws truly treat all of our citizens equally.

I love that Taylor is using her social media powers for good, and hope you will, too.

Please make sure you head to the petition (over 68,000 signatures at this time) and sign it as well.

You know I did 🙂

🌈HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!!!🌈 While we have so much to celebrate, we also have a great distance to go before everyone in this country is truly treated equally. In excellent recent news, the House has passed the Equality Act, which would protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in their places of work, homes, schools, and other public accommodations. The next step is that the bill will go before the Senate. I’ve decided to kick off Pride Month by writing a letter to one of my senators to explain how strongly I feel that the Equality Act should be passed. I urge you to write to your senators too. I’ll be looking for your letters by searching the hashtag #lettertomysenator. While there’s no information yet as to when the Equality Act will go before the Senate for a vote, we do know this: Politicians need votes to stay in office. Votes come from the people. Pressure from massive amounts of people is a major way to push politicians towards positive change. That’s why I’ve created a petition at change.org to urge the Senate to support the Equality Act. Our country’s lack of protection for its own citizens ensures that LGBTQ people must live in fear that their lives could be turned upside down by an employer or landlord who is homophobic or transphobic. The fact that, legally, some people are completely at the mercy of the hatred and bigotry of others is disgusting and unacceptable. Let’s show our pride by demanding that, on a national level, our laws truly treat all of our citizens equally. 🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈 Click the link in my bio to sign the petition for Senate support of the Equality Act.
A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on May 31, 2019 at 9:05pm PDT

The Grammy Award winner also shared her letter to her state’s senator, Sen. Lamar Alexander, asking for his support for The Equality Act.

Along the way, she also brings up Tennessee’s recent anti-LGBTQ ‘Slate of Hate’ bills in the state legislature, and rejects Donald Trump’s position on The Equality Act.

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Democrats Celebrate Pride: We Won’t Back Down, We Continue To Stand With LGBTQ Community

The Democratic National Committee issued a firm statement of support for the LGBTQ community on the first day of Pride Month 2019

While Donald Trump did finally grace Pride Month with a pair of tweets (basically telling us to be grateful we aren’t being executed like in Saudi Arabia), there was no official proclamation from the White House as was the case during the Obama era.

Today, on the first day of Pride Month 2019, the Democratic National Committee issued this statement:

“As we begin LGBTQ Pride Month and prepare to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, when brave members of New York’s LGBTQ community said enough to brutal discrimination, Democrats across the country are celebrating our nation’s progress and rededicating ourselves to the fight for equality. No one should face violence, bullying, or discrimination because of who they are or who they love. And every American should enjoy the same rights and protections under our Constitution.

“But we cannot take anything for granted. The legal protections that so many LGBTQ Americans and their allies have fought for are under threat. For two and a half years, President Trump has used the power of his office to drag our nation backwards, emboldening bigots and breaking his promise to support the LGBTQ community. From banning transgender troops from serving in our nation’s armed forces to undermining workplace discrimination protections, his administration has rolled back our progress time and time again.

“Democrats will never back down. In the last election cycle, LGBTQ Democrats ran for office and won in record numbers, tearing down old barriers and transforming our democracy. As we head toward Election Day in 2019 and 2020, we’re going to continue to stand with the LGBTQ community and carry on this fight with the courage and pride of the countless activists and organizers who came before us.”

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Twitter Celebrates The Beginning Of Pride Month

Today is the first day of Pride Month 2019, and folks from practically every stripe, corner and faction of the Twitterverse were sending up their salutations.

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Colorado Becomes 18th State To Ban Conversion Therapy

Governor Jared Polis - the country’s first openly gay governor - has signed two pieces of legislation into law that are vital to the health and safety of LGBTQ youth in Colorado.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis

Governor Jared Polis – the country’s first openly gay governor – has signed two pieces of legislation into law that are vital to the health and safety of LGBTQ youth in Colorado.

HB19-1039 will allow transgender Coloradans to more easily update the gender on their birth certificate, enabling them to have the identification documents that match who they are. Coloradans will be able to update their gender on their birth certificate to M, F, or X — without a surgery, a doctor’s note, or court order.

Removing both the surgery requirement and court order requirement allows transgender people the ability to self-identify on their ID document. Colorado is the third state in the country (following California and Oregon) to have non-binary gender options for both driver’s licenses and birth certificates.

HB19-1129 will ban a state-licensed mental health care provider from engaging in the discredited, harmful practice of conversion therapy on a patient under 18 years of age. 

Conversion therapy is the discredited and dangerous practice of attempting to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. 
A physician or mental health care provider who violates this provision engages in unprofessional conduct under the applicable professional licensing board. Colorado will be the 18th state in the country to protect minors from conversion therapy.
The harmful practice is widely opposed by prominent professional medical associations including the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
A 2018 study found that the rate of attempted suicide by LGBTQ youth whose parents tried to change their sexual orientation was more than double the rate of LGBTQ youth who reported no such attempts. 
“The Trevor Project is proud to stand with One Colorado and all of the amazing lawmakers and advocates in the Centennial State as they become the 18th state in the country to protect LGBTQ youth from the dangers of conversion therapy,” said Sam Brinton, Head of Advocacy and Government Affairs for The Trevor Project. 
“Watching the first openly LGBTQ governor in the nation sign this legislation is an especially humbling moment,” he added. “Trevor will continue working across the nation until this horrible practice is relegated to the dustbin of history.”

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Trump Finally Recognizes Pride Month In Two Tweets

After campaigning on a promise to protect LGBTQ Americans, then ignoring Pride Month for his first two years in office, Donald Trump has finally acknowledged the annual celebration.

After campaigning on a promise to protect LGBTQ Americans, then ignoring Pride Month for his first two years in office, Donald Trump has finally acknowledged the annual celebration.

In two tweets, Trump wrote about ‘the outstanding contributions of LGBT people’ and standing in ‘solidarity’ with those who live in countries that execute us.

“As we celebrate LGBT Pride Month and recognize the outstanding contributions LGBT people have made to our great Nation, let us also stand in solidarity with the many LGBT people who live in dozens of countries worldwide that punish, imprison, or even execute individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation,” Trump tweeted.

I guess he really is moving into campaign mode.

Can you imagine the tantrum Mike Pence threw when he heard the news?

In his tweets, he references his administration’s proposed ‘global campaign to decriminalize homosexuality’ around the world, which is to be led by openly gay U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell.

But shortly after the announcement of that plan in February, Trump was asked about the campaign and he seemed unaware of the effort saying, “I don’t know, uh, which report you’re talking about. We have many reports.”

Quick fact check: Trump’s administration has been the most anti-LGBTQ in recent times. He’s rolled back many Obama-era protections and has been particularly hideous to transgender Americans.

A quick search of the WhiteHouse.gov website did not find a proclamation acknowledging Pride Month as was normal practice during all 8 years of the Obama administration.

Although, in 2018, Trump did take time to recognize Great Outdoors Month, National Ocean Month, National Caribbean-American Heritage Month, African-American Music Appreciation Month, and National Homeownership Month.

But, in these wild times, some acknowledgement is better than none…?

To be fair, in terms of history, this does make the Trumpster the first Republican occupant of the Oval Office to even recognize Pride Month.

The Twitterverse was underwhelmed by the tweets. Here’s just some of the reactions beginning with House co-sponsor of The Equality Act, Rep. David Cicilline:

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Audio: Lawmaker Laughs About Legislation To Execute Gays

Florida state Rep. Mike Hill (R) with Donald Trump (L)

A Florida lawmaker is being called unfit for office after a recording revealed him joking about executing gay Floridians.

An op-ed in the Pensacola News Journal shares an audio clip of Florida Rep. Mike Hill in a recent meeting with a group called Women for Responsible Legislation.

In the recording, a citizen comments, “In 1 Corinthians, it says that a man who has an affair with another man will be put to death.”

Hill can be heard responding, “It says that in the Old Testament, too.”

Another attendee inquires, “Can you introduce legislation?”

Laughter is heard in the background as Hill joins in the chuckles before saying, “I wonder how that would go over?”

It probably won’t surprise you to know that Hill’s Twitter account describes the 60-year-old as “Pro Life! Pro Guns! Pro Jesus!”

Andy Marlette, who penned the op-ed, writes that with that comment, “Hill proved why he is both an unfit legislator and an unfit Christian.”

Remember folks, this is the same state that lived through 49 people shot to death and 53 more injured at a gay bar, Pulse Nightclub, in June 2016.

Hill went on to share in the same meeting that he believes being gay is “a behavior, and it’s a choice” and that LGBTQ people don’t need legal protections.

In a longer audio clip obtained by The New Civil Rights Movement, Hill can be heard saying, “You can say, ‘But I was born that way.’ OK, well, fine, but nobody’s forcing you to engage in that relationship, even if you were born that way.”

In his essay, Marlette wonders why Hill, who clearly considers himself a Christian, didn’t just say, “No sir, stop right there, that’s wrong, that’s not what Jesus would do.”

But, he didn’t.

The op-ed calls for the Florida House to weigh in as well as Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson.

“It’s not enough to groan, roll our eyes and privately lament Mike Hill,” writes Marlette. “When public officials espouse cruel and immoral ideas, we are morally obligated to shout them down in the public square.”

As news of the recording has gone public, State Rep. Carlos Gulliermo Smith, who is the first openly gay Latino legislator in the state, has called on Hill to either apologize or resign.

(source: Pensacola News Journal)

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Poll: Joe Biden Leads Dem Hopefuls By 19+

Sen. Bernie Sanders (L), former VP Joe Biden (C) and Sen. Kamala Harris (R)
A new national survey by Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll shows former Vice President Joe Biden has an impressive 19 point lead over his nearest competitor for the Democratic presidential nomination.
The Hill reports that Biden pulled 36 percent support in the new poll while Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders garnered 17 percent.
California Sen. Kamala Harris came in third with 8 percent, and tying for fourth place were Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg with 5 percent.