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Iowa: Racist/Homophobe Rep. Steve King Loses Primary Bid

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa)
After nine terms in the U.S. House, Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) fell short in Tuesday’s Republican primary to state Sen. Randy Feenstra. According to the New York Times, Feenstra garnered 45.7 percent of the vote while King lagged nearly ten points behind with 36 percent. The remaining candidates were in single digits. Long-known for his anti-LGBTQ, anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant statements, King found himself rebuked via a House resolution after he made comments suggesting he supported white nationalism. As a result, he was stripped of all his committee assignments. No friend to the LGBTQ community, over his years in office he virulently opposed marriage equality. He railed against the Iowa Supreme Court when same-sex marriage became legal in Iowa in 2009. So much so that he spent $80,000 in campaign advertising against three of those justices when they were up for retention in 2010. None of the justices retained their seats. King called the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which made marriage equality the law of the land, “perverted.” He then called for a House resolution to defy the ruling. King also introduced an amendment in 2012 seeking to ban same-sex weddings on military bases, even though the GOP-controlled House had approved of the weddings. The 17-year veteran of Congress also argued in support of Donald Trump’s ban of transgender military service members. But, to be clear, Mr. Feenstra is not much better on LGBTQ issues. In 2011, he introduced a state constitutional amendment that would wipe out the 2009 state supreme court decision that legalized marriage equality in Iowa. Feenstra also voted in favor of an appropriations measure that would prohibit the use of Iowa Medicaid dollars to pay for transgender surgeries. Feenstra will face J.D. Scholten in November’s general election. In 2018, Scholten came close to beating King (47% – 50%) in the 2018 race for Iowa’s Fourth Congressional District

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News Round-Up: June 2, 2020

The number of senior LGBTQs is expected to double in the next 10 years
Some news items you might have missed: • LGBTQ Nation: Experts say there are 2.4 million LGBTQ seniors in the U.S. and that number is projected to reach seven million by 2030. Check out this list of organizations that offer valuable resources for aging LGBTQ people. • Instinct: The British government has announced that strangers (or couples living apart from each other) are no longer legally allowed to have sex for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. The text of the legislation outlaws indoor gatherings “when two or more people are present together in the same place in order to engage in any form of social interaction with each other or to undertake any other activity with each other.” • Pink News: Levi’s has released a pair of denim chaps for Pride Month which are apparently “inspired by the resilience and beauty” of the LGBT+ community. The Pride offering is described as a “classic Levi’s silhouette, reimagined as a pair of unapologetically bold chaps.” #ThingsThatMakeYouGoHmm
(image via Levi’s)
• The Advocate: The state of Minnesota has filed a human rights complaint against the Minneapolis Police Department following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who died last week while being pinned him to the ground by a white police officer. The Minnesota Department of Human Rights will begin an investigation into the MPD’s conduct over the past decade to determine if officers “engaged in systemic discriminatory practices.” • New York Times: The ongoing protests across the country have spurred political campaign donations to Democrats via their ActBlue website. Between Friday and Monday, the online donor platform processed over $60 million in donations. • NowThis News: Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, the bishop who oversees St. John’s Episcopalian Church in Washington DC, was outraged over the use of force on peaceful protesters and church clergy by Donald Trump. Bible in hand, Trump posed awkwardly for a photo and then walked away from the chaos, but many are calling this an abuse of power and a dangerous stifling of the 1st Amendment right to peaceful protest.

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Racist Remark Gets Porn Performer Booted From JustForFans

Gay porn performer Billy Santoro gets canceled over racist comments (screen capture)
Gay porn performer Billy Santoro showed his fans exactly who he is on Monday night when he took to Facebook to encourage American police officers to shoot ‘black looters.’ Santoro’s post on his since-deleted Facebook page read, “Lol. America! Lol you let your blacks loot as a way of protest. Wake the fuck up. Shoot first.” #Hideous JustForFans.com, the adult entertainment subscription site where Santoro makes a living, summarily kicked Santoro off the platform announcing via Twitter: “And here we had a good day so I put my phone away to actually take a night off. And then I checked the phone to see all the messages. His account is gone. Policing is a slippery slope and we won’t be puppets to cancel culture. This was not debatable though. It was vile. BLM.” The site had already announced the addition of Black Lives Matter to its Charitable Giving Program. https://twitter.com/JustForFansSite/status/1267625732144091137?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1267625732144091137&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.towleroad.com%2F2020%2F06%2Fbilly-santoro%2F https://twitter.com/JustForFansSite/status/1267512884755603458

Santoro’s OnlyFans page was also apparently deleted as was the page of his husband, fellow porn performer Gage Santoro.

https://twitter.com/mstrpotatohead/status/1267779458209132548

Suffering a serious backlash, Billy took to Twitter to explain he had lost a friend during ‘the looting in philly’ and had ‘lashed out’ due to stress.

“A friend of mine was killed during the looting in philly and I lashed out full of emotional stress,” wrote Santoro. “Those who know me know I am not racist. I am hurt by the loss of my friend.”

That was quickly followed by a tweet ‘sincerely’ apologizing and noting the many people of color he has ‘fallen in love with.’ “I sincerely apologize for hurting the POC with my statement. I have fallen in love with many poc and understand the frustration.” https://twitter.com/BillySantoroXXX/status/1267671009621979136 https://twitter.com/BillySantoroXXX/status/1267673235916599296 But this wasn’t Santoro’s first racist comment. In fact, it wasn’t even the first racist comment of the day. The folks at Cocktails and Cocktalk screen captured a Twitter exchange where Santoro chimed in on a Wisconsin restaurant’s comment writing, “Or the blacks will just breed more hatred towards them.”

(via Cocktails and Cocktalk)
Just some of the backlash via Twitter: https://twitter.com/reizzla/status/1267861750763917312 https://twitter.com/FrostyOtterXXX/status/1267863696476385281 https://twitter.com/EastCoast2k9/status/1267602626314731521 The latest chapter in this sad tale comes as Gage tweeted (then-deleted) a plea to stop the attacks on Billy saying he’d attempted suicide ‘based on the hate he has received.’ Actor Johnny Sibilly wasn’t convinced.

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Joe Biden On 50th Anniversary Of Pride Month ‘I Believe In The LGBTQ+ Community’

L-R President Donald Trump, former Vice President Joe Biden
As in previous years, President Donald Trump did not issue a presidential proclamation recognizing June as Pride Month. Now, I realize we are in the middle of a global pandemic, skyrocketing unemployment and racially-charged protests across the nation. But Trump’s office did manage, in the last days of May, to prepare proclamations recognizing June as Great Outdoors Month, National Ocean Month, and National Homeownership Month, to name just a few. Last year, Trump broke his silence of the previous two years to dispatch – no, not a proclamation – but two tweets wherein he lauded his administration’s “global campaign to decriminalize homosexuality” around the world. https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1134538168324300800 You may recall when he was initially asked about the effort in February 2019, he didn’t know anything about it. But this year? Nothing. Trump has, however, been selling an uninspired, rainbow-themed campaign t-shirt on his website for months, so…there’s that. Contrast that with former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate, who penned a lengthy statement honoring the 50th anniversary of LGBTQ Pride. https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1267650896562843648 Noting the first Pride event occurred a year after the Stonewall protests, Biden remarked on past progress by the LGBTQ community from Harvey Milk’s election to office in San Francisco to the historic candidacy of Pete Buttigieg, the first openly gay mayor to run for president. He also pointed to positive steps made during the Obama-Biden Administration including “signing the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law; repealed Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell; addressed the epidemic of bullying in schools; established the advancement of LGBTQ+ equality as a foreign policy priority; and the White House beamed bright with the colors of the rainbow to mark the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision recognizing marriage equality.” I’ll note here that the Obama-Biden administration issued presidential proclamations recognizing Pride Month 8 years in a row. Biden then shifted his focus forward to the damage done to the LGBTQ community by the Trump-Pence administration. “Donald Trump and Mike Pence have systematically used the power of the White House as a literal bully pulpit to undermine LGBTQ+ rights,” he wrote. “They have given safe harbor to white supremacists and other forms of hate. Predictably, we’ve experienced a rise in hate crimes targeting LGBTQ+ people.” Biden mentions just some of the ways Team Trump has worked to reduce rights and protections for LGBTQ people including banning transgender individuals from serving in the U.S. military, denying LGBTQ people access from critical health care, and ignoring the “epidemic of violence” against trans people. “This is wrong,” Biden continued. “We must send a clear message that hatred and bigotry have no place in America or on the world stage.” He promises that, as President, he will “take swift action to reverse these odious policies and advance our progress toward ending discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals.” “There are dark and challenging realities ahead that we cannot ignore,” he adds before striking an upbeat tone. “Yet, I remain optimistic because I believe in who we are as a nation. I believe in the story of this country and the LGBTQ+ community.” You can read the full text of Biden’s statement on the 50th Anniversary of Pride here.

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Trump Congratulates Himself On ‘Overwhelming Force’ And ‘Domination’

Protesters in Washington, D.C. (screen capture)
Donald Trump tweeted a message of self-congratulatory tidings for the “domination” of protesters in Washington, D.C. Monday night. The Hill reports, “Officers arrested scores of demonstrators who continued to gather and march downtown, and military helicopters were used to try to disperse individuals by hovering above them to produce intense gusts and noise.” Military helicopters and tear gas were reportedly used throughout the evening to break up active protests both before and after the 7pm curfew. Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was spotted roaming the streets of Washington in his military uniform. Attorney General William Barr was seen monitoring the situation in plain clothes. Trump tweeted, “D.C. had no problems last night. Many arrests. Great job done by all. Overwhelming force. Domination. Likewise, Minneapolis was great (thank you President Trump!).”

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Trump Addresses Nation Over George Floyd Protests

Donald Trump addressed the nation tonight regarding the ongoing protests in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd of Minneapolis by a white police officer who knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes until he lost consciousness. But the president spent barely 15 seconds on the death of Mr. Floyd. Instead, while declaring himself an “ally of peaceful protesters,” police across the street from the White House fired tear gas on a peaceful protest so he could attend a photo op at the nearby St. John’s Church, where there was a parish house basement fire Sunday night. Watch a split-screen view of Trump’s speech and the police moving on the peaceful protesters all at once, with no provocation. Make sure you get to the 2-minute mark where you see the police move en masse, firing tear gas out of nowhere.

During his short speech, he called demonstrations in reaction to the death of George Floyd in police custody were “acts of domestic terror.” He also announced an “overwhelming law enforcement presence until the violence has been quelled.” Trump added, “If a city or state refuses to take the actions necessary to defend the life and property of their residents, then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them.” After walking to the nearby church, Trump was handed a bible for a photo opp. He didn’t visit the church or its damaged parish house. The protesters were cleared out so he could pose with a bible. What Trump missed amid all of this today is that the vast majority of those protesting across the country are calling for ‘law and order’ as well. Those protesters are calling for an end to episodes where a white police officer kneels on a suspect’s neck until they die just because they are black. The Trumpster seems to think that ‘dominating’ black people, dominating peaceful protesters is ‘law and order.’ It’s not. The country waited days to hear from its president, and this is what we got. What we are witnessing is a failure of presidential leadership at a critical time in the country’s history. Alphonso David, president of the Human Rights Campaign, issued the following statement:

“What we heard from the Rose Garden tonight could have come from Bull Connor or George Wallace. Instead, they were the words of Donald Trump. As a reminder, Mr. President, we have a Constitution. We have the right to peacefully protest, even if it interferes with your photo op. We have the right to free speech, even if you don’t like it. We have the rule of law, even if you continue to try to thwart it and deny its application to all. We have the right to liberty and justice for all.

“You cannot silence us, Mr. President, because you don’t like the message or the speaker. This country is not governed by authoritarian rule, despite your best efforts. We are going to advocate and fight for our country and the freedoms our forebearers died for. You will hear us — tonight, tomorrow and on Election Day.”

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ACLU: Know Your Rights If You Attend Public Protests

The ACLU wants you to know your rights if you consider taking part in public protests

  1. The right to protest is a fundamental human right guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and the First Amendment.
  2. If you get stopped, ask if you are free to go. If the police say yes, calmly walk away.
  3. You have the right to record. The right to protest includes the right to record, including recording police doing their jobs.
  4. The police can order people to stop interfering with legitimate police operations, but video recording from a safe distance is not interfering.
  5. If you get stopped, police cannot take or confiscate any videos or photos without a warrant.
  6. If you are videotaping, keep in mind in some states, the audio is treated differently than the images. But images and video images are always fully protected by the First Amendment.
  7. The police’s main job in a protest is to protect your right to protest and to de-escalate any threat of violence.
  8. If you get arrested, don’t say anything. Ask for a lawyer immediately. Do not sign anything and do not agree to anything without an attorney present.
  9. If you get arrested, demand your right to a local phone call. If you call a lawyer for legal advice, law enforcement is not allowed to listen.
  10. Police cannot delete data from your device under any circumstances.

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Trump Repeats Proposal To Reinstate Russia To G-7

Donald Trump continues to shill for Russian President Vladimir Putin
On Saturday, Donald Trump proposed to expand the G-7 by adding four non-member nations, including Russia. The other countries on Trump’s longer invitee list were India, Australia and South Korea. The group suspended Russia’s membership in 2014 over its annexation of Crimea in Ukraine. Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau told reporters Monday that Russia should not be welcomed back. The U.K. has also signaled that it would veto any such plan.

“Its continued disrespect and flaunting of international rules and norms is why it remains outside of the G-7 and it will continue to remain out,” said Trudeau, who later added in French: “It will not be acceptable to accept it within the G-7.”

Decisions on membership must be backed unanimously by the G-7 members.

Trump also proposed reinstating Russia ahead of the 2018 G-7 summit, which was hosted in Canada by Trudeau.

(via Politico)

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No Pride Love From Trump Administration For 4th Year In A Row

Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David

Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David
While Donald Trump and Mike Pence took the time to acknowledge Global Coptic Day today, for the fourth year in a row they failed to recognize Pride Month. In response, Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David issued the following statement:

“This June, the Trump-Pence administration has yet again failed to recognize Pride Month to honor the history of the LGBTQ community and acknowledge the ongoing movement toward full equality,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “In a global pandemic and national crisis highlighting ongoing racial violence and police brutality across the country — violence that particularly targets Black lives — Trump and his administration have stoked division, hate, and anger with continued attacks on LGBTQ people, people of color, immigrants, and other vulnerable communities.

“The first pride started with protest. LGBTQ people — led in large part by transgender women of color — resisted police brutality and violence at Stonewall, the Black Cat, and Compton’s Cafeteria, among others. In this moment, we must unite like never before and take action, combat racism in all its forms and end white supremacy, not as necessary corollaries to our mission, but as integral to the objective of full equality.”

In order to help the LGBTQ community and its allies celebrate Pride Month in this moment, HRC is today officially launching its #PrideInside toolkit, a series of resources to help HRC members, the LGBTQ community and its allies celebrate Pride. The toolkit can be found at HRC.org/pride.