Tag: LGBTQ policies

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Rising In The Polls, Bloomberg Courts LGBTQ Voters

Former NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg (image via campaign)
Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg took part in a conference call with LGBTQ journalists on Tuesday as he introduced his policy plans to support LGBTQ Americans if elected president. Bloomberg told reporters he usually doesn’t jump on media calls when releasing new policy proposals, but he explained, “This is an issue that really does mean a lot to me, and so I wanted you to hear it directly from me today.”

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As Mayor, Mike launched ambitious affordable housing projects that helped more New Yorkers gain access to housing and build house wealth. As President, he intends to do the same. Today, he proposed two programs to expand and reform affordable housing and economic opportunity by: ✅ Raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025 ✅ Expanding funding for Low-Income Housing Credit ✅ Launching a competition that awards $10 billion to municipalities that offer the best solutions to restrictive zoning and other obstacles ✅ Reforming the Earned Income Tax Credit ✅ Increasing the Child Tax Credit to make it fully refundable and phase it in faster Mike is determined to wage a war on poverty that is more innovative and effective, not business-as-usual, and engages trailblazing local leaders.

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Bloomberg shared his 10-page LGBTQ platform which broadly covers five points: 1. Ensure equal treatment of LGBTQ+ Americans in the workplace and in their communities. Bloomberg promises, like most of the Democratic White House hopefuls, to support and fight for passage of The Equality Act which would add LGBTQ protections to existing civil rights laws in regard to housing, employment, education, public accommodation, and federally funded programs. He also supports the Do No Harm Act, which would amend the Religious Freedom Restoration Act to clarify that it does not allow religious exemptions from generally applicable anti-discrimination laws. Mike will also end the Trump administration’s practice of granting federally funded organizations a license to discriminate against people based on their religious beliefs, sexual orientation or gender identity. 2.  Address disparities in health care coverage and treatment for LGBTQ+ Americans and end the HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2030. 3.  Protect LGBTQ+ youth and families, and promote safe and inclusive schools via a new federal “Respect for All” initiative to combat bullying, harassment and discrimination in public schools. 4.  Protect LGBTQ+ Americans, especially transgender women of color, from harm in the criminal justice system and in their communities. This would include regular training for federal law enforcement in de-escalation and implicit bias to address high levels of police profiling and misconduct, including against LGBTQ+ people. 5.  Lead by example, protecting the rights of LGBTQ+ people at home and abroad which would include an increased commitment to the president’s Emergency Plan for AIDS (PEPFAR) and rescinding the Trump administration’s ban on trans individuals serving in the U.S. military.

While much of this can be accomplished through executive order, items like The Equality Act require cooperation from Congress. Bloomberg’s policy team feels there’s a strong chance that the U.S. Senate could return to Democratic control this fall, and in doing so, clear much of the path for passage of The Equality Act. In a follow-up question, I asked what path or persuasion the former mayor might use if the Senate did remain in GOP control. The answer was that as long as Donald Trump didn’t remain in the White House, Team Bloomberg feels confident there will be a “different set of political forces at play” and the “challenge would look very different.” The team also reiterated Bloomberg’s promise to continue in funding the fight for the presidency this fall even if he’s not the nominee. For more information about Bloomberg’s policy proposals regarding LGBTQ Americans, head over to MikeBloomberg.com.

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Democratic White House Hopefuls To Debate LGBTQ Policies For 1st Time In 10 Years

For the first time in ten years, Democratic presidential candidates will share their policy positions and views on LGBTQ issues at a debate to be hosted by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation and UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs.
Out Mayor Pete Buttigieg has already qualified for the Democratic LGBTQ Forum

For the first time in ten years, Democratic presidential candidates will share their policy positions and views on LGBTQ issues at a debate to be hosted by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation and UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs.


Scheduled for October 10, coinciding with National Coming Out Day, the event will be held on UCLA campus.

The topics will range from hate crimes, transgender rights, so-called ‘conversion therapy’ and more.

To qualify for participation, a candidate needs to poll at least 1% in three separate national polls, OR receive campaign donations from over 65,000 people in at least 20 states.

As Instinct recently reported, openly Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, has already crossed that threshold.

The forum will be one of 12 debates to be held during the Democratic primary season leading up to the 2020 election.

The last forum sponsored by the HRC took place in 2008 with then-candidates Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Dennis Kucinish and Bill Richardson.

It’s notable that LGBTQ issues have shifted substantially since then.

According to Gallup polling: 

• In 2008, 55% felt “same-sex relations between consenting adults should be legal.” In 2018, that figure has reached 75% support.

• In 2008, only 40% of those polled agreed that “marriages between same-sex couples should be recognized by the law as valid.” In 2018, that figure had risen to 67% support.


There hasn’t been a Republican presidential debate on LGBTQ issues.

As NBC News points out, LGBTQ Americans have traditionally voted for Democrats in presidential elections.

According to an NBC News exit poll last November, 82 percent of LGBTQ voters cast a ballot for their district’s Democratic candidate for the House of Representatives. 

And in 2016, 78 percent of LGBTQ voters cast a ballot for the Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton.)