LGBTQ news and entertainment
President Obama is calling the attacks on Paris “outrageous attempt to terrorize innocent civilians” and is vowing to do whatever it takes to help bring the perpetrators to justice.
French President Francois Hollande has declared a national state of emergency and has ordered all of France’s borders closed for an indefinite period.
Here is the latest report by the AP on the attacks:
On the same day that President Obama was announced “Ally of the Year” by OUT Magazine, his administration has officially endorsed The Equality Act, which would amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to protect LGBTs from discrimination.
From the Washington Post:
Speaking to reporters, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said the administration has been reviewing the bill “for several weeks.” “
Upon that review it is now clear that the administration strongly supports the Equality Act,” he said. “That bill is historic legislation that would advance the cause of equality for millions of Americans.”
“We look forward to working with Congress to ensure that the legislative process produces a result that balances both the bedrock principles of civil rights, like those I’ve just described, with the religious liberty that we hold dear in this country,” Earnest added.
Although there is little chance that this Congress will approve the legislation — which was introduced in July by Democratic Sens. Jeff Merkley (Ore.), Tammy Baldwin (Wis.) and Cory Booker (N.J.), and Rep. David N. Cicilline (R.I.) — President Obama’s support elevates to greater prominence the question of whether lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans need greater legal safeguards. Last week, Houston residents rejected an ordinance that would have barred discrimination against gay and transgender people after opponents said it would allow men disguised as women to enter women’s restrooms.
With the GOP-led Senate and House of Representatives, the legislation will not be passed in the near future.
In addition to being named “Ally of the Year” as part of their OUT100, President Obama becomes the first sitting President to be photographed for the cover of an LGBT publication.
From the editors of OUT Magazine:
The 44th President of the United States is our Ally of the Year—a president who came to office on a wave of euphoria, appeared to lose momentum halfway through, and has since rallied, helping us secure marriage equality, among other landmark initiatives that are transforming our place in America.
This is the first time a sitting president has been photographed for the cover of an LGBT title, a historic moment in itself, and a statement on how much his administration has done to advance a singularly volatile issue that tarnished the reputations of both President Clinton and President Bush. It might have tarnished this president, too, but for his late-hour conversion in 2012, which set the stage for the extraordinary succession of events that led to this year’s Supreme Court ruling, on June 26, making it unconstitutional to deny same-sex couples the right to wed.
Many things led up to that decision — “decades of our brothers and sisters fighting for recognition and equality” as the president notes — but once his administration decided to join that fight it created what people like to call a “transformative” moment. It helped tip the balance, and it put our elected leader on the right side of justice.
From the Q&A with the President:
On his administration’s key focus on LGBT equality:
“One of the reasons I got involved in politics was to help deliver on our promise that we’re all created equal, and that no one should be excluded from the American dream just because of who they are. That’s why, in the Senate, I supported repealing DOMA [the Defense of Marriage Act]. It’s why, when I ran for president the first time, I publicly asked for the support of the LGBT community, and promised that we could bring about real change for LGBT Americans.”
On the Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges decision:
“There had been a remarkable attitude shift—in hearts and minds—across America. The ruling reflected that. It reflected our values as a nation founded on the principle that we are all created equal. And, by the way, it was decades of our brothers and sisters fighting for recognition and equality—and too frequently risking their lives or facing rejection from family, friends, and co-workers—that got us to that moment. So I wasn’t surprised by the Supreme Court’s decision, but, like millions of Americans, I was proud and happy that it came down the way it did—and I was honored to stand in the Rose Garden and reiterate for every American that we are strongest, that we are most free, when all of us are treated equally. I was proud to say that love is love.”
On the controversy surrounding Kentucky clerk Kim Davis:
“I am a man of faith and believe deeply in religious freedom, but at the end of the day, nobody is above the rule of law—especially someone who voluntarily takes an oath to uphold that law. That’s something we’ve got to respect.”
On the first influential gay person in his life:
“I’m not sure who the first openly gay person I met was, but Dr. Lawrence Goldyn, one of my college professors, is a man who stands out to me. I took his class freshman year at Occidental. I was probably 18 years old—Lawrence was one of the younger professors—and we became good friends. He went out of his way to advice lesbian, gay, and transgender students at Occidental, and keep in mind, this was 1978. That took a lot of courage, a lot of confidence in who you are and what you stand for. I got to recognize Lawrence last year at our Pride Month reception at the White House, and thank him for influencing the way I think about so many of these issues.”
On the generational difference in the attitudes towards homosexuality:
“To Malia and Sasha and their friends, discrimination in any form against anyone doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t dawn on them that friends who are gay or friends’ parents who are same-sex couples should be treated differently than anyone else. That’s powerful.”
#Unemployment drops to 5%, economic #growth exceeds expectations for October https://t.co/9uH2khWHyZ pic.twitter.com/JADTMIF67u
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) November 6, 2015
The unemployment rate in America fell to 5% in October as non-farm payrolls added 271,000 jobs last month. This represents the lowest unemployment level in seven and a half years.
Additionally, with strong auto sales and average hourly earnings increasing by 9 cents, many economists see the economy as beginning to hit a solid stride.
As conservatives continue to attempt a woeful picture of the American economy, it’s easy to see between the dropping unemployment rate and a stock market that has more than doubled during President Obama’s administration that the U.S. has improved it’s economic outlook.
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Obama DESTROYS the 2016 Republicans with one joke!LOL. Here's a hilarious joke the President cracked tonight.Video by Occupy Democrats, LIKE our page for more!Posted by Occupy Democrats on Monday, November 2, 2015
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Happy Halloween! Watch President Obama and the First Lady welcome trick-or-treaters to the White House: http://go.wh.gov/Kc4oyfPosted by The White House on Friday, October 30, 2015
No one should face discrimination for who they are or who they love—I support efforts for equality in Houston & beyond. #HERO #YesOnProp1 -H
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) October 29, 2015
BREAKING: Obama and Biden give nod toward Houston voters passing LGBT nondiscrimination law on Tues., Nov. 3. pic.twitter.com/X3lDqDvcvV
— Dominic Holden (@dominicholden) October 29, 2015
Speaking at the Women’s Leadership Forum yesterday, President Obama playfully wondered aloud at the GOP’s “gloomy” outlook on just about everything, comparing them to Grumpy Cat, complete with making the Grumpy Cat face.
The crowd was thrilled.
On a serious note, I have to say, when the GOP constantly says how “everything” is worse since Obama became president I come to the same list of issues where the country has improved: stock market more than doubled, unemployed down from over 9% to 5.1%, US car industry back from the brink of extinction, real estate market has improved dramatically, Osama bin Laden killed, health insurance premiums have stopped sky-rocketing, gay and lesbian couples can marry the person they love…
Who looks at that list and says “things are worse???”
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No one’s talking about this much, with all the conservative hand wringing about deficits and national debt, but the fact is the U.S. budget deficit has fallen to an 8 year low.
That’s a good thing, kids.
The deficit is the annual number showing the difference between how much the federal government spends and how much it takes in via taxes and fees.
Via Yahoo News:
The US government’s budget deficit fell to an eight-year low in fiscal 2015, dropping to $439 billion, the Treasury Department announced Thursday.
The cut in the finance gap — which was $1.4 trillion in 2009 — brought the deficit down to 2.5 percent of gross domestic product, the lowest level since 2007.
The achievement marked a long effort by the administration of President Barack Obama to pare back the budget shortfall after it soared when the economy plunged into crisis in 2008.
“President Obama’s agenda continues to put Federal finances on a sustainable footing while laying the foundation for durable economic growth and broadly shared prosperity,” Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said in a statement.
“Under the president’s leadership, the deficit has been cut by roughly three-quarters as a share of the economy since 2009 –- the fastest sustained deficit reduction since just after World War II.”