Tag: The Equality Act

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Biden To Trans Americans: ‘Your President Has Your Back’

President Joe Biden calls for Congress to pass the Equality Act

President Joe Biden calls for Congress to pass the Equality Act In his first address to a joint session of Congress, President Joe Biden spoke to several issues as well as his proposed American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan. Along the way, the president took time to call for the passage of the Equality Act: “I also hope Congress can get to my desk the Equality Act to protect the rights of LGBTQ Americans.” He added a special message to transgender folks: “To all the transgender Americans watching at home — especially the young people who are so brave — I want you to know that your president has your back.”

The Equality Act would add legal protections for LGBTQ Americans to existing federal civil rights laws. The legislation has already passed in the House, but faces a steep climb in the Senate where Democrats will need 10 Republicans to join them in passing the bill. A CBS News poll following Biden’s address showed 85% of Americans who watched approved of his speech, 15% disapproved. And 78% say the speech made them feel “optimistic” about America. As an example of how partisan politics have become, of those who watched Biden’s address, 54% identified as Democrats, 18% as Republican and 25% as independent, according to CBS News. So, basically, Republicans didn’t tune in to watch. By comparison, 76% of the audience (that leaned Republican) approved of Trump’s speech in 2017.

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Manchin May Be ‘No’ Vote On Equality Act

Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia
Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia
Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia (image via Facebook)

One of the so-called ‘moderate’ Democrats in the U.S. Senate – Joe Manchin of West Virginia – is quietly letting the powers that be know he may not be voting in favor of the Equality Act after being targeted by a massive call-in campaign by conservative groups.

While the legislation recently passed in the House of Representatives by a vote of 221 to 206 (three Republicans voted in favor), the Senate is currently split 50/50 with Vice President Kamala Harris casting tie-breaking votes.

The rules of the Senate will require at least ten Republicans to vote with all Democrats (plus 2 Independents who caucus with the Dems) to overcome the filibuster. And presently, no one can name 10 GOP senators they believe will vote in favor of the bill that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to existing federal civil rights laws.

Without Republican support to overcome the 60-vote threshold, there’s no way to pass the Equality Act unless Democrats reform the filibuster. To do that, they would need Manchin to vote with them on the rules change which he has publicly opposed.

Even with recent polling showing an overwhelming 7 in 10 voters support the Equality Act, Manchin represents a hefty complication.

When the legislation was passed in 2019 by the House, Manchin publicly shared concerns he had saying the act didn’t provide “sufficient guidance to the local officials who will be responsible for implementing it, particularly with respect to students transitioning between genders in public schools.” It seems he still has those reservations today.

Plus, The Daily Beast reports Manchin has apparently received calls to his office by a ratio of “a thousand to one” opposing the Equality Act organized by conservative groups like the virulently anti-LGBTQ Heritage Foundation.

Without his support, it’s nearly impossible to see the Equality Act being passed in the Senate and heading to the desk of President Biden, who hoped to sign the bill in his first 100 days in office.

That could leave the widely popular legislation lost in neverland – the victim (again) of an outdated legislative process.

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Podcast: Captain America, Japan & Marriage Equality, The LGBTQ Tribe Takes The Call

The Randy Report podcast

The Randy Report podcast delivers the week's top stories in a quick, convenient podcast - 'the 60 Minutes of gay news - only shorter' In this week’s podcast: • Japan takes a baby step towards marriage equality • A transgender student won a large settlement in his discrimination lawsuit against a school district in Minnesota • A pharmacist came to the aid of LGBTQ seniors in Brooklyn • New polling shows strong support for the Equality Act • Marvel Comics has announced a gay Captain America on the way • And the LGBTQ tribe answers the call – link to Twitter thread here. All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report podcast

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News Round-Up: March 19, 2021

U.S. flag and Pride flag

Some news items you might have missed: • Human Rights Campaign: New polling conducted by HRC and Hart Research Associates shows an overwhelming 70% of voters support the Equality Act. That support spans across all ages, races, religions, and political parties. And yet, Senate Republicans strenuously oppose the bill. • BosGuy: It’s Furry Friday over at the Boston-based blog – squeee! Click over to see which fur ball is featured this week. • Kenneth-in-the-212: Check out Kenneth’s weekly round-up of the what’s what in LGBTQ publications including Florida’s Hotspots Magazine (below) featuring their 2021 Sex Survey. The cover of Hotspots Magazine • Pink News: The newly crowned Miss Silver State USA, Kataluna Enriquez, will be the first trans woman of color to compete in the Miss Nevada USA pageant – and if she wins, could go on to Miss USA. • Instinct Magazine: A Russian man pulled off a rather inexplicable stunt while bungee jumping in Russia – with the cord attached to the piercings on his bum. • AP News: Former President Donald Trump’s Palm Beach club has been partially closed because of a COVID outbreak. A receptionist at the Mar-a-Lago club confirmed the news, saying it was closed until further notice, but declined to comment further.

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Twitter Shades Graham Over Threat To Block Equality Act

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Earlier this week, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) announced he would talk until he “fell over to make sure the Equality Act doesn’t become law.” The remark, which occurred during an interview on Fox News with talking head Sean Hannity, was in response to President Biden’s suggestion that Senate Democrats consider bringing back the “talking filibuster” rule which existed when Biden joined the Senate in the 1970s.

Currently, the rules require 60 votes to close debate on legislation to move to the actual vote on a bill. Essentially, that means it takes a three-fifths majority to get to a vote. And with a 50-50 split in the Senate, Democrats will need 10 Republicans to vote with them to get to a vote on the bill. With a “talking filibuster,” anyone who wanted to block closing debate would have to continuously speak from the floor of  the Senate without pause. No bathroom breaks, no snacks, no nothing. Senate Democrats have been considering some change to the filibuster to not only help pass the Equality Act, which would add sexual orientation and gender identity to protected classes of existing federal civil rights laws, but also HR1 – legislation that would expand voting access. But Graham, of all people, attacking a federal LGBTQ rights bill didn’t sit well with many in the Twitterverse. Primarily because Graham has long faced rumors about being a gay closet case while voting against LGBTQ issues. Now, we’re not saying Graham is gay. We’re just reporting that the insinuation has followed the never-married bachelor for years. AND – he votes against LGBTQ interests.

Just last summer, gay adult entertainment performer Sean Harding tweeted about “a homophobic republican senator” who “keeps passing legislation that is damaging to the lgbt and minority communities.” Harding added, “Every sex worker I know has been hired by this man. Wondering if enough of us spoke out if that could get him out of office?” At the time, #LadyG and #LadyGraham began trending as some alleged that was the nickname for Graham used by sex workers. So it’s no wonder that this week, following Graham’s comments about the Equality Act, the Twitterverse clapped back at the senator.

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News Round-Up: March 12, 2021

Fitness trainer Marc Burgum

Fitness trainer Marc Burgum
Fitness guru Marc Burgum (via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: It’s Friday night and fitness guru Marc Burgum (above, proving clothes are sexy) asks, “If you could be doing anything right now, what would it be?” Follow him on Instagram here. • Washington Blade: Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), whose support for the Equality Act is seen as crucial to winning Republican votes for the LGBTQ non-discrimination bill, has laid out the proposed revisions she’s demanding in exchange for her support. • Stonewall Gazette: Check out the short film Sauna the Dead where two men must overcome prejudice during a night at the sauna by joining forces in taking down a horde of towel-wearing zombies. Who will live to see the dawn?

• Andrew Christian Blog: The underwear and swimwear designer offers five reasons why he believes bulges are sexier than seeing naked peen. • WLTX: South Carolina’s hate crime bill got its first round of approval Thursday, but with an amendment that may exclude the LGBTQ community??? • Instinct Magazine: DC Comics will celebrate this year’s Pride Month with the release of an anthology series titled DC Pride which will include “LGBTQIA+ characters from all corners of DC’s ever-expanding Universe, including cameos by fan favorites Batwoman, Renee Montoya, Alan Scott, Midnighter, Apollo, Extraño, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Constantine, and more.”

‘Superman’ #32 Pride variant cover (Credit: David Talaski via DC Comics)
• Pink News: Following the enormous success of his new series “It’s A Sin,” creator Russell T. Davies is looking at a reboot of his 1990s series “Queer As Folk.” • Twitter: The hashtag #CancelFox was trending at number one this afternoon as the Twitterverse noted the irony that Fox News is all upset about ‘cancel culture’ while professing to love the ‘free market.’

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Podcast: POSE Announces Series Ending, Killer Uses Grindr To Find Victim, And More

The Randy Report podcast

The Randy Report podcast delivers the week's top stories in a quick, convenient podcast - 'the 60 Minutes of gay news - only shorter' In this week’s podcast: • A new Gallup Poll shows more people identify as LGBTQ than ever before • Virginia has outlawed the use of the ‘gay panic’ and ‘trans panic’ legal defenses • Houston police have arrested a man who assaulted and killed a man he met using Grindr • The Equality Act begins its trek through Congress (again) • The largest Protestant adoption and foster agency has announced it will open up its services to LGBTQ families • And the creators of the acclaimed FX series POSE have announced the upcoming 3rd season will be its last All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report podcast

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When Chasten Buttigieg Was Outed At Work: ‘Is It True You’re A F**?’

Chasten Buttigieg
Chasten Buttigieg
Chasten Buttigieg (image via memoir website)

Chasten Buttigieg, husband of newly-confirmed Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, recently shared a workplace incident when he was brazenly outed by a co-worker.

What we know of Chasten’s employment history to date is that he taught theatre classes in public schools in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana. Chasten doesn’t specify where the incident mentioned took place other than a “break room.”

“I’ll never forget when an assistant manager found out I was gay in the break room, marched out onto the floor, came right up to my face and said ‘wait, is it true you’re a f**?’” Buttigieg tweeted. “Now imagine if my manager didn’t like that about me either.”

“At the time, it would have been legal in far too many places in America for them to simply show me the door,” he continued. “It is time to codify true equality for LGBTQ people and pass the #EqualityAct.”

Chasten followed that with a link to the Human Rights Campaign’s info page about the Equality Act.

The Equality Act, currently working its way through Congress, would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes. It would be the first time LGBTQ Americans would have nationwide protections against discrimination in areas of employment, housing and medical facilities. Currently, 21 states and 5 U.S. territories have no explicit prohibitions for discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in state law. The legislation passed in the House last week by a vote of 224-206. But the bill faces a steeper climb in the Senate as 10 Republican senators will have to vote with Democrats in order to overcome a possible filibuster. LGBTQ activists and advocates are unsure if the 10 GOP votes will be there when the time comes. President Joe Biden has been a vocal proponent of the Equality Act promising the sign the legislation if it reaches his desk. Chasten’s story inspired other LGBTQ people on Twitter to share their own experiences – closeted or not – in the workplace.

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Equality Act Passes In House Of Representatives 224-206

As expected, the Equality Act, which would amend current federal laws to outlaw discrimination against LGBTQ people, passed in the House of Representatives today. With 3 Republicans voting with all Democrats, the vote was 224-206. Today’s Republican votes were Reps. Tom Reed (NY), John Katko (NY) and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA). Conservatives argue the Equality Act would interfere with their right to discriminate against LGBTQ people based on ‘religious liberty.’ Half of LGBTQ people in the U.S. live in the 29 states that lack comprehensive, statewide protections. As a result, discrimination is still commonplace – and legal. Currently, a person can be denied housing because of their sexual orientation or gender identity in 27 states; denied access to education in 31 states; and the right to serve on a jury in 41 states. The legislation was previously approved in the House in 2019. On May 17, 2019, the vote (236-173) carried with 8 Republicans voting in favor of the bill and no Democrats opposing. Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell never allowed a vote on the bill in the Senate. GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis: “The House passage of The Equality Act is a victory for all Americans and for our country’s core values of equal treatment under law. This landmark civil rights law secures those protections for every LGBTQ person, to live without fear of discrimination. An overwhelming majority of Americans already support laws protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination, including Americans of all faiths. We are now calling on Senate leaders to come together to finish the work for what is right and just for all Americans. Any Senator against The Equality Act is not only complicit with LGBTQ discrimination, but grossly out of touch with the bill’s widespread, bipartisan public support. It is time to move together to ensure LGBTQ people have the chance to belong, to participate and to succeed in all areas of American life.” Kierra Johnson, Executive Director, National LGBTQ Task Force: “We applaud the House vote on the Equality Act, and but we now look to the Senate and begin in earnest what should be a bipartisan effort to protect LGBTQ people. This is what we know: LGBTQ people in 29 states are not protected by anti-discrimination laws. This patchwork of equality is indefensible – the Equality Act must be passed by the Senate so all LGBTQ Americans will be protected from discrimination. It could not be more clear: current civil rights laws leave LGBTQ people, women, people of color and people of faith vulnerable to discrimination. The Equality Act can right this wrong and take the country one step closer to living its promise of ‘liberty and justice for all’ and truly mean it.” David J. Johns, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition: “We applaud the House for supporting this bill once again, as it did in 2019, and urge the Senate to follow suit. As Black History Month concludes, we implore Senators to vote in favor of the Equality Act like their lives depend on it, as ours do.”