LGBTQ news and entertainment
As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel began to address the United Nations General Assembly, where a majority of members are critical of Israel’s conduct in Gaza and the West Bank, many diplomats in the hall walked out, as they did last year.
Netanyahu chided those still in attendance saying, “If there any other moral cowards who have not left the hall, please do so now.” Continue reading “UN Delegates Walk Out On Netanyahu’s Speech”
In his United Nations address today, Donald Trump said he faces a choice between whether to make a deal with Iran or “annihilate the Islamic Republic.” Continue reading “Trump Threatens To ‘Annihilate’ Iran In UN Speech”
During his first term in the White House, Trump claimed that decriminalizing homosexuality worldwide was a major goal. At the time, LGBTQ advocates called the initiative a “sham” campaign that didn’t actually do anything. But it gave Team Trump ammunition to claim that the administration wasn’t anti-LGBTQ. But now, in his second term, the United States has withdrawn from the United Nations LGBTI Core Group, a group of more than 40 countries actively supporting the rights of LGBTQ and intersex people globally. Continue reading “Trump Administration Withdraws From UN LGBTQ Rights Group”
Some news items you might have missed: • Washington Post: Roberta Flack, a classically trained pianist who became one of the most popular performers of the 1970s, died today in Manhattan. She was 88. The cause of death was ALS, sometimes known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The onetime D.C. teacher won back-to-back Grammy Awards for “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and “Killing Me Softly With His Song.” Continue reading “Rest In Peace Roberta Flack + Pedro Pascal Goes Viral + More News”
Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba (screen capture)
The United Nations General Assembly has approved a non-binding resolution condemning Russia for invading Ukraine and demanding that it withdraw its military forces. Continue reading “United Nations Condemns Russia, Demands Immediate Withdrawal From Ukraine”
During his speech before the United Nations today, Donald Trump included a mention of his administration’s previously announced plans to encourage more than 70 countries worldwide to decriminalize homosexuality. “My administration is working with other nations to stop criminalizing of homosexuality,” Trump said in a halting cadence. “And we stand in solidarity with (pause) LGBTQ people who live in countries that punish, jail and execute people based upon sexual orientation.” Gregory T. Angelo, who served as president of the Log Cabin Republicans for six years, quickly tweeted a video of Trump’s inclusion of the initiative.
.@POTUS @realDonaldTrump at #UNGA: “My administration is working with other nations to stop criminalizing of homosexuality and we stand in solidarity with LGBTQ people who live in countries that punish, jail or execute individuals based upon sexual orientation.” pic.twitter.com/U3q8Ojvlam
— Gregory T. Angelo (@gregorytangelo) September 24, 2019
Thank you @realDonaldTrump for standing up for the #LGBTQ community in calling for the decriminalization of homosexuality in your speech at the @UN this morning.
— LogCabinRepublicans (@LogCabinGOP) September 24, 2019
Nikki Haley, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, has resigned her position and will leave her post by the end of the year.
Via Reuters:
Sitting beside Trump in the Oval Office, Haley said her 18-month stint at the United Nations had been “an honor of a lifetime” and said she would stay on until the end of the year.
A former governor of South Carolina who is the daughter of Indian immigrants, Haley is the highest profile woman in Trump’s Cabinet and is often seen as a possible presidential candidate.
But she said in her resignation letter to Trump she would “surely not be a candidate for any office in 2020” and would support his re-election bid.
She told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday: “No, I am not running for 2020.”
According to Axios‘ Jonathan Swan, who broke the story, several senior administration officials were caught off-guard by the announcement and no one seems to know the real backstory.
Although she denies the rumors, many hypothesize that Haley is stepping away to get ready for a possible challenge to Trump as Republican nominee for president in 2020.
“I still don’t know what happened really. I mean, I reported she resigned , she told trump that last week. I still don’t know the real backstory nor does anyone really that I’ve spoken to in the White House or outside the White House…” – @jonathanvswan w/ @NicolleDWallace pic.twitter.com/nirLVGjBt8— Deadline White House (@DeadlineWH) October 9, 2018
Donald Trump is already floating his daughter Ivanka’s name as a possible replacement at the UN.
“I’ve heard a lot of names. I’ve heard Ivanka. … There’s nothing to do with nepotism, but I want to tell you, the people that know, know that Ivanka would be dynamite.” -Trump on speculation about who would replace Nikki Haley as US Ambassador to the UN https://t.co/7r2AuzgSLo pic.twitter.com/c0IS2V4D39— CNN (@CNN) October 9, 2018
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| United Nations Plaza (image via Flickr/AC Moraes) |
In reversing a nine-year policy begun by then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Trump administration continues to demonstrate hostility to same-sex couples.
Beginning Monday (October 1), the U.S. State Department will require same-sex partners of staff of international organizations based in the U.S. to be married in order to qualify for a proper visa.
The policy change will affect foreign employees of organizations like the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
From the State Department’s website on G-4 visas: “Effective immediately, U.S. Embassies and Consulates will adjudicate visa applications that are based on a same-sex marriage in the same way that we adjudicate applications for opposite gender spouses.”
The State Department issued a statement saying the policy change is meant to “help ensure and promote equal treatment” between straight and gay couples. In order to obtain a G-4 visa, straight couples are required to be married.
The difference for same-sex couples, however, is that in many of their native countries same-sex marriage, or even homosexuality, is illegal.
And, as Fabrice Houdart, a human rights official at the United Nations told NBC News, “The policy seems to presume that same-sex partners should be able to easily visit the United States on a tourist visa where they could get married.
“But for people in many countries, particularly poor and conservative countries like the ones that do not permit same-sex marriage, obtaining a tourist visa to visit the United States is extremely difficult,” he added.
Under the new policy, the partners of United Nations workers, for example, that are not legally married will have 30 days after the new year to either get married or exit the United States.
So, what do these couples do? The choices available to them are abandon their careers here in the U.S. or try to marry and face possible severe penalties back home.
Of the 193 United Nations member states, only a few dozen have recognized same-sex marriage. And then there are countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran which have death penalties for being gay.
Former Ambassador to the U.N., Samantha Power, called the move “needlessly cruel & bigoted” on Twitter.
Needlessly cruel & bigoted: State Dept. will no longer let same-sex domestic partners of UN employees get visas unless they are married. But only 12% of UN member states allow same-sex marriage. https://t.co/MjZpRVLYcf— Samantha Power (@SamanthaJPower) September 28, 2018
And the Human Rights Campaign followed up Powers’ tweet saying the policy change “reflects the hostility of the Trump-Pence administration toward LGBTQ people and our friends and allies.”
“It is hatred, and it is unacceptable,” the HRC added.
This is an unconscionable, needless attack on some LGBTQ diplomats around the world, and it reflects the hostility of the Trump-Pence administration toward LGBTQ people and our friends and allies. It is hatred, and it is unacceptable. https://t.co/Vn8Qkz93gl https://t.co/mtDuzYjZpU— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) October 2, 2018
UPDATE – After saying he “didn’t expect that reaction” in the moment, Donald Trump later reversed himself saying, “That was meant to get some laughter.”
Trump earlier today when foreign leaders laughed at his claim about his presidency being the most successful: “I didn’t expect that reaction, but that’s OK.”
Several hours later: “Oh it was great. Well, that was meant to get some laughter.”— Jeremy Diamond (@JDiamond1) September 25, 2018
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, Donald Trump boasted that his administration “has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country.”
And the folks in the hall laughed.
Watch below.
“Today I stand before the United Nations General Assembly to share the extraordinary progress we’ve made. In less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country,” Trump says as he begins his speech at #UNGA pic.twitter.com/hM6YH0h60k— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) September 25, 2018
Cannot ever remember another UN General Assembly speech where a US president was laughed at, for a line that was not intended as a punch line— Josh Lederman (@JoshNBCNews) September 25, 2018
UN General Assembly openly laughs at Trump claiming his administration has accomplished more than any other American administration. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the general assembly laugh at an American president before. How humiliating. pic.twitter.com/6QAOPpqF5b— John Aravosis 🇺🇸 (@aravosis) September 25, 2018
While addressing the UN, Trump once again boasted that he had accomplished more than any other President in U.S. history.Laughter broke out across the UN General Assembly at his statement.
Laughter…from the world’s leaders.
Trump is literally the laughing stock of Earth.
— TOᑭ ᖇOᑭE TᖇAViS (@TopRopeTravis) September 25, 2018
And remember, there’s always a tweet: