National Guard leaders in five states have decided to defy the Trump Administration’s ban on transgender troops in the military. The states of California, New Mexico, Oregon, Nevada, and Washington are refusing to discharge their trans soldiers in the National Guard.T
Two months ago, the assistant adjunct general for the California National Guard announced they would not be dismissing trans troops.
‘Nobody’s going to kick you out,’ Major General Matthew Beevers said at the time.
Now, four more states are following suit. The governors of New Mexico, Oregon, Nevada, and Washington have decided to retain their transgender soldiers.
Each of the 50 states have their own National Guard units, primarily under the governor’s control. Because of this, many governors have been emboldened by this chain of command to defy Trump’s discriminatory policy.
New Mexico
‘We are not going to discharge any transgender individual from serving in our state National Guard, nor would this state ever discriminate against someone based on their gender identity,’ a spokesperson for New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said.
Nevada
‘The State of Nevada does not discriminate against anyone, including and especially servicemembers, based on gender identity or expression,’ Helen Kalla, communications director for Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak, told The Daily Beast.
Oregon
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown told The Daily Beast she’s ‘appalled that the Supreme Court is delivering an intentional blow to civil rights by supporting a push from the Trump Administration to bar transgender people from serving in the military.’
‘I will use every option available to ensure that every eligible Oregonian, regardless of gender identity, can serve their state and country,’ Gov. Brown stated.
Washington
In Washington State, a spokesperson for Gov. Jay Inslee told The Daily Beast that they stand ‘in solidarity with transgender Americans across the country in opposing this policy and won’t stop fighting until it is defeated.’
‘Until then, we will continue to welcome transgender service members to the greatest extent possible under the rules,’ the spokesperson continued. ‘It’s our understanding that is what New Mexico is doing as well.’
A study by AARP (American Association of Retired Persons), an organization supporting elders, found that today’s grandparents are more open-minded when it comes to LGBTI grand kids.T
The online survey was conducted between 20 August and 4 September 2018. The results were published April 2019. The survey included 2,654 grandparents ages 38 and up.
According to the study, 4 in 5 of today’s grandparents would be accepting of an LGBTI grandchild
‘In contrast to former generations, today’s grandparents are more accepting of their grandchildren’s different sexualities as well, with a majority saying they would support an LGBT grandchild,’ the report states.
The study shows that today’s grandparents value gender equality and raising girls to be strong and independent. To the question ‘It is important to raise girls to be strong/independent women,’ 42% of respondents agreed, and 49% strongly agreed.
To the question, ‘If my grandchild came out as LGBT, I would accept him/her regardless,’ 46% agreed and 42% strongly agreed.
43% of respondents agreed with the notion that girls and boys should be raised the same.N
However, it seems the idea of non-binary gender identities is still something many grandparents are struggling to grasp. Only 28% agreed that they’d support a non-binary grandchild (plus 9% marking ‘strongly agree’). On the other side, 29% disagreed and 25% strongly disagreed.A
The survey covered many other topics. For instance, having mixed race grandchildren, parenting styles of today, financial support of grand kids, and time spent with grandchildren. Additionally, the survey found that today’s grandparents are welcoming of the internet as a source of information and communication. Eight in ten Boomer and Gen-X grandparents prefer online channels.
Podcasts are a great way to connect to to the global LGBTI community.
They can transport you to a conversation, no matter who you are, or where you are in the world.
Which is why for the Gay Star News Digital Pride festival we brought together some of the best new and up-and-coming LGBTI podcasts from across the world to talk about loneliness and isolation – this year’s theme of the festival.
But don’t just listen to them during Digital Pride, this is our guide to the best LGBTI podcasts out there right now.
Download, subscribe and take these shows, and the Digital Pride festival, with you.
Digital Pride is the only global Pride dedicated to enabling everyone to be part of a Pride, whoever they are and wherever they live in the world. This year, we are focusing on tackling loneliness and isolation. It takes place on Gay Star News from 29 April to 5 May 2019. Find out more or watch the videos now:
The Digital Pride LGBTI podcast collection:
Food 4 Thot
No it’s not about food – they just really liked the pun. In this podcast, a multiracial mix of queer writers talk about sex, relationships, race, identity Listen every week as Dennis Norris II, Joseph Osmundson, Tommy Pico, and Fran Tirado talk what they like to read, and who we like to read. Produced by the Forever Dog Podcast Network.
Throwing Shade is the political comedy podcast hosted by Erin Gibson and Bryan Safi who deliver their fresh takes on pop culture, women’s rights, and LGBT rights with hilarity and – of course – vulgarity. Out every Thursday.
What happens when seven gay men come together to record a podcast? On The Latch is a podcast where no topic is off limits. And yes, expect thot provoking material ahead. They have a new episode every Tuesday. They ask you to send in your dilemmas and dick pics for them to discuss to onthelatchpodcast [at] gmail.com.
In a time where we’re all threatened by hateful rhetoric from the people in power; A Gay And A NonGay is the delightful giggles that challenge many of our differences head-on. Every week James Barr (the Gay) and Dan Hudson (the Nongay) promises to prove to you that no matter who you are, or what you’re into (Bruce Springsteen or Britney), love is love and gay and nongays can be friends.
Digital Pride episode: Out May 8th Best episode to start with: The show is topical, so start at the top of the feed – or deep dive and scroll back to ‘A Gay and a Nongay and a Trans’ for a special episode with Juno Dawson. Spotify / Apple
#QueerAF
Listen for free every week, as a different student, graduate or LGBT+ producer tells their most #QueerAF story on the podcast by National Student Pride. The podcast commissions young LGBT+ producers to tell their own stories that are beyond the binary, sex-positive, challenge mental health, sexuality and identity taboos.
From chemsex, the life of a queer Muslim sex worker, and dating as a non-binary person – the show is sex-positive and taps into what young LGBTI people are talking about because it is told by them.
The ultimate weekly pop culture and dating podcast. Hosted By LGBTI podcaster Martin Joseph and friends Ella Kora and Becky Herszenhorn. Join ‘The Real Brunch’ every week for your weekly dose of celebrity gossip, dating dilemmas and round table topical discussions.
Featuring interviews with inspiring and powerful women and important voices from the LGBTQ+ community – this show is everything brunch should deliver. (Bring your own prosecco and avocado)
Digital Pride episode: ‘Drinks Yoga and Digitial Pride’ ‘with Gay Star News very own Shannon Power and James Besanvalle as guests. Best episode to start with: ‘Brunch with… Gok Wan’ Spotify / Apple
F**Ks Given
The honest, frank and refreshing ‘F**ks Given’ with Come Curious presents a candid exploration of their guests’ sexual histories, from the first f**k to the best f**k. Plus all those the bad, average and comical ones in between. Each episode is an uncensored look at what’s gone on beneath the sheets with a variety of coveted guests.
Digital Pride episode: ‘Discharge and Dirty sheets with Jess‘ Best episode to start with: ‘Size Queens & Surgery with Talulah Eve’ the first ever transgender model to appear on Britain’s Next Top Model. Spotify / Apple
Busy Being Black
Busy Being Black is ultimately a love letter to the queer Black community. On the show, hosted by Josh Rivers, guests regularly speak about combatting loneliness, isolation, shame, stigma and mental health – in order to live more fully in their lives. It features incredible guests each week and is a mixture of inspiration and taboo-breaking conversations.
YouTuber Calum McSwiggan explores everything sex, LGBT+, the outrageous and downright inappropriate! The world’s top drag queens, the UK’s most passionate activists and the funniest names around join Calum each week to discuss everything from trending topics and the porn industry to fetishes and queer representation in the media.
Regular features include reacting to listeners sex confessions and some naughty games for good measure. You can listen live on Fubar at 6pm GMT – or listen back in your podcast app.
Digital Pride episode: ‘73: Lady Peach‘ Best episode to start with: We love the recent LGBT+ History Month episode (64) with Rowan Ellis and Anick in Intersex and Asexual identities Spotify / Apple
Qmmunity
Qmmunity is the LGBTQ+ series that brings together our community to explore who we are as a whole and as individuals. But it also looks back at where we have come from, how we’ve changed & developed and what the future may hold for us.
Hosts Christina and Alexis meet weekly and are joined by a guest to discuss a new topic. The QmmunityPod was this year nominated for a British Podcast ‘Sex and Relationships’ award.
Digital Pride episode: ‘11: Digital Pride – Loneliness‘ Best episode to start with: Start with episode two ‘Our History’ before delving into the archive. Its a great episode on the last 50 years of the modern LGBTI rights movement. Spotify / Apple
Queer Confessions
In this new podcast, Jacob Edward has rounded up their favorite Queers to spilling the tea on their past and YOURS! If you want relatable stories about growing up queer and advice for you the listeners on how to deal with your embarrassing moments – this is the show for you.
Digital Pride episode: S1, E1 ‘It’s Ben Hodge’ Best episode to start with: The show is brand new, listen from the top of the feed. Spotify / Apple
Queers
What the hell is queer theory? Who gets to identify as queer? Does it mean anything to call yourself a “queer ally”? These are the kinds of questions writers Benjamin Riley (writer and journalist) and Simon Copland (PhD Student in Sociology) ask on Queers, a discussion and interview podcast about critical queer politics and culture.
Digital Pride episode: ‘Foxhole Fantasy‘ Best episode to start with: The show is super topical, so start at the most recent episode. Spotify / Apple
Men Talk Health
Just how honest can two men be? Long term Gay Star News supporters, Men Talk Health is the podcast with hosts that have a broad history of mental health issues between them.
Join Davey, Damian, and their friends on a journey to find humour in some of their darkest moments. It’s all to try to get men talking about their own mental health.
Digital Pride: Read Davey’s op-ed about loneliness and mental health. Best episode to start with: ‘Time to talk extravaganza’ with Gay Star News very own Lewis Peters and Joe Morgan as guests. Spotify / Apple
Special mentions:
Though they aren’t part of the Digital Pride festival – if you’ve got this far and are big LGBTI podcast fan – you should also check out these shows:
David’s Out For A Good Time
The Spotify Studios original from the Tumblr star who set the world on fire with ‘The Shitney Spears’ blog. David Olshanetsky is joined by Naledi Dube to chat pop culture, dish out LGBTI advice and speak to amazing celebrity guests every week. We’re big fans of #DO4AGT here at Gay Star News.
Intimate, personal portraits of both known and long-forgotten champions, heroes, and witnesses to history brought to you from rare archival interviews. This long-running podcast from Eric Marcus is a masterpiece. We’re looking forward to the new season and upcoming #Stonewall50 episodes.
From the masters of podcasts, WNYC, Nancy hosts and BFFs Kathy Tu and Tobin Low are the super queer duo ready take over your podcast feed. Join them for provocative stories and frank conversations about the LGBTQ experience today. Because everyone’s a little bit gay. There are so many fantastic stories in this feed including personal stories from the hosts, the audience and contributors all over the US. We feel part of a global LGBTI community listening to your show.
Probably a front runner as one of the longest-running LGBTI podcasts out there, Dan Savage has been improving your sex for over 600 episodes – and still going strong. A community favorite, mixing conversations about sex and politics, we’d be amiss not to nod to the Savage Lovecast.
To some Americans, Buttigieg may just be the man to vanquish America’s demons. In a field of more than 20 candidates—including six Senators, four Congressmen, two governors and a former Vice President—Buttigieg (pronounced Boot-edge-edge) has vaulted from near total obscurity toward the front of the Democratic pack, running ahead of or even with more established candidates and behind only Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders.
Buttigieg is a gay Episcopalian veteran in a party torn between identity politics and heartland appeals. He’s also a fresh face in a year when millennials are poised to become the largest eligible voting bloc. Many Democrats are hungry for generational change, and the two front runners are more than twice his age. But Buttigieg’s greatest political asset may be his ear for languages. He speaks eight, including Norwegian and Arabic, but he’s particularly fluent in the dialect of the neglected industrial Midwest.
Anti-gay preacher James David Manning faces abuse allegations
The preacher is under scrutiny after an investigation by Huffington Post revealedallegations of abuse at the private fundamentalist school attached to the church, also run by Manning.
One former ATLAH High School student, Tamar, alleged that Manning had sexually harassed her and touching her inappropriately.
Aged 18, Tamar secretly recorded a conversation with Manning in which the preacher makes sexual comments and states he had feelings for her when she started at the school.
He says: “You got an incredible body… In fact, like on Wednesday night you came, and you had on a black blouse and black stockings and a gray or something skirt. All I could think about was, ‘Wow, I sure would like to remove those stockings and that blouse,’ and just look at your body.”
James David Manning at ATLAH World Missionary Church in Harlem
Another former student told the outlet that he was locked in a basement for three days by Manning as a punishment for having sex with a girl.
Other students said that homophobia was rife at the school, with Manning frequently railing against evil “faggots.” Others likened Manning’s grip over Atlah congregants to a cult leader.
Four attendees at Atlah church also alleged that Manning encouraged them to “defecate in a bag and leave it at gay-owned businesses.”
The private religious school has been operating for years despite its “registration pending” status with New York state.
A spokesperson for the New York Department of Education told Huffington Post: “The Department takes all allegations of misconduct against certified educators extremely seriously.”
“[We] would encourage anyone that believes they may have been the victim of misconduct to contact us with the appropriate complaint information.”
Anti-gay preacher blames ‘LGBTQ mafia’ for abuse allegations
Manning did not comment on the allegations.
However, in a Twitter storm he claimed: “THE LGBTQ MAFIA IS SPREADING LIES ATTEMPTING A HIT JOB ON OUR CHURCH. THEY WANT HARLEM TO BE WHITE AND HOMOSEXUAL.
“THEY SAY HATE ALL WHO PREACH AGAINST THEIR SEXUAL RACISM. IT WILL BE A COLD DAY IN HELL BEFORE THEY TAKE ME OR ATLAH CHURCH DOWN.”
He added: The LGBQT have attacked The Lord’s House And The Lord’s Servant.
“This attack will fail like a pervert news reporter boarding a bus with a student math protractor. He will fall on the needle and die the death when I stand and preach The Word.”
The Department of Health and Human Services issued the new rules, extending rights for religious objection against an alleged “culture of hostility to conscience concerns in health care.”
It advises healthcare professionals: “You have the right under Federal law to decline to perform, assist in the performance of, refer for, undergo, or pay for certain health care‐related treatments, research, or services (such as abortion or assisted suicide, among others) that violate your conscience, religious beliefs, or moral convictions.”
Nancy Pelosi: Trump rules are ‘bigoted, downright deadly’
In a statement, Pelosi repeated concerns from equal rights groups, who fear the provision is tantamount to a license to discriminate against LGBT+ people.
The Democratic leader said: “These bigoted rules are immoral, deeply discriminatory and downright deadly, greenlighting open discrimination in health care against LGTBQ Americans and directly threatening the well-being of millions.
“Make no mistake: this is an open license to discriminate against Americans who already face serious, systemic discrimination.
“Since Day One, this Administration has waged a cruel campaign of intolerance and discrimination targeting the civil rights of our most vulnerable communities.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks during her weekly news conference on Capitol Hill, May 2, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Mark Wilson/Getty)
“House Democrats fully, flatly reject these attacks on LGBTQ Americans and on the rights of all Americans to get the health care they need and will fight these hateful actions.”
Pelosi recently vowed to pass the Equality Act, a bill that would introduce federal protections outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity for the first time.
Her criticism of the healthcare discrimination rules echo those of LGBT+ campaigners.
Human Rights Campaign Government Affairs Director David Stacy said: “The Trump-Pence administration’s latest attack threatens LGBTQ people by permitting medical providers to deny critical care based on personal beliefs.
“The administration’s decision puts LGBTQ people at greater risk of being denied necessary and appropriate health care solely based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Everyone deserves access to medically necessary care and should never be turned away because of who they are or who they love.”
GLAAD tweeted: “The Trump Administration essentially wants to hand people a license to discriminate against LGBTQ people.”
The ACLU added: “Trump’s HHS issued a rule today allowing for discrimination in health care when there is a ‘moral or religious objection.’
“Preventing people from accessing critical medical care may endanger people’s lives, especially trans people and those seeking reproductive care.”
Nielsen has been tracking the viewing habits of American households for decades, and the nearly century-old company has recently launched a new metric that looks specifically at the viewing habits of same-sex families.
“These breakout numbers demonstrate that there’s a significant audience for LGBTQ programming,” said Zeke Stokes, chief programs officer at the LGBTQ media advocacy group GLAAD, which worked with Nielsen to develop the metric.
Stokes said the new data will be helpful for television networks and advertisers to know that LGBTQ dollars “are important for business, and viewers deserve to have shows with longevity that reflect them.”
Some programs, according to Nielsen’s new metric, show vastly different viewing habits between LGBTQ and general viewers. For the week of April 15, for example, VH1’s “RuPaul’s Drag Race” — a drag queen competition show — and its spinoff series, “Untucked,” were among the top 10 most-watched cable shows in same-sex households. However, the two programs came in 285th and 359th, respectively, among a general audience.
And while sports programming took up six of the top 10 spots among a general audience the week of April 22, there was no sports programing on the same-sex household top 10 list that week.
Other cable shows, like “Game of Thrones,” proved to be a success among both groups. The HBO fantasy epic was the No. 1 cable show among LGBTQ viewers and a general audience the last two weeks of April.
When it comes to cable news programs, there was a marked difference between the general audience and LGBTQ viewers. MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show” was the No. 2 most-watched cable show among LGBTQ viewers, but it didn’t make the top 10 in Nielsen’s general viewership ranking. Fox News’ “Hannity,” however, was the No. 4 most-watched cable program among a general audience, despite having an average finish of 247th among same-sex households.
“It’s no surprise that Rachel Maddow is leading the pack,” Stokes said. “The LGBTQ community is largely a progressive one. They’re going to find news in places friendly to our community.”
The top 10 lists were more similar when comparing broadcast network viewing habits. CBS’ “Big Bang Theory” and “60 Minutes” made the top three in both rankings for the week of April 22.
‘WE DIDN’T BELIEVE THE RATINGS’
GLAAD approached Nielsen about including a breakout count for same-sex households in 2017 after director Dustin Lance Black and television producer Bruce Cohen expressed concern that Nielsen’s numbers did not reflect the full popularity of LGBTQ-centered programing.
Black, the Oscar-winning writer of “Milk,” and Cohen worked together on the 2017 ABC series “When We Rise,” a four-part mini-series about LGBTQ activists who pioneered the modern gay rights movement. The series received low ratings throughout its time on television.
“We didn’t believe the ratings for ‘When We Rise’ matched the intensity of the level of engagement and intensity of the LGBTQ community we were seeing on social media,” Stokes explained.
GLAAD emphasized that the same-sex spouses and partners count would be useful to advertisers who want to specifically reach LGBTQ audiences in its discussions and the two organizations then partnered to actualize the count.
In October 2018, Nielsen announced that it would tally LGBTQ viewers in its National TV Panel and has been providing clients with this data since then.
“These are useful insights to our clients from both a content development and advertising perspective as this represents a market that is often affluent and upwardly mobile,” Brian Fuhrer, Nielsen’s SVP of product leadership, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s an important first step and was both good business and the right thing to do.”
Last year, GLAAD’s “Where We Are on TV” report found that there are more LGBTQ characters on television now than ever before. With shows like “Supergirl,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and “Pose,” the percentage of queer characters on broadcast primetime has reached an unprecedented level with one in 11 characters identifying as openly LGBTQ.
Stokes said GLAAD will continue to work with Nielsen toward counting LGBTQ individuals — instead of just same-sex couples, as is the case now — so that a fuller picture regarding who enjoys what programming can be achieved.
Following global condemnation, Brunei has announced it will not enforce the death penalty as a punishment for gay sex.
The small country in Southeast Asia was met with a great deal of criticism after announcing on 3 April that it will uphold Sharia Law. With this, they would be punishing sodomy, adultery, and rape with death, including by stoning. Numerous corporations, governments, rights groups, and high-profile individuals like Richard Branson, Sir Elton John, and George Clooney have come out against Brunei’s new law.
Backtracking
Now, the nation’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah has backtracked. He stated that the death penalty would not be enforced in the implementation of the Syariah Penal Code Order (SPCO).
Crimes such as trafficking and premeditated murder are already punished by the death penalty in Brunei. However, the country has not carried out an execution since the 1990s, according to the Independent. Interestingly, a UN report states that the nation hasn’t executed anyone since 1957.
‘I am aware that there are many questions and misperceptions [sic] with regard to the implementation of the SPCO. However, we believe that once these have been cleared, the merit of the law will be evident,’ Sultan Bolkiah said in a statement ahead of the Muslim holiday of Ramadan.
‘As evident for more than two decades, we have practiced a de facto moratorium on the execution of death penalty for cases under the common law. This will also be applied to cases under the SPCO, which provides a wider scope for remission.’
In a unique turn of events, the Sultan’s office released a full English translation of his speech. This is not something the nation of Brunei commonly does.
‘Both the common law and the Syariah [sic] law aim to ensure peace and harmony of the country,’ the Sultan said. ‘They are also crucial in protecting the morality and decency of the country as well as the privacy of individuals.’
Anything else?
The Independent reports that Brunei has signed the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. However, it has not yet been ratified in the nation.
Under internationally-recognized human rights law, all forms of corporal punishment (including stoning, whipping, and amputation) are barred.
In 2017, West Hollywood’s Plummer Park hosted an exhibit titled Lesbians to Watch Out For: ’90s Queer L.A. Activism. – Advertisement –
On display were banners, pamphlets, radical texts and street flyers that told of a time gone by in Los Angeles: a time when the lesbian scene wasn’t just thriving but on the verge of creating major social change. Though it’s disheartening to think about how the city has changed in regard to holding and maintaining lesbian spaces, it’s something we shouldn’t allow ourselves to gloss over and forget. At least, not if we want the community to thrive.
Before the Internet came and rapidly commodified all queer identities, L.A. was more than just a lesbian hub. It was a lesbian destination spot. It’s difficult to take into account just how prevalent gay girl identity was before the bars started closing and the neighborhoods started closing themselves off to more radical, less commercially-viable ways of fighting against the Man. From the Girlbar L.A. dance party (possibly the inspiration for “The L Word’s” ‘Shebar”) to 1940s and ‘50s favorites like Joani Presents and The Star Room, this town was chock full of places where ladies could be in the company of ladies (and more than a few drag kings.) Needless to say, the glory days of the lesbian bar have come and gone. In a recent Twitter thread between L.A. writer and editor Trish Bendix and novelist Roxane Gay, the lack of lesbian bars in the city was starkly exposed.
“Are there any lesbian bars in L.A.?” Gay tweeted. “If this was something I could find with Google I wouldn’t have asked. Guess what? There aren’t any. So it’s not a crazy question.”
“Just pop-up parties,” Bendix replied, “weeklies and monthlies or other sporadic events. There’s not a go-to spot where you’re guaranteed to find queer women en masse on any given day. But if you want to come play dominoes with a group of dykes tonight in Eagle Rock, I got you.”
How did it come to this? How did Los Angeles change from a dyke mecca to a town where you have to settle for Domino night?
Perhaps the answer lies in some of the artifacts from the past. If you can get past the initial depression brought on by the constant reminder of better days long past, you’ll be able to see not just the sheer volume of lesbian activism and social activities on offer, you’ll also get a sense of just how diverse it was. A flyer from Lesbian Visibility Week in 1990 promotes a “Dykes and Their Dogs” pet show. Notices from the late ‘80s and ‘90s promote marches, ACT UP meetings, all-girl dance parties, and get-togethers that do what dykes do best: promote social justice and activism while having an amazingly hot time on the dance floor.
So what happened to the ground-breaking feminism of the early ‘90s? What happened to the protest signs reading “Dykes Reclaim the Universe” and “Eat Pussy, Not Cow?” While queer activism hasn’t died, it looks a whole lot different in this century. While queer spaces and events like Folklore Salon, Cuties, Project Q, Lez Croix, and Dyke Day exist to provide social justice-oriented queer folks with a community, many of the specifically lesbian-identified events only pop up a few times a year, usually during Pride Week. If you want to go to a lesbian bar, you’ll have to hit Long Beach or settle for a few more fluid options in Los Angeles proper, such as Akbar or Oil Can Harry’s.
Maybe we’ll never get back to the glory days of Dyke activism. But one thing’s for certain: When it comes to the L.A. social scene, there should always be at least a handful of places for girls who love girls to hang out in, party in and change the world in.
Iowa Republicans have launched an eleventh-hour plot to cut off funding for transgender people’s healthcare.
Republicans in the Iowa Senate launched a surprise attack on Friday (April 26), quietly slipping in an amendment to a crucial healthcare funding bill taking aim at transgender people.
Iowa Republicans ‘slip in’ amendment to cut off transgender healthcare funding
The amendment, penned by Senator Mark Costello, carves a broad exemption into non-discrimination healthcare laws, stipulating that civil rights measures “shall not require any state or local government unit or tax-supported district to provide for sex reassignment surgery or any other cosmetic, reconstructive, or plastic surgery procedure related to transsexualism, hermaphroditism, gender identity disorder, or body dysmorphic disorder.”
LGBT+ rights campaigners say the provisions are a “deliberate and brazen attempt to quietly rollback the rights of transgender Iowans,” handing officials the power to indefinitely block transgender healthcare provisions.
The bill had already cleared the Iowa House before the amendment was slipped in, meaning the funding bill has been cleared to head to to the desk of Governor Kim Reynolds despite calls for a vote in the lower chamber on stripping the amendment.
Campaigners hit out at ‘disturbing’ attack on trans people
ACLU of Iowa executive director Mark Stringer said: “The amendment to the Health and Human Services budget bill is dangerous and harmful. It risks people’s health and lives to score political points.
“Banning Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming surgery would bring significant harm to people who rely on Medicaid and who desperately need this surgery. This is a matter of life and death.
“This cruel amendment has no basis in medicine or science. Every major medical association agrees gender dysphoria is a serious medical condition and that surgical treatment is medically necessary for some transgender people.
“That includes the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the National Association of Social Workers, and the World Professional Association of Transgender Health (WPATH).
“It is a clear violation of equal protection under the Iowa Constitution because it would discriminate against people simply because they are transgender.”
The bill also seeks to block sex education funding from going to Planned Parenthood, which Stringer warns would “be extremely detrimental for our state and would likely reduce the progress that has been made in reducing the teenage pregnancy rate, among other positive gains in sex education.”
JoDee Winterhof of Human Rights Campaign added: “As a native Iowan, it’s disturbing to see lawmakers in my home state trying to roll back the clock on progress and discriminating against transgender people at the eleventh legislative hour.
“These lawmakers should be focusing on ways to improve the health and wellbeing of all Iowans, not targeting transgender people to win cheap political points.
“Now, Gov. Kim Reynolds should reject this patently discriminatory legislative language.”
Reynolds, a Republican, is yet to say whether she will sign the bill.
In a statement to KCCI, a spokesperson said: “The governor appreciates and will consider all feedback from Iowans on the various pieces of legislation that is now on her desk.
“In the coming weeks, she will review each bill with her policy team and then make a decision.”
