Midterm elections are taking place today (6 November) in the US and many are thrilled with the several LGBTI candidates running for office.
However, not everyone is happy with this ‘rainbow wave’ that could change the political scenario.
Some of these crucial candidates’ opponents and their supporters have whipped up prejudice against them with anti-LGBTI flyers.
A Republican on his gay opponent ‘and the man he calls his “husband”‘
The mailer targeting Smith Jr. (right) and his husband (center).
As the Pittsburgh Current reported in early November, Republican Daryl Metcalfe currently serving Butler County, Pennsylvania, highlighted in a series of flyers that his Democratic opponent, Daniel Smith Jr. is gay.
Smith Jr. is indeed an out gay man. Looking at the mailers sent to voters seems that Smith Jr.’s sexual orientation is the only argument Metcalfe’s supporters have.
‘Smith Jr. endorsed by liberal gay activist groups and unions,’ the flyer reads in bold.
Moreover, Metcalfe belittled Smith Jr.’s marriage.
A picture of Smith Jr. with his husband and Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf at Pittsburgh PrideFest is on another mailer, as reported by The Daily Beast.
The caption reads: ‘Smith Jr. and the man he calls his “husband.”‘
Metcalfe, endorsed by the National Rifle Association (NRA), has a track record of opposing LGBTI equality.
He was against Philadelphia’s program to market the city to LGBTI tourists.
Furthermore, after the Supreme Court in 2013 ruled the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional, openly gay state representative Brian Sims tried to make a speech in the Pennsylvania House supporting the decision. Metcalfe was one of several representatives who blocked Sims from speaking. He labeled Sims’s speech as ‘open rebellion against what the word of God has said’.
Several other episodes of LGBTI discrimination
This is only the latest incident targeting an LGBTI candidate.
The Conservative Republicans of Harris County sent out some mailers in Houston. They asked voters to ‘remember when the Democrats wanted to allow men to enter into women’s public bathrooms’.
The line is a reference to the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO), an LGBTI nondiscrimination measure that has been repealed.
The mailer also features a picture of a drag queen next to a crying baby captioned ‘Help me!’ It warned that ‘Democrats Support A Drag Queen Story Hour (For Kids)’.
Houston Public Library hosts a monthly Drag Queen Storytime event. According to the organizers, ‘these vibrant Queens will help to instill a sense of love and acceptance in our children while encouraging them to be true to themselves’.
Trans candidates are constantly misgendered
Rodney Garcia’s mailer targeting his trans opponent Amelia Marquez.
Trans candidates have to deal with the frustration of being misgendered by their opponents.
Amelia Marquez might become the first transgender person elected into Montana’s House of Representatives.
In an interview with the Missoulian Independent, her opponent Rodney Garcia repeatedly referred to Marquez by her birth name.
When the reporters reminded him of her legal name, he said he deadnamed her out of ‘respect and courtesy’.
He then added: ‘I just got a door hanger on my door and it says [Amelia] too, but I go by her given name.’
A pro-Garcia mailer also accused Marquez of supporting the statement ‘Men should be allowed to use the women’s restrooms.’
‘Get ready to win’
Trans Democratic representative for Virginia Danica Roem reminded trans candidates in the midterm elections of her journey.
‘2017: The Republican Party of Virginia paid for two transphobic mailers against me. I then won by 8%,’ she wrote.
‘2018: RPV launched another transphobic web attack against me. And then we expanded Medicaid,’ she continued.
She then said: ‘To candidate putting up with this garbage: get ready to win.’
The House and Senate are red. The Trump Administration is directly targeting the LGBTQ+ community on a weekly basis. Your. Vote. Matters.
With midterms just around the corner, it is not only important to vote, but be an informed voter as well. Democrats across the nation have seen a swell of LGBTQ+ candidates running for various positions.
“I think candidates are running because they see it’s possible,” Victory Fund President Annise Parker said. “They see the need for more LGBTQ candidates to get involved in the process. But they now see clear evidence that we can win at the very highest levels of government.” Victory Fund is agroup endorses viable LGBTQ candidates.
Currently, there are only six out LGBTQ House members and one lesbian senator. There will be at least 22 LGBTQ+ candidates on the ballot for House seats, several in highly competitive districts that will determine control of the House. Among the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s “Red To Blue” candidates – those with a good chance at flipping a GOP-controlled House seat, as reported by NPR – is Katie Hill (D), running for the U.S. House of Representatives, CA-25.
In October, President Barack Obama endorsed Hill, who is bisexual, and 21 other openly LGBTQ-identifying candidates.
“President Obama is endorsing candidates who are passionate about public service and committed to making a positive difference in people’s lives, so it is unsurprising so many of our LGBTQ candidates are on the list,” Parker said. “The experiences and struggles of LGBTQ leaders make them authentic, values-driven candidates who understand the pain and difficulties so many are facing right now. We are part of every community and every constituency – women, people of color, immigrants and religious minorities – and that diversity strengthens and refines our perspectives. LGBTQ people are running for office in historic numbers not just because our community needs us, but because America needs us.”
According to Victory Fund data, a total of 430 openly LGBTQ+ candidates have run for office at every level of government this year. The Midterm Elections are on Tuesday, Nov. 6.
Seven days … to turn out in masses to flip the House and the Senate and elect pro-equality candidates up and down the ballot! In this final countdown, it’s crucial to make sure your friends and family are committed to voting, too — and that when they get to their polling place, they’re voting for candidates and initiatives that support the LGBTQ community.
Talk to them about issues that matter to you … help them learn what’s on their ballot … even offer to go with them or give them a ride. Lending a helping hand to those important people in your life can make all the difference!
HRC President Chad Griffin has travelled to more than 30 key districts in 18 states over the past several weeks to drum up support in must-win races. And in the wake of last week’s explosive New York Times report revealing the administration’s secret plans to “erase” transgender people and exclude LGBTQ people from federal civil rights protections, he recorded a message about how we can use Election Day to counter this latest attack.
Few senators currently serving in public office are as scary as Ted Cruz and, this year, we are going to send him packing. Cruz has spent his career undermining the rights of LGBTQ people for his own political gain — he is a true enemy of equality, and a Trump-Pence follower who has to go. HRC is proudly supporting his opponent, Beto O’Rourke — and working hard to shut down Cruz come election day.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin made history in 2012 as both the first openly LGBTQ senator in U.S history and the first woman senator from Wisconsin. Now, we need to keep her there! Republicans are using every weapon in their arsenal — vicious attack ads, influential conservative donors and hateful rhetoric about her record — to ensure she loses her seat. So, it’s on us to work harder and smarter to turn out Wisconsin voters for her reelection.
Not in the “going outside” kind of mood? You can make a difference right from your house by making calls for key candidates! Sign up here.
Our team has made a real commitment to this election … with more than 145 HRC staff on the ground leading GOTV efforts in 23 states, training hundreds of local organizers and volunteers across the country and educating voters.
“I wanted to make a difference and volunteering with HRC gave me that opportunity.”
Feeling fired up and want to help at this critical time?Contribute to HRC’s election work through HRC’s Equality Votes PAC. We’re on the front lines, fighting tooth and nail to elect pro-equality candidates — but with billionaires backing our opponents, we need more grassroots support.
The Democratic Party hopes to paint Congress in blue at the midterm elections—but there is more than one colour in the spectrum of candidates hoping to win political office on November 6.
LGBT+ people are severely underrepresented across all levels of politics in the US. The 21 openly LGBT+ candidates running for the House of Representatives, the two in the run for Senate seats, and the four hoping to win their state’s gubernatorial race could be about to break barriers on November 6.
In a sign of the extreme political divide on LGBT+ issues, all 27 of the out LGBT+ candidates are Democrats, with no Republican candidates running for major political office publicly identifying as LGBT+.
University of North Carolina politics professor Andrew Reynolds, an expert on LGBT+ representation in politics, is however cautious in predicting widespread electoral success for the Rainbow Wave, telling PinkNews that “small increases” in LGBT+ representation are the most likely outcome.
For several LGBT+ candidates, their close-fought races continue to hang in the balance ahead of election day. PinkNews took a look at the most closely-watched races.
Tammy Baldwin (Senate, Wisconsin)
US Democratic Senator from Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin, the first openly gay senator (NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty)
The Human Rights Campaign notes that Vukmir “has repeatedly taken extreme positions far outside the mainstream,” and has derailed efforts to pass common sense protections for LGBT+ people in the state, including protections for LGBT+ youth facing discrimination and bullying at school.
Baldwin said: “As more members of the LGBTQ community are elected and become public servants, [our] voices will become louder.
“But for now, we must do everything we can to promote tolerance and fight discrimination. We have work to do until we achieve full acceptance and equality.”
An NBC News/Marist poll on October 3 has Baldwin with 54 percent of the vote, 14 points ahead of Vukmir on 40 percent.
Her opponent, Republican Martha McSally, has supported Trump’s ban on transgender troops in the military and backed ‘freedom to discriminate’ laws.
During her time in Congress, Sinema has co-sponsored the Equality Act, which would amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to also ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Annise Parker of LGBTQ Victory Fund, a PAC seeking to support LGBT+ elected officials, said that this race is important ”not just for the Democratic party and for the LGBTQ community, but for all Americans who demand an end to the political divisiveness that Martha McSally embodies.”
She added that the result in the race will be a “defining moment” for the ‘Rainbow Wave,’ and will further “the evolution in how Americans view LGBTQ people and candidates.”
Polling shows the vote on a knife-edge. A CBS News/YouGov poll on October 5 showed Sinema leading McSally by 47 percent to 44, but a New York Times poll on October 19 showed her trailing by 46 percent to 48, firmly within the poll’s margin for error.
Kate Brown (Governor, Oregon)
Oregon Governor Kate Brown (Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images)
Victory Fund, which is backing Brown, praised her work to date in advancing legislation that improves the lives of LGBTQ veterans and trans people.
It added: “When she wins in November, Governor Kate Brown will remain a strong leader for equality and inclusion in Oregon, and that is why Victory Fund is thrilled to endorse her for reelection.”
Brown has a lead over lead over Republican Knute Buehler, with an OPB/DHM poll on October 11 showing her with 40 percent to Buehler’s 35.
Christine Hallquist (Governor, Vermont)
There are currently no transgender politicians in federal or statewide office across any of the 50 states, with the sole example of trans representation in American politics limited to Virginia lawmaker Danica Roem.
But Christine Hallquist, the Democratic candidate for Governor of Vermont, is hoping to change that.
If elected, Hallquist could become the first openly transgender politician in the US. She faces an uphill battle against incumbent Republican Governor Phil Scott, but Vermont has a reputation for picking outsiders—not least one Senator Bernie Sanders, who was first elected as an Independent in 2006 and was re-elected in 2012.
Speaking to The Hill, she said: “I told the campaign team right in the beginning that if we’re successful and the more successful we get, the more hatred, the more vitriol and more death threats would occur.
“I think it’s a natural outcome of where our country is today. We are a divided country… I land that squarely at the administration in Washington.
“I should tell you, it doesn’t scare me at all (…) We lay our lives on the line for a healthy democracy.”
An October 14 Braun Research poll had Scott on 42 percent of the vote, ahead of Hallquist on 28, with 22 percent still undecided.
But Democratic candidate Lupe Valdez has picked up momentum in her challenge against anti-LGBT Republican incumbent Greg Abbott, as the red state turns a deep shade of purple thanks to increased support for Democrats.
Her campaign could be buoyed by a surge in support for Beto O’Rourke, the Democratic challenger for the state’s Senate seat against incumbent Ted Cruz, who is up for election on the same day.
O’Rourke has led a fiery challenge against anti-LGBT Senator Cruz, with a surge in popular support bringing a competitiveness not generally seen in Texas races.
If elected, Valdez would become one of the first out LGBT+ official in Texas.
Speaking at a rally, Valdez said: “We’re going to make it happen. A stronger and fair Texas. A tolerant and diverse Texas. A Texas where the everyday person has a voice and a shot just as I did.”
Addressing the odds at the same event, she said: “Please tell me when I didn’t have an uphill battle… I am getting darn good at uphill battles, and I’m not done yet.”
A CNN poll on October 13 shows Valdez trailing Abbott by 18 points, with 39 percent of the vote to his 57 percent.
Jared Polis (Governor, Colorado)
Jared Polis in 2014 (Chip Somodevilla/Getty)
Polis has been one of the leading lights for LGBT+ rights in the House of Representatives, co-chairing the LGBT Equality Caucus and co-sponsoring the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which federally recognises anti-LGBT hate crimes.
He is now running to become governor of Colorado, and if successful would be the first openly gay man elected governor in the United States.
Polis said: “I think it really gives Colorado an opportunity to stick a thumb in the eye of Mike Pence, whose view of America is not as inclusive as where America is today.”
He faces Republican candidate Walker Stapleton.
Victory Fund praised the work of Polis in Congress, adding that he is “someone we can all count on to fight and win the tough battles.”
The organisation said: “Whether as an entrepreneur creating hundreds of jobs, a superintendent at a school for vulnerable kids, or a representative fighting on the front lines for LGBTQ equality, Jared’s entire career has been defined by turning bold ideas into real results for Americans from all walks of life.
“We will be proud to stand by him when he becomes the first openly gay person to be elected governor.”
A Magellan poll on October 10 showed Polis on 47 percent, seven points ahead of Stapleton on 40 percent.
Gina Ortiz Jones (House, Texas-23)
Jones is the Democratic candidate for Texas’s 23rd congressional district in the House of Representatives, challenging incumbent Republican Rep. Will Hurd.
The Air Force veteran could become the first openly gay woman of colour from Texas elected to Congress.
Her opponent’s seat is one of the most vulnerable in Texas in the event of a Democratic surge, with Hurd having retained the seat in 2014 and 2016 by fewer than 3,000 votes—lower than the number of votes attracted by third-party candidates.
Hurd has a poor record on LGBT+ rights, scoring 48 on the Human Rights Campaign’s Congressional scorecard.
Equality PAC Chair Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) said that Gina Ortiz Jones is “exactly the kind of candidate we need to gain a pro-equality majority in 2018.”
Takano explained: “Gina bravely served our country in uniform under Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, and knows first hand the corrosive effect of anti-LGBT policies.
“Her voice and perspective will be an invaluable addition to not just debates on equality, but military readiness, national security, health care policy, and all the myriad issues members of Congress face every day.”
New York Times polling on October 18 showed Ortiz Jones with 38 percent of the vote, trailing Hurd with 53 percent.
The political hopeful worked on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, before serving as a White House Fellow under President Barack Obama.
Yoder has a zero rating from the Human Rights Campaign for his LGBT+ rights voting record, opposing same-sex marriage.
However, Davids has an uphill battle, given the district’s strong Republican leaning.
Victory Fund’s Parker said: “Sharice’s commitment to smart public policy that addresses the real concerns of constituents makes her the best candidate for Kansas’ 3rd congressional district. When she wins [in] November, Sharice will become a vital LGBTQ voice.”
A New York Times poll on October 17 shows Davids with a health lead in the race. She is on 48 points, ahead of Yoder on 39 percent.
Katie Hill (House, California-25)
Katie Hill (Katie Hill for Congress)
Homelessness charity boss Katie Hill is the Democratic candidate for California’s 25th congressional district in the House of Representatives.
Knight was behind a 2016 plot to pass a law permitting sweeping anti-LGBT discrimination in all federal agencies by attaching it to a defence spending bill.
He was accused of “catering to right wing extremists who would turn back the clock on equality” with the proposal to exempt religious contractors from anti-discrimination rules.
Annise Parker of Victory Fund said that the race is a key battle between a “positive, solutions-oriented vision” and the “politics of hate and destruction.”
Parker added: “Steve Knight and his family made careers out of attacking LGBTQ people and working to rollback equal rights. Now, voters have an opportunity to defeat him with an openly bisexual woman who has pledged to represent all her constituents.”
The Republican narrowly won the seat in 2014 and 2016, and polling shows the race is on a knife-edge between the two.
An October 4 UC Berkeley poll has Hill on 50 percent, ahead of Knight on 46 percent, but a New York Times/Siena poll on September 19 showed Knight with a two-point lead, on 47 percent to Hill’s 45.
Norman Goldwasser, by day, is an Orthodox Jewish therapist at Horizon Psychological Services who compares homosexuality to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and misleads clients by claiming that their sexual orientation can be changed with his special brand of quack therapy, which is rejected by every respected medical and mental health association. By night, an undercover investigation by Truth Wins Out has found, he solicits sexual partners on Manhunt, a gay dating App, using the profile “Hotnhairy72.” During our operation, Goldwasser, going by the pseudonym “Dave”, offered to meet for sex with our operative, “Brandon,” at a Fort Lauderdale motel room. Goldwasser also had a profile on Bear Nation by the same name.
This latest scandal comes as the new movie Boy Erased (Starring Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, and Russell Crowe) has brought a renewed spotlight to the issue of the harm caused by “ex-gay” programs.
“Norman Goldwasser’s double life of unconscionable lies highlights the rank hypocrisy and predatory nature of the fraudulent ‘ex-gay’ industry,” said Truth Wins Out Executive Director Wayne Besen. “We urge every state to ban the scourge of conversion therapy that attacks the mental health of LGBT youth and puts them in harms way.” Besen is the author of Anything Bust Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth.
According to the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) Born Perfect Campaign, 14 states and the District of Colombia have laws that prohibit conversion therapy for minors. Unfortunately, there is a loophole for religious groups to abuse minors with their companion “pray away the gay” programs.
Truth Wins Out does not engage in the outing of people participating in ex-gay programs unless there is overwhelming hypocrisy, exchange of commerce, and the threat of harm to LGBT youth. The Goldwasser outing passes all three tests.
“Goldwasser can’t claim his personal life is none of our business when trying to ‘cure’ LGBT people is his business,” said Besen. “Here is a case where a charlatan is committing consumer fraud by misleading clients and adversely affecting their mental health. We are particularly concerned when Goldwassser’s scam preys on young people susceptible to his charade.”
Linked to the disgraced and now defunct Jewish “ex-gay” organization, Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality (JONAH), Goldwasser is controversial, once having a speaking appearance cancelled in Australia after people learned of his intolerant views. He is a signatory of the deeply homophobic “Declaration of the Torah Approach to Homosexuality,” which proclaims that recent acceptance of LGBT people is due to public relations efforts. According to the Declaration: “A propaganda blitz has been sweeping the world using political tactics to persuade the public about the legitimacy of homosexuality.”
A star of the conversion therapy movement, Goldwasser co-wrote a paper in 2006 with notorious conversion therapy proponent David Matheson, “Holistic Therapy: A Comprehensive, Clinical Approach to the Treatment of SSA.” The term SSA is used as shorthand in conversion therapy circles for “Same Sex Attraction.” The paper is gratuitously anti-gay and extremely offensive, habitually confusing crass stereotypes with actual science. In one section, homosexuality, which is not a mental health disorder or disease, is casually pathologized and compared to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder:
“Individuality/Uniqueness – Each person has his/her own unique individuality – there are no two person who are exactly alike. Two people with SSA can be completely different in every other aspect of their lives and psychological makeup and cannot be grouped solely based on their common challenge. Similarly, OCD can manifest itself in countless different variations, subtypes, and combinations. Describing a group of individuals only in terms of OCD compromises and distorts the comprehensive and accurate clinical picture of each individual.”
Goldwasser has also funneled clients into the predatory and ineffective Journey into Manhood (JIM) program, where gay men are taken into the woods to participate in what are considered “manly” activities to change their sexual orientation from gay to heterosexual. They are also falsely diagnosed as having become gay because of poor parental relationships or not participating in sports. The program is controversial, because some who have attended JIM say the program includes bizarre and inappropriate cuddling sessions. The fact that Goldwasser was caught on Manhunt, highlights why Truth Wins Out has frequently referred to the JIM program as “Journey into Manhunt.”
In a 2015 talk delivered by Goldwasser in Israel, he falsely conflated homosexuality and sexual abuse, and joked with the audience about a client who lived on gay-friendly Miami Beach saying, “…do you know what South Beach is? Do you know what the connotation of South Beach is?”
Founded in 2006, Truth Wins Out is a nonprofit think tank and advocacy organization that fights against right wing extremism and anti-LGBT prejudice and discrimination.
November is observed across the United States as Native American Heritage Month. In this interview with History Happens, GLBT Historical Society board member J. Miko Thomas offers perspectives on the importance of Two-Spirit heritage for both LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ people. “Two Spirit” is a notion shared among many Native American tribes that describes individuals who feel they naturally manifest both masculine and feminine spiritual qualities.
Thomas is a former co-chair of Bay Area American Indian Two Spirits, an organization committed to activism and service to Two-Spirit and ally communities of the Bay Area. Thomas first became involved with LGBTQ and Native American organizing at the University of Oklahoma, then served in the U.S. Navy before settling in San Francisco. A Chickasaw writer, musician, artist and activist, Thomas is renowned for performing as the larger-than-life Landa Lakes. Among the honors Thomas has received are the New York Fresh Fruit Festival Performance Award and the KQED LGBT Local Hero Award.
What are some of the essential messages of Native American Heritage Month?
A Native identity comes from culture. It’s not just the genealogical fabric and the stories that you are told; it’s a living, breathing, vibrant community. We have survived for half a millennium against the odds of genocide, diseases unknown to us and oppression — but we are still resilient.
Why does Two-Spirit history matter for both LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ people?
Two-Spirit history is important for both LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ people because it gives us a sense that our ancestors respected all members of the community. For many Native people growing up, they can be unaware of the history that has existed for us. Learning about this history gives us a feeling of connectedness.
For non-Natives, Two-Spirit history informs them that LGBTQ people have existed here before what they think of as the start of gay history with the Stonewall Riots in 1969. And maybe it will inspire them to look not only into the history of Natives, but also into the tapestry of the many gay rights pioneers that were queer before it was “cool.”
How can Two-Spirit histories be acknowledged and preserved for future generations?
The GLBT Historical Society and the community at large can help support Two-Spirit histories by giving us space. So many times, Native people are overlooked except when it comes to saying a prayer. There is more substance to us than just our spiritual side. The analogy that we want a space at the table is only a part of it; we also want to be heard.
I think people are surprised to learn that Native people had cultures that were accepting of Two Spirits because they think of Natives only in terms of the two-dimensional characters in cowboy movies. They’re missing the real meat of our culture, which says that everyone has a place and everyone is welcome.
Nalini Elias serves as program manager for the GLBT Historical Society.
NOTE: In collaboration with Bay Area American Indian Two Spirits, the GLBT Historical Society has organized a series of programs focused on the Two-Spirit experience. For the full list, see Upcoming Events below.
The library did not immediately confirm whether the books—which included young adult novel Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan and illustrated LGBT+ history book This Day in June by Gayle Pitman—would be replaced following the incident.
Paul Dorr filmed himself burning Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan
A Facebook fundraiser launched by Justin Scott, the Iowa state director of American Atheists, has crowdfunded $1,321 to help “fill the Orange City Library with even more books that celebrate the life experiences and contributions of LGBTQ+ people.”
Separate fundraisers on GoFundMe have raised a further $2,300 to supply LGBT+ books to libraries across the US after the incident, making a total of $3,621.
Scott said in a Facebook post: “I’m thinking Paul Dorr would have been better off keeping his homophobia and transphobia to himself.
“Look at the outpouring of support—from Christians, atheists and everyone in between—that the LGBTQ+ community has received as a result of his disgusting stunt.”
Paul Dorr burned Families, Families, Families! by Suzanne Lang.
Dorr has said he has no intention of paying for the books he destroyed. He has several weeks to pay a library fine, but could be charged with fifth-degree misdemeanour theft if he does not.
The charge comes with a maximum sentence of 30 days in jail and a $625 fine.
In Dorr’s Facebook Live video, he said: “I cannot stand by and let the shameful adults at the Orange City Library Board bring the next group of little children into their foul, sexual reality without a firm resistance.”
Dorr expressed the belief that people become gay because of “the harm that adults did to you as children” and urges LGBT+ people to “walk away from your degeneracy… repent and turn back to Christ.”
The burning books
Levithan’s Two Boys Kissing was ranked as the fifth most-banned book during the American Library Association’s annual Banned Books Week in 2016.
There have been renewed attacks on LGBT+ content in US public libraries in recent months.
In September, Rumford Public Library in Maine faced pressure to ban LGBT+ books including Two Boys Kissing from its display of frequently-banned books, after evangelicals claimed they were inappropriate for children.
The application process for the largest national LGBTQ+ scholarship program is opening next week.
On average, LGBTQ students accrue $16,000 more debt on than their heterosexual peers, according to a survey by StudentLoanHero.com.
Queer-identifying students enrolling in an undergraduate or graduate program for the 2019-2020 school year can can apply for a Point Foundation Scholarship, an L.A.-based organization that currently provides financial assistance to 97 students throughout the U.S.
Nearly a third of LGBTQ+ students report being discriminated against based on gender identity or sexual orientation when seeking financial assistance for higher education.
“Despite the constant attacks on our community, our LGBTQ young people are eager to develop the skills they need to fight back against discrimination and become the leaders our country so desperately needs,” Point Foundation Executive Director Jorge Valencia said. ”These students’ determination to create an equitable society that values and celebrates diversity needs to be – and can be – realized with our support.”
To receive a Point Foundation Scholarship, candidates must demonstrate academic excellence, leadership skills, community involvement and financial need. Attention is given to applicants who have experienced marginalization and/or are working to improve the lives of marginalized groups, particularly the LGBTQ community, according to a press release.
“I am bigger than the discrimination that threatens my black Trans existence every day,” said Nik Clark, a social work student at California State University. I am somebody. I’m a leader… I’m going to change the world by living authentically and unapologetically in my truth.”
Applications for the Point Foundation Scholarships open online November 1, 2018 at www.pointfoundation.org/apply.Students may submit their application until 11:59 p.m. PST January 28, 2019. The 2019 class of Point Foundation Scholarship recipients will be announced in June 2019 for LGBTQ Pride Month.
A new national survey captures the feelings of a strong majority of Americans who believe that businesses should not be allowed to deny services to people based on their sexual orientation (81%) or gender identity (80%). In a comparable question, 75% of Americans believe that when a business opens their door to the public, they should be open to all and serve everyone on the same terms. The results of TheHarris Poll®, conducted in conjunction with Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, may be found in full online at https://theharrispoll.com/americans-insist-that-businesses-should-be-open-to-all-and-the-government-needs-to-do-more-to-protect-lgbtq-rights/To amplify this finding, the survey also reports that nearly 9 out of 10 (89%) Americans say they are very likely or somewhat likely to support or shop at a business that does not discriminate on sexual orientation or gender identity, along with race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, religion or disability. By the same overwhelming margin (89%), Americans also say they are very likely or somewhat likely to work for a business that does not discriminate on all these characteristics.
Erin Uritus, CEO of Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, welcomed the results: “In our extensive experience, Americans are sincerely accepting and welcoming. These ingrained beliefs are mirrored by business leaders who understand that all forms of discrimination are toxic for the marketplace and workplace. Out & Equal has helped shape and accelerate this culture by educating corporations and advocating for the equality of LGBT workplaces for over two decades.”
Uritus added that the post-Masterpiece era today has emboldened corporations to strengthen their commitment to nondiscrimination. This past June, the U.S. Supreme Court narrowly ruled in favor of a Colorado baker who relied on his religious beliefs to refuse to prepare a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. “The tide is rising for acceptance globally and not just here in the U.S. That evidence is best shown by the many multinational brands and executives who join us at this year’s Summit.”
These and other findings were included in the 2018 Out & Equal Workplace Survey, released today. This popular study was conducted online between September 13 and 17, by TheHarris Poll® in conjunction with Out & Equal Workplace Advocates among 2,006 U.S. adults, of whom 184 self-identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender. First launched in 2002, the unique Out & Equal Workplace Survey is a highly trusted barometer of attitudes surrounding LGBTQ issues in the workplace and the longest-running national opinion survey of its kind.
These survey results were formally presented today by John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll. Gerzema is considered a pioneer in the use of data to identify social change and help leaders and organizations anticipate and adapt to new trends and demands. He appeared at a featured panel today at the 2018 Out & Equal Workplace Summit in Seattle, the world’s largest gathering of LGBTQ business leaders and professionals and joined by more than 300 Fortune 500 corporations and guests from over 32 nations.
“Despite America’s polarization during this charged election cycle, the Harris Poll reflects the truth that fundamental fairness matters deeply to most Americans” said John Gerzema of The Harris Poll. “The pace of change towards acceptance of LGBTQ equality continues to set high marks, and underscores why so many business leaders are outspoken champions for the community.”
2018 Out & Equal Workplace Summit
The 2018 Out & Equal Workplace Summit concludes today in Seattle, Washington, successfully attracting a record 6,000 attendees from more than 32 countries. LGBTQ executives, employees and straight allies, along with human resources and diversity professionals, representing a broad cross-section of the nation’s leading companies—a majority from the Fortune 500 — are participating in this year’s Summit, focused on achieving workplace equality and inclusion.
This Harris Poll was conducted online (in partnership with Out & Equal with guidance and support from Witeck Communications) within the United States between September 13 and 17, 2018, among 2,006 adults (ages 18 and over), of whom 184 self-identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender. Figures for age, sex, race, education, region and income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting also was used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.
All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, The Harris Poll avoids the words “margin of error” as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.
Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in The Harris Poll surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in The Harris Poll, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
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About Out & Equal Workplace Advocates
Out & Equal Workplace Advocates is the world’s premiere nonprofit organization dedicated to achieving lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender workplace equality. Out & Equal collaborates with Fortune 1000 companies and government agencies to provide a safe, welcoming and supportive environment for LGBT employees. For over two decades, since 1996, Out & Equal has worked with executives, human resources professionals and Employee Resource Groups to provide leadership and professional development, education and research.
Out & Equal hosts an annual Workplace Summit, where employees and experts from around the world gather to share strategies and best practices to create workplace equality, inclusive of all sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions. For more information go to www.outandequal.org.
About The Harris Poll®
The Harris Poll is one of the longest running surveys in the U.S. tracking public opinion, motivations and social sentiment since 1963 that is now part of Harris Insights & Analytics, a global consulting and market research firm that delivers social intelligence for transformational times. We work with clients in three primary areas; building twenty-first-century corporate reputation, crafting brand strategy and performance tracking, and earning organic media through public relations research. Our mission is to provide insights and advisory to help leaders make the best decisions possible. For more information, or to see other recent polls, visit us at TheHarrisPoll.com and follow us on Twitter @HarrisPoll.
About Witeck Communications, Inc.
Witeck Communications, Inc. (www.witeck.com) is a leading strategic marketing communications firm, specializing in outreach, advocacy and engagement with LGBTQ communities. In 2003, American Demographics magazine identified Bob Witeck one of 25 experts over the last 25 years who has made significant contributions to demographics, market research, media and trend spotting for his path breaking work on the LGBTQ market.
Stacey Abrams emerged from her SUV on a busy Midtown Atlanta street corner on Sunday with a declaration to make to the throngs of voters attending the Atlanta Pride Parade, the annual celebration of LGBT rights in the heart of the city. “We’re here because we stand together, because we know that allies do not run from fights. And because we know we all have pride in Georgia,” she told cheering supporters, adding: “We stand with you and not against you.”
Shortly after, she became the first major-party nominee for governor to march in the parade, a vibrant spectacle that attracted just about every major corporation in Atlanta, dozens of political candidates and tens of thousands of Georgians. Her contingent, led by a group that included U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson and former 6th District hopeful Jon Ossoff, hoisted rainbow-colored flags and stark-blue Abrams signs.
Colombia have laws that prohibit conversion therapy for minors. Unfortunately, there is a loophole for religious groups to abuse minors with their companion “pray away the gay” programs.
gay men are taken into the woods to participate in what are considered “manly” activities to change their sexual orientation from gay to heterosexual. They are also falsely diagnosed as having become gay because of poor parental relationships or not participating in sports. The program is controversial, because some who have attended JIM say the program includes bizarre and inappropriate 
