Tom Perez on Attacks on the LGBTQ Community

In response to the Trump administration’s unprecedented actions to reverse LGBTQ rights, DNC Chair Tom Perez released this statement:

“The modern movement for LGBTQ equality in the United States, which started at the Stonewall Inn in 1969, faced overwhelming hate and ignorance from much of the public and our government. But thanks to the activists and allies who marched against oppression, our country has changed enormously, especially in the last decade. Today, Americans can marry whom they love and more members of the LGBTQ community have the freedom to live their lives openly.

“Now, Donald Trump, Mike Pence, and their cabinet are working overtime to shove LGBTQ people back in the closet. They’ve retracted the Department of Education’s guidance to help schools protect the civil rights of transgender students, they’ve argued in court that a landmark civil rights law doesn’t protect gay people from discrimination in the workplace, and now Trump is trying to ban transgender Americans from serving our military without the consultation of the most senior Department of Defense officials.

“The Democratic Party is dedicated to the advancement of equal rights for all. We will not tolerate these attacks on the LGBTQ community and we will fight tooth and nail to resist the White House’s bigoted actions.”

Here are some of the Trump administration’s most recent anti-LGBTQ actions:

7/26/17 - Trump announced, without informing the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a ban on transgender people serving in the armed forces.

Associated Press: “President Donald Trump is barring transgender people from serving in the military ‘in any capacity,’ citing ‘tremendous medical costs and disruption.’  Trump’s announcement Wednesday morning on Twitter did not say what would happen to transgender people already in the military.”

CNN: “The Joint Chiefs of Staff, including chairman General Joseph Dunford, were not aware President Donald Trump planned to tweet a ban on transgender service members…top military leaders across all four service branches were blindsided by the President's announcement.”

 7/26/17 - The DOJ weighed into a private employment lawsuit to argue it is legal to fire employees based on sexual orientation.

New York Times: “The Department of Justice has filed court papers arguing that a major federal civil rights law does not protect employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation in a case now being considered by a New York appeals court.”

BuzzFeed: “The Justice Department Just Argued Against Gay Rights In A Major Federal Case”

New York Times: “The Department’s Decision To File A Brief In The Case Was A Rare Example Of Top Officials In Washington Weighing In On Gay Rights In What Is An Important But Essentially Private Dispute Between A Worker And His Boss.”

7/26/17 - Trump’s nominated the vehemently anti-LGBTQ Governor of Kansas, Sam Brownback, for “Ambassador-At-Large For International Religious Freedom.”

Kansas City Star: “President Donald Trump has appointed Gov. Sam Brownback to an ambassadorship, a little more than a month after the Kansas governor saw his signature tax policy dismantled by the state’s Legislature.”

The Advocate: “Trump Just Nominated An Anti-LGBT ‘Ambassador For Religious Freedom’”

7/27/2017 - Trump nominates Pete Hoekstra, a former congressman with an anti-LGBTQ voting record, for ambassador to the Netherlands.

Newsweek: “Pete Hoekstra, an ex-Congressman and member of the conservative Tea Party movement, is President Donald Trump’s pick for ambassador to the Netherlands… But his views on gay rights put him at odds with the first country to legalize same-sex unions.”

Mike Pence and his staff have been lobbying aggressively for anti-transgender legislation.

Foreign Policy: “Vice President Mike Pence And His Staff Have Been Working Quietly To Get Congress To Roll Back The Defense Department’s Year-Old Policy Covering Medical Procedures For Transitioning Service Members.”  

Foreign Policy: Pence And His Staff Lobbied Members Of The House To Support Representative Hartzler’s Initiative To Include A Ban On Funding For Gender Transition-Related Medical Treatment In The Defense Spending Bill.

7/11/17 - Jeff Sessions gave a closed-door speech to the anti-LGBTQ organization Alliance Defending Freedom.

ABC News: “Sessions addressed members of the Alliance Defending Freedom, which was designated an ‘anti-LGBT hate group’ by the Southern Poverty Law Center in 2016.”

One Transgender Soldier On What the Past 24 Hours Have Been Like

ELLE.com just published an emotional story about what the past 24 hours have been like for one transgender soldier currently serving at the Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, Wash. U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Cathrine Schmid was doing her morning checks when she received a news alert on her phone about President Donald Trump’s tweets announcing that the U.S. government will no longer accept or allow transgender individuals serve in the military.


On her message to fellow trans service members, she says: “There are people who think we don't belong. There are people who think that we are not fit for military service, that we are not up to the task; that we are not going to meet the rigors of military service and it is rigorous. Right now our biggest responsibility is not proving them right. If they think we don't belong and we turn around and give up then we are proving that we don't belong. So my advice to any of my fellow transgender service members would be: Don't give up, do your duty, fulfill your responsibilities to the absolute best you can and continue doing so until the day they tell us to stop."

She adds, "I love being in the army, and my record shows that I'm good at it. I would hate to see the military divided or have it lose a significant amount of qualified soldiers. I deeply care about the mission. … What's next for me is I continue doing my job. Working out every morning and putting on my uniform and accomplishing a mission because that's what soldiers do."

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Colorado Democrats: Reverse Donald Trump's Bigoted, Anti-LGBTQ Policy

Via the Colorado Democrats:

Yesterday, Donald Trump made anti-transgender prejudice into U.S. military policy.

Trump announced he would reverse President Obama’s policy and will ban all transgender people from serving in our military — a cowardly, despicable, and bigoted act that hurts our national security.

We won’t stand idly by while Trump reverses the gains we made under President Obama and turns discrimination into policy. Add your name now if you’ll fight with us >>

And it only gets worse. Today marks the sixty-ninth anniversary of President Harry Truman’s executive order desegregating the military.

It is a shame and a travesty that Trump treats Americans serving their country with such disdain. We won’t stand for it.

Colorado Democrats have actively taken steps to protect against transgender discrimination.We have passed protections against discrimination in the workplace or in public accommodations and Colorado Democrats are actively fighting to end "Conversion Therapy” and passing a right to remedy birth certificates in Colorado, but having a Democratic majority in the Colorado Senate is key to making this happen.

We are proud that the Democratic Party stands for inclusion and equality of opportunity for all, and we will never allow the forces of hate to go unchallenged.

Add your name: Reverse this bigoted, anti-LGBTQ policy, Donald Trump.

Free Guided Walking Tour of Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site

The Sand Creek Massacre is a seminal event in American Indian history, a brutal massacre that took 230 Cheyenne and Arapaho lives in a surprise raid by Colorado (US) Volunteer Cavalry during the Civil War. At 10:00 am on Saturday, August 5, join Park Ranger Teri Jobe on a free guided tour that discusses the events leading up to, during, and after the attack.

The one and one-half hour long guided walking tour will begin at the visitor parking lot and stop at multiple points along the Monument Trail and Monument Hill. The ranger will provide information and interpretation about events leading up to and occurring during the massacre. The trail is a half mile-long unpaved gravel path that starts in the visitor parking lot. Visitors are encouraged to dress appropriately for the weather and wear sturdy walking shoes.

Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site is open daily from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. For additional information, please call the park at 719-729-3003 (Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm) or visit www.nps.gov/sand.

National LGBTQ Task Force: DOJ Seeks To Undermine Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Protections

Last night, the Department of Justice filed an amicus brief in Zarda v. Altitude Express arguing that sexual orientation is not covered under Title VII’s non-discrimination protections.

“The DOJ’s brief arguing against sexual orientation protections in employment in Zarda v. Altitude Express, Inc. is an egregious display of the Administrations harmful ideological slant; this brief seeks to upend well-established legal theory. Of course, it comes as no surprise. Jeff Sessions consistently voted against LGBTQ rights during his time in the Senate, recently took time out of his schedule to speak at an LGBTQ hate group’s conference, and as Alabama attorney general actively fought to keep an LGBTQ rights group from convening at the University of Alabama," said Rea Carey, Executive Director, National LGBTQ Task Force.

“As Attorney General of the United States, Jeff Sessions has continued his attacks against the members of our community. He has defended the President’s Muslim Ban, ordered a review of consent decrees meant to address discrimination and use of force by police departments, and reintroduced some of the worst mechanisms that fuel mass incarceration. Jeff Sessions is widely reported to have been the driving force behind rescinding Obama-era regulations allowing transgender students to use appropriate bathrooms, and is rumored to have been the deciding factor in the Census Bureau’s decision not to ask questions about sexual orientation and gender identity on the Census," said Stacey Long Simmons, Director of Advocacy and Action, National LGBTQ Task Force

“I am not surprised by the stance Sessions’s Department of Justice took in this case. But I am surprised by the paucity of reason in its brief to the court. The brief intentionally ignores holdings by Circuit Courts and the EEOC, and instead seems to argue that a history of discrimination by Congress and the Courts can be read as implying a lack of standing for protections today. It is disturbing that the top lawyer in the land is allowing his views to trump legal reasoning; we hope and believe that the Second Circuit will rule against discrimination and for LGBTQ workers to be free of discrimination,” said Stacey Long Simmons, Director of Advocacy and Action, National LGBTQ Task Force

MYRKUR - Ulvinde

 

MYRKUR's stunning new video "Ulvinde", directed by Mats Ek, beautifully captures her longing for a place in nature, in peace, away from the 'real' world - a world that she explains "often feels I cannot and was never meant to function in." Inner and outer demons all come to life in breathtaking footage captured across Norwegian landscapes and scenery.

The LGBTQ Task Force: Trump's Tweets Denigrate Transgender Military Service Members

This morning, President Trump issued a series of tweets stating his intention to bar transgender people from serving in the military in any capacity, attacking the integrity and dedication of thousands of current transgender service members.

Trump's tweets seek to perpetuate one of the most explicit discriminatory federal policies against trans people. Previously, the military created a plan to ensure that transgender service members can serve openly. This is not a time to go backwards on a well-researched decision already made at the highest levels of the military. A recent Defense Department study concluded that transgender service members do not harm unit cohesion, and allowing them to serve openly will have no effect on military readiness or military budgets. The Task Force has fought for open military service for LGBTQ people since 1988 when we launched our Military Freedom Project.

“According to the U.S. trans survey, nearly 1 in 5 trans people in US are currently serving or have served in the military. The US military represents one of the few ways for low income and disenfranchised people, including trans people and people of color, to gain career skills and financial security both now and in the future. No one should be forced to choose between who they are and being able to keep their career,” Said Victoria Rodríguez-Roldán, our Trans and Gender Non-Conforming Justice Project Director.

"As a black transgender man who considered military service, Trump’s tweets appalled and astonished me. There is no way for me to not draw parallels between racial segregation in the military and this discrimination against transgender service members. Trump’s attempts today to divide the military is especially ironic considering that today is the Anniversary of President Truman issuing his 1948 Executive Order ordering the racial desegregation of the military” said Camden Hargrove our Advocacy & Action organizer

Substance Use Trends in the LGBTQ+ Community

Members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community have rates of substance abuse higher than those of the general population. Their daily battles with discrimination and stigma cause high levels of stress that may push them toward drug and alcohol use.

Substance use disorders affect 20 to 30 percent of the LGBTQ+ population, compared to 8.4 percent of the general population, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. These alarming numbers stress a need for more substance use recovery programs that cater to LGBTQ+ individuals.

 

An October 2016 report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration was the first to use data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health to identify patterns of substance use among people of various sexual orientations.

SAMHSA found that adults who identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual have higher rates of substance use and mental illness than heterosexual adults. The survey results also indicated that these members of the LGBTQ+ community are more likely than heterosexuals to seek treatment for substance use disorders and mental health conditions.

According to a National Survey on Drug Use and Health, common substances gay men use include:
• Nitrite inhalants
• Hallucinogens
• Stimulants
• Sedatives 
• Tranquilizers
• Marijuana
• Cocaine

The SAMHSA report found that 39.1 percent of gay, lesbian and bisexual adults used illicit drugs in the past year, compared to 17.1 percent of heterosexual adults. In addition, 15.1 percent of gay and bisexual people who participated in the survey reported having a substance use disorder in the past year. The prevalence of past-year drug or alcohol addiction was 8 percentage points lower among the heterosexual participants surveyed.

Similarly, substance abuse has been a longstanding concern among the transgender community. According to SAMHSA, some of the most common drugs used by transgender people include marijuana, crack cocaine, methamphetamine and injection drugs.

Alcohol
Alcohol use is ever-present in the lives of many LGBTQ+ individuals because of its prevalence in the social settings they frequent. The 2016 SAMHSA report found that past-month drinking rates were higher among gay, lesbian and bisexual adults (63.6 percent) than among heterosexual adults (56.2 percent). Gay or bisexual women were much more likely than heterosexual women to engage in alcohol use, binge drinking and heavy drinking.

According to a separate SAMHSA report, LGBTQ+ people are less likely to abstain from drugs and alcohol and are more likely to indulge in long-term heavy drinking.

Numerous studies have found that lesbians were more likely to drink heavily than their heterosexual counterparts, according to SAMHSA. The agency also noted that bisexual women report more hazardous drinking than lesbians or heterosexual women.

Tobacco
In 2016, SAMHSA reported that past-month cigarette use was high among bisexual, gay and lesbian people. This group had a past-month smoking rate of 32.2 percent, compared to 20.6 percent among heterosexual people. However, the prevalence of daily cigarette use was higher among heterosexuals. 

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Log Cabin Republicans Oppose Trump Transgender Military Statement

Today, President Donald J. Trump announced the United States military would not “accept or allow” transgender servicemembers “in any capacity.”

In response, Log Cabin Republicans President Gregory T. Angelo issued the following statement:

This smacks of politics, pure and simple. The United States military already includes transgender individuals who protect our freedom day in and day out. Excommunicating transgender soldiers only weakens our readiness; it doesn’t strengthen it. The president’s statement this morning does a disservice to transgender military personnel and reintroduces the same hurtful stereotypes conjured when openly gay men and women were barred from service during the military’s ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ era. As an organization that led the charge against that hateful policy, Log Cabin Republicans remains equally committed to standing up for transgender military personnel who put their lives on the line to keep us free.

NCLR on Trump's transgender service member announcement

Today, Trump used Twitter to announce that “the United States Government will not accept or allow Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military.” National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) Legal Director Shannon Price Minter issued the following statement in response:

“In three tweets, Trump is purporting to fire 15,000 transgender service members bravely serving our country and to prevent other patriotic transgender persons from enlisting. While the impact of Trump’s tweets is unclear, banning transgender service members would erode military readiness and contradict our country’s values and ideals. Like every American, transgender service members should be judged by their qualifications and performance. President Trump’s bizarre assault on these dedicated service members is appalling. Those who serve our country deserve our gratitude and respect. We call on the President to retract this harmful statement and to defer to the Pentagon’s assessment that transgender people are fit to serve.”

A Filmmaker Delves into the Secrecy Surrounding the Death of Her Uncle In ‘Memories of a Penitent Heart'

Like many gay men in the 1980s, Miguel moved to New York City in search of a life out of the closet; he found a career in theater and a rewarding relationship. Yet in the midst of the AIDS crisis, his devout Catholic mother pressured him to repent for his homosexuality on his deathbed. Twenty-five years later, his niece Cecilia Aldarondo breaks the silence surrounding her uncle’s death, sifting through conflicting memories of a man she never really knew. She locates Miguel’s estranged partner and begins to unlock long-dormant family secrets.

Through home movies, audio recordings, family photos, letters and interviews, Cecilia Aldarondo’s Memories of a Penitent Heart reconstructs her uncle Miguel’s New York life, one he lived far from his family, especially his religious mother. Along the way, her investigation untangles a knot of family secrets, denials and repressed conflicts.

Memories of a Penitent Heart has its national broadcast premiere on the PBS documentary series POV (Point of View) on Monday, July 31, 2017. POV is American television’s longest-running independent documentary series, now in its 30th season. Memories of a Penitent Heart, which premiered at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival, is a co-presentation between POV and Latino Public Broadcasting.

Born and raised in the 1970s in Puerto Rico, Miguel Dieppa was a gay man eager to leave the island in search of Broadway fame in New York City.

Aldarondo’s investigation begins with a two-year search for Miguel’s long-time partner, Bob, who disappeared after Miguel’s funeral. When she eventually finds him, he is living in Pasadena, California, as Father Aquin, a Franciscan monk. Through the reminiscences of Aquin and others who knew him, Miguel emerges as a charismatic and vivacious actor and playwright, struggling to live comfortably in his own skin.

We see glimpses into Miguel’s restlessness in his autobiographical play, Island Fever: “I guess that’s a diagnosis for my case. It’s that feeling that creeps on up on those who have known wide spaces, or long to do so.”

Miguel seems eternally torn between two identities. His New York friends know him as Michael, a freedom-loving gay thespian, while to his family in Puerto Rico he remains Miguel, the obedient son who downplays his sexuality.

Unexpectedly, Miguel begins to get sick, and although he refuses to be tested, telltale skin lesions on his legs indicate AIDS as the underlying illness.

Miguel’s illness places Bob on a collision course with Miguel’s mother, Carmen, as the two come to represent opposing faces of faith. Fearing that her son is not yet “dead to life but dead to grace,” Carmen feels Miguel can only find redemption if he repents.

Delving into her family’s trove of secrets, Aldarondo’s Memories of a Penitent Heart examines the light and dark sides of faith and how we fight over the memories of those we love. In the director’s intensely personal film, Miguel’s friends and family reflect on their imperfect relationships. Considering her own flaws, Miguel’s sister (Aldarondo’s mother) Nylda reflects, “The bottom line is that we all need to survive and we use different ways of surviving, according to our gifts, our limitations and our circumstances.” That prompts her daughter to ask, “Can’t we survive and look out for others as well?”

Memories of a Penitent Heart is a brave and honest exhumation of buried resentments that ultimately reveals how reflections on grief, betrayal and love bring us closer to reconciliation.

“Cecilia Aldarondo’s beautiful and evocative film explores not only the difficulties of being Puerto Rican in America, but also what it means to be gay and shunned by your community, family and church,” said POV executive producer Chris White. “This personal and complex portrait of her uncle and those who loved him shows how hard it can be to reconcile religion and sexual identity—and how blurry the line between sinners and saints can be.”

Statement from NMAC on Senate Health Care Vote

Following is a statement from NMAC Executive Director Paul Kawata on the U.S. Senate’s health care vote:

“The Senate’s vote to move forward with legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act is heartless and cruel. It will impose greater hardships on struggling American families - including millions of Americans living with or affected by HIV. Data show that communities of color are at a higher risk for HIV and, should the ACA be repealed, they will see the care they’ve come to rely on be stripped away with no alternative. It’s no exaggeration to say that people will die if this repeal becomes reality. We implore the Senate to keep the Affordable Care Act in place and work TOGETHER to make it stronger so we can improve the lives of all Americans.”

NMAC leads with race to urgently fight for health equity and racial justice to end the HIV epidemic in America. Since 1987, NMAC has advanced our mission through a variety of programs and services, including: a public policy education program, national and regional training conferences, a treatment and research program, numerous electronic and print materials, and a website: http://www.nmac.org/. NMAC also serves as an association of AIDS service organizations, providing valuable information to community-based organizations, hospitals, clinics, and other groups assisting individuals and families affected by the HIV epidemic.

The Colorado Premiere of "Thrill Me" opens Friday

In 1924, two wealthy students at the University of Chicago, Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, murdered a young boy in order to commit “the perfect crime.” They became known as “The Thrill Killers” and they believed their own intellectual superiority absolved them of any responsibility for their actions. Nathan was passionate about Richard, who was passionate about crime and excitement, creating a secret agreement to satisfy each other’s needs. But soon their perfect crime unraveled due to a careless mistake – or was it so careless? Focusing on the obsessive nature of their relationship, beginning with a 1958 parole hearing, this stunningly beautiful musical will mesmerize you from the very first note.

“The thing that I find so fascinating about Thrill Me is how well it portrays obsession,” offers director Patrick Brownson. “Whether it’s obsession with an ideal or another person, if we allow ourselves to become so focused on our basest desires it can often have disastrous consequences, no more so than for the two characters in this musical. I’ve also loved the challenge of presenting such a darkly beautiful piece that is so stripped down (just two men and a piano) and working with these gents to make this a vibrant and engrossing theatrical experience.”

Equinox Theatre Company is thrilled to present the regional premiere of Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story. Performances are July 28 through August 19 on Friday and Saturday Nights at 7:30 PM, with a pay-what-you-can industry night on Thursday, August 10th. Tickets are $20 in advance/$25 at the door/$17 for groups of 6 or more in advance only. All performances will be at The Bug Theatre at 3654 Navajo Street in Denver. Tickets and more information available online at www.EquinoxTheatreDenver.com

CA Rep. Susan Davis: Why I'm Proud to Display the Pride Flag

Last week, four Democratic lawmakers – including Rep. Susan Davis of California – were sued by Chris Sevier, a lawyer opposed to same-sex marriage, for displaying the rainbow flag symbolizing gay pride outside of their Capitol Hill offices.

Today, Davis responds with a new op-ed on Cosmopolitan.com defending the flag and her support for the LGBTQ community.