Lambda Legal: Trump's judicial assault on LGBT rights

By Sasha Buchert, Senior Attorney, Lambda Legal
 
With the new year upon us, it is tempting to turn our backs on 2018, a messy and difficult year in our country’s history, to say the least.

But as yesterday's NPR piece on our new report, Trump’s Judicial Assault on LGBT Rights, examines: the Trump administration has begun to reshape the courts, and we need to talk about what this means for the future of fair courts.

Beyond Donald Trump’s Twitterverse antics lies an insidious reality: The Trump administration has made stacking our courts a top priority, and it has been working overtime to confirm ideologically-driven judges.

This administration has more than doubled its number of confirmed circuit court judges in 2018, far outpacing the last five administrations in terms of appellate court confirmations. Of those nominees, a staggering 1 in 3 have a demonstrated history of opposing LGBTQ equality.

Key insights from the report include:
• Which states have experienced the most significant transformations under Trump’s siege on our courts
• A breakdown of last year’s 10 most notorious nominees, the status of their nominations, and what’s at stake
• The role of the ultra-conservative, antigay organizations like the Federalist Society in Trump’s nominations
• The major takeaways from Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court

The promise of a fair and independent judiciary – a cornerstone of our democracy – is under attack. Please read and share the report with your friends and family; with a new year comes new opportunities to protect and defend fair courts.

Transgender Military Ban Plaintiffs Ask the Supreme Court to Deny the Trump Administration’s Premature Request for Review

Transgender service members challenging Trump’s military ban last week filed briefs opposing the administration’s request that the Supreme Court hear the cases before the courts of appeal have ruled. The administration is seeking early review by the Court in three cases challenging the ban: Doe v. Trump, Stockman v. Trump, and Karnoski v. Trump.  
 

GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) represent plaintiffs in both Doe and Stockman and were the first to challenge the ban. The plaintiffs in these cases argue that Supreme Court review is premature and that the administration has shown no urgency to justify bypassing the normal appeals process.  

“The Trump administration's relentless attacks on transgender troops, including those who are currently deployed overseas, are appalling and legally baseless,” said Shannon Minter, NCLR Legal Director. “The Trump administration has demonstrated no urgency that would justify leapfrogging the normal appellate process, and the military's own account shows no problems that need to be addressed. By the military’s own account, inclusion of transgender servicemembers makes our military stronger.”

“The Trump administration is trying to do an end run around the normal review process in order to implement a cruel and baseless ban that destabilizes and weakens our military,” said GLAD Transgender Rights Project Director Jennifer Levi. “At this moment when it is more important than ever to maintain the strength of core American institutions, it is vital that the Supreme Court maintain the integrity of the judicial process and deny the government’s request.”

“Around the world, thousands of brave transgender service members are away from their families during the holiday season, serving our country with honor,” said Rick Zbur, Executive Director of Equality California which brought the Stockman case on behalf its members. “But instead of thanking them for their service, President Trump is begging the Supreme Court to let his Administration discriminate against them. It’s indefensible.”

In all four cases challenging the transgender military ban, federal courts have halted enforcement of the ban while the cases proceed. The government has contested those orders, which are now being reviewed by two federal courts of appeal. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments December 10 in Doe and the Ninth Circuit heard arguments in October in Karnoski.  The appeal in Stockman is on hold pending a decision in Karnoski.

If the Supreme Court were to grant the administration’s request for early review, it would consider the cases this term. The administration has also asked the Court to allow the ban to go into effect right away even if the Court declines to review the cases this term.  Plaintiffs will file their opposition to that request on Friday, December 28.

For more information, go to NCLR and GLAD’s website outlining the history and status of the Trump-Pence transgender military ban at https://notransmilitaryban.org/.

NCLR and GLAD have been at the center of the legal fight challenging the Trump-Pence transgender military ban since filing Doe v. Trump, the first of the four cases filed against the ban, on August 9, 2017.

Are You Gay With Something To Say? Bloggers Wanted For Denver's Best Gay Blog!

Are you a new or experienced writer or blogger? Do you want to be? Or maybe you're just some gay guy with something to say? Well, what better forum for you than MileHighGayGuy?

MileHighGayGuy is looking for regular and guest bloggers to write about local news and events, do music and movie reviews, or write opinion or feature pieces from a gay perspective.

These are unpaid positions but offer the opportunity to be published in Colorado's Best Gay Blog (2010, 2011, 2012 OUTstanding Awards, Denver 2012 #WebAwards), expand your audience and gain valuable experience. There's also swag available in the form of free movie and concert tickets, music, books and other cool stuff.

If interested, shoot an email over to Drew Wilson at drew@milehighgayguy.com. And if you've got column or story ideas to pitch, this is the place to do it.

Matoma debuts "Sunday Morning" Remix EP

Norwegian pop talent Matoma presents his full 'Sunday Morning’ remix EP, following on from the release of the Matoma: One In A Million documentary earlier this week. A fan favorite from his album, the original single has gone on to reach over 6 million streams across Spotify and Apple Music, as well as featuring in Apple Music’s The A List: Dance and Future Hits.

The EP features the previously released remixes from Zookëper, whose lively house remix has received over 440 thousand streams on Spotify, Cloonee’s tech house spin of the track and Alyx Ander’s tropical house rework.

Completing the full EP, the final remix comes from London production trio Jaded, who bring their DIY underground party spirit to the track. With multiple popular releases on Black Butter Records, they have received support from the likes of Hannah Wants, Gorgon City, DJ Target and Danny Howard. Transforming the single into a club-ready version, the track opens with electric guitars riffs, ascending into a heavy trumpet filled climax that’s ready to play on any dancefloor.

Do You Want To Reach Denver's Gay Community? Advertise With Denver's Best Gay Blog!

Do you want to advertise to Denver’s gay community? Of course you do, it’s the 7th largest in the United States! And the best way to reach them is with MileHighGayGuy – Colorado’s Best Gay Blog.
 
Just click the Advertising page or email sales@milehighgayguy.com to get started today.

One Colorado: Ushering in the new year with a new pro-equality majority

By Garrett Royer, Development Manager, One Colorado Education Fund

Just a few hours left to give in 2018. Make a gift of $10, $25, or $50 today!

I'll keep this short. Colorado cleaned house in this last election - we have a new governor and a talented slate of pro-equality champions at the General Assembly next Spring.

Today is the last day of the year to make your tax-deductible gift to One Colorado Education Fund. Don't miss out on your chance to support our work going into 2019.

Thanks again, we'll see you in the New Year.

Nice to See StevieB: Zesty

By StevieB

Apparently I need a new Zester. There’s nothing more fun than starting a baking recipe just to find yourself digging through every kitchen drawer for a tool. I repeated this act about a month ago when I was attempting to find my meat tenderizer. So, the growls were loud when my lemon zester was missing in action.

I spend Sunday wanting to make my first batch of Christmas cookies with Italian Lemon Cookies. I had purchased some beautiful Meyer Lemons to add in the dough, but it was not to be. I did attempt to chop the skins super fine, hoping that would be the same. It’s not. I now have a batch of super delicious cookies with fine bits of lemon peel to chew.

I feel like I need to inventory my kitchen just so I know that items I own. Maybe Santa will bring me my missing tools.

2018 Gay Travel Award Winners Revealed!

Today GayTravel.com announced the winners of the 2018 Gay Travel Awards!

The mission of the Gay Travel Awards is to recognize and promote select LGBTQ welcoming properties, events, destinations and travel-related companies around the globe. These distinguished organizations lead by example and help to inspire other companies and brands around the world to follow their spirit of inclusiveness and acceptance.

This year, the 25 winners were selected from over 100 nominees.

"The Gay Travel Awards support and promote LGBTQ travel and tourism by identifying and rewarding select organizations which exemplify a spirit of inclusiveness, acceptance, exemplary customer service and hospitality excellence," said Stephen Prisco, Vice President of GayTravel.com.

A complete list of this year's categories and winners are listed alphabetically below:

Bed & Breakfast - Mauger Estate B&B

Car Rental - Advantage Rent A Car

Casino Resort - The Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas

Destination, Domestic - Miami, FL

Destination Honeymoon - Riviera Maya, Mexico

Destination International - Paris, France

Gay Bar - Cafe Lafitte in Exile, New Orleans

Gay Pride - Vallarta Pride

Glamping - Patagonia Camp, Chile

Hotel, Best Restaurant - The Restaurant - Meadowood, CA

Hotel, Boutique - The Orlando Hotel, West Hollywood

Hotel, City Domestic - The Westin St. Francis San Francisco on Union Square

Hotel, City International - The St Regis Mexico City

Hotel, Beach Resort - The St. Regis Punta Mita

Hotel Luxury, Europe - Hotel Romazzino, Costa Smeralda, Italy

Hotel Luxury, Mexico - The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun

Hotel Luxury, US - Monarch Beach Resort, CA

Hotel, Pet-Friendly - Atlantic Hotel & Spa, Fort Lauderdale

Hotel, Seasonal - AWOL, Provincetown, MA

Hotel, Spa - Dorado Beach, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Puerto Rico

Hotel, Value - Best Western Plus Inn Of Sedona

Hotel, Wedding - Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa

LGBT Event - Life Ball Vienna

LGBT Friendly Cruise - Celebrity Cruises

LGBT Tour Operator - Venture Out

An invitation to take part in the Metro Weekly Cover Story

By Randy Shulman, Publisher / Editor-in-Chief, Metro Weekly Magazine

I'm personally inviting you to participate in next week's Metro Weekly cover story Forum and Survey for the issue dated January 3, 2019.

The Metro Weekly Forum is a major feature where we share the views of important and diverse community members and allies, such as yourself, about topics vital to both the LGBTQ world and the world-at-large. Our curated conversations and opinions are shared with a print readership of 55,000 and online readership of more than 2 million.

For next week's issue, we are creating a cover story that takes the temperature of how people are feeling about the 2019 political landscape, mostly pertaining to LGBTQ issues and the Trump presidency. The working title is "The Year Ahead." It will be a mixture of intelligent conversational style text, with data graphs from the survey portion added for general illumination.

To participate, please complete the survey form at this link.

Please submit by no later than Monday, December 31 at Noon.

Please answer what you feel comfortable answering. You can optionally take the survey portion 100% anonymously -- just check the "Survey Portion Only" box before you start. Either way, we hope you'll want to weigh in!

Answers may be edited and/or consolidated for length and clarity. We do not share any data we collect, and not all of the answers will be used in print.

For guidance, here are a few examples of past Forums: Gun Control in the U.S. and Is President Trump a Racist?

Please feel free to email me if you have questions, and thank you for being part of our list!

Again, thank you for your time and consideration. And best wishes for a Happy and Healthy New Year!

OutServe-SLDN: Freedom to Serve Guide

By Peter Perkowski, Legal & Policy Director, OutServe-SLDN

I am excited to announce the release of our much-anticipated, second installment of the Freedom to Serve Guide. The publication pulls its name from our organization’s vision. It was first released at the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” providing immediate guidance as lesbian, gay, and bisexual members began serving openly and without fear of reprisal or separation. Since the Guide's first installment, there have been many changes that have affected the service of our LGBTQ service members and their families. This new update reflects those changes and the impacts they had.



In this era of open service for LGB service members—and uncertain open service for transgender service members—this guide is intended to help the LGBTQ military community make informed decisions about how to lead their lives and serve equally. It may also help LGBTQ service members understand how to protect themselves and respond if they feel they have been targeted. This guide does not, however, provide comprehensive counseling for service members, nor is it intended to be a substitute for seeking assistance from an attorney familiar with military law. Each service member’s situation is different and must be evaluated and handled based on its own facts. Service members who need an in-depth assessment of their unique circumstances should contact our legal department directly.

All LGBTQ service members and their allies should be aware of the information contained in this publication. It is important to review the entire guide before studying individual sections. This will provide an overview of the laws and policies, which is necessary to understand individual sections and how they work together, both on paper and in practice. It is also important to know that this guide was created using research of Defense Department directives. Regulations of the individual services generally mirror the Defense Department’s directives, though some differ in minor but sometimes significant ways.

You can download the Guide through this link: Freedom to Serve Guide (2018)

One Colorado: Ushering in the new year with a new pro-equality majority

By Daniel Ramos, Executive Director, One Colorado Education Fund


We've said it before, but it bears repeating: 2018 was a monumental election for Colorado. Voters helped expand a pro-equality majority in the state house and ushered in more pro-equality lawmakers in the state senate. We elected the country's first openly gay Governor.

These are huge accomplishments and there's a lot to celebrate — that being said, we also wanted to take a moment to recognize that Colorado will have one of the largest delegations of LGBTQ legislators in history. That's huge. Representation matters and 2018 made that clear.​





Our state just swept a huge wave of LGBT and pro-equality candidates into office and we can't wait to get to work with so many new allies. Consider making a donation of $10, $25, or $50 before the end of the year to build on this momentum.

We couldn't do it without you. Thank you for your support and Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

 
I'm doing some traveling this week so posting will be sporadic but wanted to wish everybody Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Are You Gay With Something To Say? Bloggers Wanted For Denver's Best Gay Blog!

Are you a new or experienced writer or blogger? Do you want to be? Or maybe you're just some gay guy with something to say? Well, what better forum for you than MileHighGayGuy?

MileHighGayGuy is looking for regular and guest bloggers to write about local news and events, do music and movie reviews, or write opinion or feature pieces from a gay perspective.

These are unpaid positions but offer the opportunity to be published in Colorado's Best Gay Blog (2010, 2011, 2012 OUTstanding Awards, Denver 2012 #WebAwards), expand your audience and gain valuable experience. There's also swag available in the form of free movie and concert tickets, music, books and other cool stuff.

If interested, shoot an email over to Drew Wilson at drew@milehighgayguy.com. And if you've got column or story ideas to pitch, this is the place to do it.

Do You Want To Reach Denver's Gay Community? Advertise With Denver's Best Gay Blog!

Do you want to advertise to Denver’s gay community? Of course you do, it’s the 7th largest in the United States! And the best way to reach them is with MileHighGayGuy – Colorado’s Best Gay Blog.
 
Just click the Advertising page or email sales@milehighgayguy.com to get started today.

The Gay Vegans: Go Vegan

By Dan Hanley

So much going on in the world. 

In my personal life, I am super swamped. I’m in the nonprofit fundraising world and December is a crazy (and wonderful) time. It’s also the time I like to share an awesome blog post, one to end the year with. I’m not sure this is that post, but after much thought about what I want to write about, it comes down to veganism. 

Like I started out with, there is a lot going on in the world. I could write about climate change, poverty, homelessness, Yemen, Syria, human rights, the death of my dad, our new dog, my marriage, etc. 

I chose to write about veganism, about going vegan. When I first started this blog, I thought anyone reading it would be vegan. That wasn’t the case then and still is not the case. I think that’s awesome, and I am always honored when someone takes the time to check out The Gay Vegans and maybe even read a post. 

I decided to go vegan almost 23 years ago because I didn’t want to participate anymore in the killing and torture of animals, of living beings who did not want to die. My little part in living a way that matched how I believe: that I abhor cruelty towards animals. In my new thoughts on being vegan, I simply just wanted to live my compassion. 

Going vegan does so much good. You’re not participating in the biggest animal cruelty, you’re leaving less of a footprint environmentally speaking, you’re supporting human rights and you’re doing your body good. I am not an expert in how veganism affects all of this, and I know in my personal journey all of this has been affected in a positive way because I decided to go vegan. 

For some reading this going vegan may be the furthest thing from your mind. Like no way. You may think that you simply love cheese too much, or don’t have the time for such a drastic change in your life. The reality for me was that going vegan was super easy. I kept thinking about the why, and that’s all I needed. And today! Wow, it’s so much easier. So many more options at the grocery story, at restaurants and online. Any question you have is answered on the web. And it’s SO easy to find a vegan community, no matter where you live. 

Here on this site I have a list of links to websites that I think can be super helpful. Check them out. 

More to come. If you’re not vegan, I would be super stoked if you at least started to consider what a vegan you would look like! 

Thanks so much for reading this!