Amy Klobuchar Under Fire for Vote Confirming Anti-LGBTQ Judge


www.advocate.com/politics/2020/1/08/amy-klobuchar-under-fire-vote-confirming-anti-lgbtq-judge

Nearly 100 county clerks were just sent a threatening letter for issuing same-sex marriage licenses

Nearly 100 county clerks in Tennessee just received a threatening letter saying they’ve been breaking the law by issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Attorney David Fowler, general counsel for the Family Action Council of Tennessee’s Constitutional Government Defense Fund, penned a letter to 95 of the state’s county clerks accusing them of violating Title XI Section 8 of Tennessee’s Constitution.

Title XI reads: “The relationship of one (1) man and one (1) woman shall be the only legally recognized marital contract in this state” and that any policy, law or judicial interpretations that challenge that will be ‘void and unenforceable in Tennessee.’”

Fowler is representing 11 Christian ministers who are currently challenging the Tennessee Department of Health over the constitutionality of the state’s marriage license. They claim same-sex marriage poses a “grave civil rights issue” and should not be allowed in the  state.

Never mind the fact that his issue was settled nearly five years ago when SCOTUS made marriage equality the law of the land and that Article VI, Paragraph 2 of the U.S.Constitution, also known as the Supremacy Clause, states that federal law trumps state laws and state constitutions.

“The state’s definition of marriage implicates the civil rights of the ministers in regard to the liberty of conscience guaranteed to them under the Tennessee Constitution and in regard to the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment promise not to prohibit the free exercise of religion and its prohibition on government-compelled speech,” the letter states.

The letter demands country clerk’s use the old marriage certificates that were issued before 2015’s SCOTUS ruling or stop giving out marriage licenses all together until the state’s constitution is changed to no longer define marriage as being between “one man and one woman.”

If no action is taken within 60 days, the petitioners plan to file a lawsuit in state court.

Related: Tennessee just snuck through a law to chip away at marriage equality and hardly anyone noticed

www.queerty.com/nearly-100-county-clerks-just-sent-threatening-letter-issuing-sex-marriage-licenses-20200108?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Trump Vows Fresh Sanctions Against Iran, Says U.S. ‘Ready to Embrace Peace’ — WATCH

In an address to the nation after Iran launched more than 12 ballistic missiles at U.S. military bases in Iraq on Tuesday night, an attack seen as retribution for the U.S. strike on military commander Qassim Soleimani, Donald Trump promised new sanctions targeting Iran.

Trump also said that Iran would never have a nuclear weapon and called on the world’s superpowers including Russia and China to ensure that this be so and break away from the Iran nuclear deal reached in 2015. Trump said “the United States is ready to embrace peace with all who seek it.”

The post Trump Vows Fresh Sanctions Against Iran, Says U.S. ‘Ready to Embrace Peace’ — WATCH appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Trump Vows Fresh Sanctions Against Iran, Says U.S. ‘Ready to Embrace Peace’ — WATCH

GLAAD Media Awards Offers Huge, Diverse List of LGBTQ Nominees

Advances in LGBTQ representation have produced the most nominees ever.

www.advocate.com/media/2020/1/08/glaad-media-awards-offers-huge-diverse-list-lgbtq-nominees

Trump’s religious freedom advisor says US mustn’t criticize Zambia jailing gay men

Tony Perkins, the President of the homophobic Family Research Council and one of Donald Trump’s Religious Freedom commissioners, is at it again.

This time he has weighed in on the recent removal of the US ambassador to Zambia.

As previously reported by Queerty, in early December, the ambassador, Daniel Foote, criticized Zambia for sentencing two men to jail for 15 years for having gay sex.

Related: Zambia angered by US ambassador’s ‘horror’ at its treatment of gay men 

Foote suggested that the Zambian government would do better to tackle corruption in the country.

Zambia’s President reacted angrily, saying that he didn’t appreciate other countries interfering in Zambian affairs, and they could keep their aid money to themselves if they didn’t like the way Zambia was run.

Zambia receives hundreds of millions of dollars in financial aid from the US: No less than $4billion over the last 15 years, much of which goes to helping fight HIV/AIDS.

Zambia President Edgar Lungu went on to say he was no longer prepared to work with Foote, which meant there was little point him remaining in his role.

Foote was subsequently recalled by Washington just before Christmas, with the Trump administration publicly stating it was “dismayed” by Zambia’s decision not to work with him any longer.

Perkins, who was appointed to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom in May 2018, has now commented on the fallout in a blog post.

He suggests the Obama administration was more concerned with “cultural imperialism” than “diplomacy”, but that President Trump is slowly working “his way through the bureaucrats dedicated to keeping the last administration’s legacy alive.

“Turns out, it’s not easy to dismantle an army of international lobbyists for radical sexuality, abortion, and other extreme social policies. But thankfully, this White House is determined to keep trying. And before Christmas, they made it pretty clear that they aren’t done yet.”

He went on to say, “Calling the jailing of two men ‘horrifying,’ Daniel Foote upset Zambian leaders who think America’s representative crossed a line when he called their beliefs ‘oppressive.’ Exactly what mandate Foote was operating under remains unclear.”

Perkins supports the call from evangelical churches in other countries for the Trump administration not to show “obvious disrespect for other nations’ values … [and] for the White House to stop using the State Department to impose their LGBT agenda on other countries.”

Related: Tony Perkins thinks that forcing bakers to make gay wedding cakes means Christians will be sent to death camps

He concludes by stating, “Recalling Foote is the right move when he has broken trust with his hosts and can no longer effectively serve as our representative overseas.

“It should also serve as an indicator of how we will act elsewhere. America respects everyone, but it won’t promote values that are inconsistent with what this president stands for.”

In 2010, the Southern Poverty Law Center added the Family Research Council to its list of hate groups, calling it “a font of anti-gay propaganda.” Perkins has repeatedly spoken out against any advancement of LGBTQ rights, including the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and same-sex marriage legislation.

www.queerty.com/trumps-religious-freedom-advisor-says-us-mustnt-criticize-zambia-jailing-gay-men-20200108?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

This Activist’s Insightful Tweet About Queer Identity is Taking Social Media by Storm

An activist’s tweet about queer identity has apparently hit home with a lot of people. The tweet, by Alexander Leon, an Australia-based writer and activist who works at the LGBTQ rights organization Kaleidoscope Trust, went viral on Twitter Tuesday, with more than 42,000 retweets as of this posting. If you haven’t yet seen it, we’re sharing it with you.

Wrote Leon: “Queer people don’t grow up as ourselves, we grow up playing a version of ourselves that sacrifices authenticity to minimise humiliation & prejudice. The massive task of our adult lives is to unpick which parts of ourselves are truly us & which parts we’ve created to protect us.”

“It’s massive and existential and difficult,” he continued. “But I’m convinced that being confronted with the need for profound self-discovery so explicitly (and often early in life!) is a gift in disguise. We come out the other end wiser & truer to ourselves. Some cis/het people never get there.”

“All of this is to say – be kind to yourself,” he added. “Discovering who you really are is an enormous task it doesn’t happen overnight, nor does it happen without some hiccups along the way. Be patient, be compassionate, be vulnerable and exist loudly. And most of all – be proud!”

After the post went viral, Leon added a plea for Australia: “This has blown up unexpectedly and I’m very humbled. If this meant something to you & you are able I’d really appreciate any donations to help families affected by the Australian bushfires. I am Australian and seeing my country burn is heartbreaking. I have to leave Sydney tomorrow & I am so conflicted about leaving. My family home is <50km from fire affected areas. I am certain they will be safe but many families are not. Plz consider donating to the Red Cross if you are able. Even a RT help”

Leon added this link to the Red Cross.

He later added: “My tweets went viral overnight & beyond it being extraordinarily humbling (& overwhelming), I am so emboldened by the response. I adapted the tweets from an essay I thought too personal/niche to attempt to get published. I think I need to believe in my voice and message more. All I’ve ever wanted to do in any of my work is for queer people (& particularly QPOC) to feel seen, heard & understood. I can’t open this app at the moment without ugly crying because y’all are showing me that in my own small way, I’m achieving what I set out to do. Thank you.”

The post This Activist’s Insightful Tweet About Queer Identity is Taking Social Media by Storm appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

This Activist’s Insightful Tweet About Queer Identity is Taking Social Media by Storm

#AM_Equality Tipsheet: January 8, 2020

ACTRESS OLYMPIA DUKAKIS (@OlympiaDukakis) SPEAKS ON THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY’S PERSEVERANCE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE EQUALITY ACT: Watch here. 

Beloved and legendary actress Olympia Dukakis has some inspiring words about:
�� the LGBTQ community’s perseverance &
�� the importance of the #EqualityAct pic.twitter.com/gGc16vh4lI

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) January 7, 2020

WHAT WE’RE READING WEDNESDAY — SURVEY SHOWS LGBTQ PEOPLE WHO TRAVEL FOR WORK OFTEN FACE DISCRIMINATION, HAVE SAFETY CONCERNS: “Companies need to be aware of the safety concerns their LGBT business travelers may have, and consider them in corporate mobility and travel safety protocols,” said Beck Bailey (@TheBeckBailey), Director of HRC’s Workplace Equality Program. Read more from VICE. 

More than half of LGBTQ people say they have to choose between being visible and being safe when traveling. t.co/WgEWHCYPzi

— VICE (@VICE) January 8, 2020

MICHIGAN WILL CONSIDER OFFERING A NON-BINARY GENDER MARKER ON DRIVER’S LICENSES: More from The Detroit News. 

SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC DEFENDER’S OFFICE HAS FILED A RESTRAINING ORDER AGAINST ICE: The order and request for an immediate hearing was filed after ICE transferred a trangender woman, Lexis Avilez, to a Texas detention facility. More from KPIX. 

ILLINOIS SCHOOL DISTRICT TO ALLOW TRANSGENDER STUDENTS TO USE LOCKER ROOMS THAT MATCH THEIR GENDER IDENTITY FOUR YEARS AFTER STUDENTS SUE: More from the Associated Press. 

GLOBAL EQUALITY NEWS

PAKISTAN IS NOW COVERING TRANSITION-RELATED HEALTH CARE FOR TRANSGENDER PEOPLE: More from Healthworld. 

PHILIPPINES SUPREME COURT REJECTS AN APPEAL SEEKING THE LEGALIZATION OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE: More from LGBTQ Nation. 

READING RAINBOW – Bookmark now to read on your lunch break!

Washington Blade chronicles LGBTQ milestones in 2019 through photos; The Council for Global Equality shares its thoughts after the recall of U.S. Ambassador to Zambia Daniel Foote

Have news? Send us your news and tips at [email protected]. Click here to subscribe to #AM_Equality and follow @HRC for all the latest news. Thanks for reading!

www.hrc.org/blog/am-equality-tipsheet-january-8-2020?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed