#10: RNC
creates Pride outreach coalition
Republican
National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel, in a video announcement at a Log Cabin
Republicans dinner honoring Melania Trump and attended by former President
Trump, announced the creation of the LGBTQ outreach Pride coalition — much to
the consternation of internal critics.
Following
calls on her to resign from anti-LGBTQ conservatives like Family Research
Council’s Tony Perkins, McDaniel defended the coalition by saying it was a
continuation of the LGBTQ initiative set up with Trump’s 2020 re-election
campaign — which had enjoyed success by doubling the LGBTQ vote for the
Republican candidate after the previous election.
McDaniel wrote
an apology letter for poor communication over the creation of the new
initiative, which led Democrats to criticize Republicans over the perceived
backtracking on LGBTQ outreach.
#9: Caitlyn
Jenner makes waves as gubernatorial candidate
Caitlyn
Jenner, in a free-for-all recall election in California seeking to unseat Gov.
Gavin Newsom, made waves as a Republican gubernatorial candidate, breaking new
ground as a transgender candidate while facing criticism for being out of
touch.
Early on in
her candidacy, the former Olympic champion said she was against transgender
kids in sports, citing a need to protect women in athletics. Jenner later
modified her position by saying potential players who had gone through the
transition process should “of course” be allowed to compete.
Jenner became
an unlikely popular figure in conservative media, appearing on Fox News and
Newsmax. At the end of the day, Jenner performed poorly at the polls, taking
two percent of the vote as Newsom survived the recall effort.
#8: Supreme
Court issues non-ruling in Fulton case
The U.S.
Supreme Court, amid fears it would render a decision this year that would
enable sweeping discrimination against LGBTQ people, instead handed down a
ruling in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia limited to the facts of the case at
hand and with no major impact.
In a unanimous
ruling, justices issued a decision in favor of Catholic Social Services, which
sought a First Amendment ruling to refuse child placement with same-sex couples
over a religious exemption, but it was based on the approach of the City of
Philadelphia enforcing its contract with the foster care agency.
Both sides
claimed a small victory. The American Civil Liberties Union, which had argued
before the Supreme Court in the case and sided with the City of Philadelphia,
said the ruling “will not affect any foster care programs that do not have the
same system for individualized exemptions that were at issue here.”
#7: In grim
record, at least 46 trans people killed
In a grim
milestone, at least 46 trans people were killed by the time of the Transgender
Day of Remembrance, reaching a new record in the time the deaths have been
recorded.
The violence
has consistently had a disproportionate impact on transgender women of color.
Among the deaths that brought the tally to a new record was Marquiisha “Quii” Lawrence,
a 28-year-old Black transgender woman who was shot and killed in her home in
Greenville, S.C.
President
Biden, who had brought attention to the issue of anti-transgender violence as a
presidential candidate, issued a statement recognizing the 46 deaths and was
briefed on the issue in the days preceding the Transgender Day of Remembrance.
#6: HRC
president fired after being ensnared in Cuomo affair
The president
of the Human Rights Campaign was terminated from his role this year following a
public dispute with the board after being ensnared in the damning report
detailing accusations of sexual misconduct against former New York Gov. Andrew
Cuomo.
Alphonso
David, who had previously served as counselor to Cuomo, was revealed in the
report by New York Attorney General Letitia James to have kept a personnel file
of one of the female employees alleging sexual misconduct, then having assisted
in efforts to leak that file to the media in an attempt to discredit her.
Although the
Human Rights Campaign board initially stood by David, the organization later
announced an independent review of the matter, which David said he welcomed.
David took to Twitter and criticized the board for having privately asked him
about resigning, which prompted his termination.
#5: Equality
Act all but dead in Congress
Although LGBTQ
rights advocates had hoped President Biden would be able to deliver a campaign
promise to sign into law a long-sought update to federal civil rights law that
would include LGBTQ people, legislation known as the Equality Act is all but
dead in Congress.
The U.S.
House, acting quickly on Biden’s campaign promise to sign the Equality Act into
law within the first 100 days of his administration, approved the legislation
in February, although it had fewer Republican votes compared to when the
chamber last passed the measure.
But the
Equality Act, contorted by critics who claim it endangers women’s rights and privacy,
went no further in Congress. In the Senate, where Sen. Joe Manchin has declined
to support the bill and Sen. Susan Collins has withdrawn her support, the
legislation never got a vote — either on the floor or in committee. No route
appears open for the bill.
#4: Buttigieg,
Levine confirmed by Senate in historic firsts
In a pair of
historic votes, the U.S. Senate this year confirmed two presidential appointees
— Pete Buttigieg and Rachel Levine.
Buttigieg was
confirmed as transportation secretary, making him the first openly gay person
to win Senate confirmation for a Cabinet-level role, while Levine was confirmed
as assistant secretary for health, making her the first openly transgender
person to win Senate confirmation for any position.
Although
Buttigieg was confirmed with bipartisan support, that quickly faded as the supply
chain crisis emerged and Buttigieg faced criticism for his approach to the
issue.
For Levine,
the road was different. During her confirmation hearing, Sen. Rand Paul
(R-Ky.), began his inquiries with the words “genital mutilation,” which formed
the basis of his rude, invasive questioning. Levine was confirmed by a narrow
vote of 52-48.
#3: States
enact measures against trans kids in sports, health care
Drawing on
anti-trans fears, states defied federal laws against discrimination and enacted
measures against transgender kids in sports and access to health care, leading
to a wave of litigation in the next battleground for the LGBTQ movement.
Among the most
stringent measures was a law in Arkansas, enacted by the legislature overriding
a veto of Gov. Asa Hutchinson, instituting criminal penalties for providing
transition-related care to youth. Other states, including Florida, Texas, and
West Virginia, enacted laws prohibiting transgender girls from participating in
school sports consistent with their gender identity.
LGBTQ legal
advocates were quick to file litigation against the measure in court, arguing
they violate the prohibition on discrimination based on sex in schools under
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Judges have blocked measures from
going into effect as litigation moves forward.
#2:
Coronavirus continues to rage, nixes LGBTQ events
Despite hopes
the coronavirus would fade with the emergence of vaccines, the pandemic
continues to rage amid breakthrough infections and refusal of a large
percentage of Americans to get the shot, leading to additional deaths and
cancellation of LGBTQ events.
More than
386,000 deaths due to coronavirus were reported this year, making it deadlier
than the previous year in terms of sheer numbers, as hospitalization rates
continued to climb to new highs.
Pride
celebrations were among the events cancelled as the pandemic continued through
the summer. Large cities like Los Angeles and Boston opted not to have not to
have events at all, while D.C. had a much scaled-down event in which Vice
President Kamala Harris participated.
#1: After
insurrection, Biden inaugurated and reverses Trump anti-LGBTQ policies
After a bloody
insurrection on Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol incited by President Trump, Joe
Biden brought with him a sense of renewal and a promise of unity after was
sworn in as the 46th president of the United States, reversing anti-LGBTQ
policies early on during his administration.
Biden on his
first day in office signed an executive order requiring federal agencies to
implement the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision against anti-LGBTQ discrimination
in Bostock v. Clayton County to fullest extent possible. Days later, Biden
signed an executive order reversing President Trump’s ban on transgender people
serving in the military, leading to a policy that would enable transgender
people for the first time ever to enlist in the armed forces.
In another
reversal, Biden issued a White House proclamation to recognize Pride month
after Trump failed to issue an official notice for each of his four years in
office, with the exception of a solitary tweet in 2019. In the proclamation,
Biden urged LGBTQ people to “accept nothing less than full equality.”
SOURCE: THE GEORGIA VOICE
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