Anti-Trump Resistance Marches

The theme of gay pride parades around the country are dramatically shifting from celebrating gender and sexuality choices to a militant call to resist what organizers regard as oppressive societal and government forces. Parades will no longer be parades; they are "resistance marches." With Trump as President, the country, especially the LGBT community is in grave danger. It's as if a terrorist, not a patriot, has moved into the White House.

After witnessing the large crowds of protesters drawn to the pro-abortion Women's March on Washington, D.C., last January, one day after Trump's inauguration, Los Angeles entrepreneur Brian Pendleton had an idea. He wrote, "Floats and marching bands are nice when we are not at war. Now is the time we shake things up and take to the streets. The idea has caught on in many other locals. Planned 'Resist Marches' join several streams of protest and dissatisfaction coalescing under a single banner of "Equality March for Unity and Pride. This has become an international effort. The shift seems not be about feelings, not facts.  

There is a high level of fear in what is happening in our country, and even though we still have the right to marry and all the rights we had won before Trump took office, having our human rights stripped from us and going backward creates an underlying terror. That is where the sense of militant dissatisfaction with typical gay pride festivities is rising. 

There seems to be a need to return to the gay movement's counter-cultural roots. The majority of LGBT pride parades around the world were born out of protest. At this time there is a heightened threat level that is being actively promoted. Is this being promoted to bring as many people as possible into having a sense of personal threat to their well-being. I believe the threats are valid and too close to factual than is comfortable!

So what is the undefined threat? Who is the amorphous enemy? The ResistMarch.org Facebook page declares, "When any american's rights are under threat, all our rights are threatened. We are LGBTQ+. We are people of color. We are people of different faits. We are people of all genders and no gender. We are immigrants. We are dreamers. We are people with disabilities. We are parents. We are allies. And we are beautiful intersections of these. But most of all, we are American. Yet our rights are in jeopardy. Forces are gathering in government that intend to take away our hard-won basic human rights."

So, what do we resist? Who or what exactly threatens us? Many of us participate in pride events because of the alarms that are sounding and make impassioned pleas of resistance. But some who normally participate in these events are unclear on what they are being asked to do. They are even skeptical about the pride parades' co-opting by militant gay and transgender forces. 

The focused target is the Trump administration and resist marches across the country have focused on that. But is feels like the hate being directed toward everyone who isn't white, Christian, Republican, and heterosexual runs deeper and is older than Trumps chaotic administration. The anger this country has runs deeper than the threat of government, racial, and religious tyranny. It is thinly veiled in rage against each of those but many of us feel the hatred that is coming from a dark and buried place that most of us sense but do not remember how many generations if has been lingering or exactly what it is. Perhaps watching this anger and those fearful folks who voted for Trump and who are beginning to act the anger out will be the best way to bring into consciousness the true hatred that is at the roots of our American imbalance. Only then will we be truly confidant what to resist and what the real threat is.

Democratic and Republican Platform Differences for LIGHT Community

There are stark differences between the 2016 Democratic and Republican platforms. The GOP platform has the most anti-LGBT language in history while the Democratic platform is the most progressive in the history of the Democratic Party.

The GOP platform has no mention of LGBT and mentions the terms gender identity, sexual orientation or equality three times. The Democratic platform has 24 mentions of those same terms and dedicates an entire section to addressing concerns of the LGBT Community. This year there are well over 600 Democrat delegates compared to just 6 out Republican delegates. From this comparison the contrast is obvious—the Democrats are more concerned with LGBT lives than the GOP.

The Democratic Platform

The 2016 Democratic platform applauds the marriage equality ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that “recognized the LGBT people – like other Americans – have the right to marry the person they love,” and acknowledges “there is still much work to be done.”

There is an entire section called “Guaranteeing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights,” where the party outlines all it wants to accomplish to ensure that LGBT lives are equal under the law. It talks about current LGBT topics likeddd LGBT youth being bullied in school, restaurants refusing service to trans men and women and same-sex couples at risk of being evicted from their homes. “That is unacceptable and must change. Democrats will fight for the continued development of sex discrimination laws to cover LGBT people,” the platform reads.

It goes on to say, “We support a progressive vision of religious freedom that respects pluralism and rejects the misuse of religion to discriminate. We will combat LGBT youth homelessness and improve school climates. We will support LGBT elders, ensure access to necessary health care, and protect LGBT people from violence—including ending the crisis of violence against transgender Americans.”

The platform addresses the upcoming 2020 Census and promises to equip the Census Bureau with resources to accurately represent LGBT lives as well as those who are persistently undercounted such as communities of color, immigrants, young children and those with disabilities.

The platform states that the party is proud of the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and commits to “insuring fair treatment for LGBT veterans, including by proactively reviewing and upgrading discharge records for veterans who were discharged because of their sexual orientation.”

The Democratic Party believes that LGBT rights are human rights and should be reflected in American foreign policy. “We will continue to stand with LGBT people around the world, including fighting efforts by any nation to infringe on LGBT rights or ignore abuse.”

The Republican Platform

The GOP platform seeks to reverse the 2015 marriage equality SCOTUS ruling through judicial reconsideration or a constitutional amendment returning the issue to the states. In addition, the GOP platform also objects the use of federal law to ensure trans people can use the bathroom consistent with their identity.” They support “ex-gay” conversion therapy and endorse the First Amendment Defense Act; a “religious freedom” bill that critics say enables anti-LGBT discrimination.

The platform discusses LGBT youth and access to safe schools, claiming that Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is being used by bureaucrats and President Obama to impose a social and cultural revolution upon the American people by wrongly redefining sex discrimination to include sexual orientation or other categories.

Families are also a target in the GOP platform, and the platform stands firm on “traditional values” and states, “Traditional marriage and family, based on marriage between one man and one woman, is the foundation for a free society and has for millennia been entrusted with rearing children and instilling cultural values.

The Republican Platform indicates a strong “no-change stance” while the Democratic Party is proud of and acknowledges their shift in focus. It is imperative for all LGBT people to get out to vote in the upcoming election so that hard-worked for policies are not revoked, putting us back!

Georgia's "Religious Liberty Law"

​On Wednesday, March 23, 2016, Georgia passed it’s watered down Religious Freedom bill. Many national and international corporations are putting pressure on Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, a Republican to veto the bill.  Some business leaders are warning that the state may become better known for a controversial bill that would allow discrimination against gay people.

The bill, which has passed Georgia's House and Senate, would prohibit "any adverse action” against organizations or people with "a sincerely held religious believe regarding lawful marriage between ... a man and a woman.”  The rise of legislation that permits business owners to refuse service based on their religious beliefs stems from a national push for gay and transgender rights, including the Supreme Court’s ruling last year that legalized same-sex marriage.  

The bill would do little to actually further religions liberty rights in Georgia. If a new or existing law creating special legal privileges based on sexual orientation and gender identity conflicts with a sincere religions belief, the Georgia religious freedom bill may provide no protection--not even the standard balancing test that is the hallmark of religious freedom restoration acts. So in an area where we most need religious liberty protection, the new Georgia law goes out of its way to disclaim it.

Corporations are putting pressure on Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal to veto a watered-down religious freedom bill. Despite the weak protections, a business coalition called "Georgia Prospers" is mounting an aggressive campaign to defeat the bill.

Large corporations ranging from Microsoft to Atlanta-based Coca-Cola are urging the state to abandon the bill. The corporations Disney and Marvel have also said they will boycott the bill if passed. The NFL in particular has made headlines over its opposition. The league is warning the measure could hurt Georgia's chances to host an upcoming Super Bowl.

There's evidence to back up opponents' claims that such legislation can harm a state's business climate. Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act resulted in a loss of as many as a dozen conventions and as much as $60 million in lost revenue.

Georgia isn't the only state where lawmakers are currently mulling laws that would allow businesses to refuse service to gay customers. Kentucky's Senate this week approved a similar bill that would allow business owners to refuse service to gay customers based on their religious beliefs. Last year, more than 100 anti-LGBT bills were filed in 29 states, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

It is unclear what will happen with the Georgia bill. Deal has until May 3rd to sign or veto the bill.

Facebook Donates to Reyes's Campaign

Utah Attorney General Sean D. Reyes petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court recently in a bid to preserve the state’s same-sex marriage ban. Reyes bluntly spelled out the stakes.

"It comes down to this,” the petition states. “Thousands of couples are being unconstitutionally denied the right to marry or millions of voters are being disenfranchised of their vote to define marriage. Either way, the court’s review is necessary, and this case is the right vehicle to do so.”

Calling it, without exaggeration, an “immensely important question,” Utah’s petition seeks review of a 10th Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision that struck down the state’s marriage restrictions. “The issue has been percolating for 40 years,” the petition notes. “Dozens of cases are challenging state marriage laws, and erratic use of stays has created legal chaos.”

In its 2-1 decision in June, the 10th Circuit concluded Utah’s same-sex marriage ban violated constitutional guarantees of equal protection. An amendment to the state’s constitution adopted by 66 percent of voters in 2004 declares that “marriage consists only of the legal union between a man and a woman” and that “no other domestic union, however denominated, may be recognized as a marriage or given the same or substantially equivalent legal effect”

In the 2012 primary election in Utah for Attorney General, Reyes challenged Swallow for the position. The Republican primary race was purported to be “one of the dirtiest in years”. Swallow defeated Reyes. Swallow went on to win the general election but then resigned in 2013. Reyes was appointed as Attorney General. He is facing his re-election this fall.

Sean Reyes has openly spoken out against same sex marriage. Not only does he disagree with the LGBT community’s right to equal marriage, he is actively against it. He has said he will “spend whatever it takes” to fight against same sex marriage. He has even gone so far as to hire attorney Monte Stewart, founder of anti-equal marriage legal group Marriage Law Foundation to attempt to overturn a Utah ban on Equal marriage.

In a controversial move, it has been revealed that Facebook has donated $10,000 to Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes’ re-election campaign. Facebook, who made the donation in May, has defended their support of this candidate in a letter to The Huffington Post:

“Facebook has a strong record on LGBT issues and that will not change, but we make decisions about which candidates to support based on the entire portfolio of issues important to our business, not just one...

The question has to be asked – Why Sean Reyes? His aggressive stance on gay marriage not only condemns us, but also actively fights against our right to equality. In answer, Facebook has declared that they do not necessarily support Reyes position on gay marriage, stating – “A contribution to a candidate does not mean that we agree with every policy or position that candidate takes. We made this donation for the same reason we’ve donated to Attorneys General on the opposite side of the issue –because they are committed to fostering innovation and an open Internet”.