Please Don’t Leave the T out of LGBT

According to a post on planetransgender.blogspot.com:

The Orginal ENDA 2015 submitted in April of 2007 included laungage which afforded protection to transgender people and GLB people regardless of how gay you are.Unfortunately it is of our opinion that political mistakes were made based on incorrect interpretation of history and a skewed sense of political expediecy..Barney Frank is of the opinion that transgender people are new to the advocacy arena and therefor not to be allowed to enjoy the same status as the rest of the GLB community.Transgender people have been in the forefront at the Compton Cafateria and Stone wall riots.The LBGT community has voiced it’s discontent via UNITED ENDA’s 7 million..

Read the rest here.

Barney Frank Speaks OUT on Sarah Palin

Barney Frank, who has represented the 4th District of Massachusetts since 1981, and is one of two out gay people in the House of Representatives. Tammy Baldwin, a Wisconsin Congresswoman, is the only lesbian in the House.

Frank, a Harvard graduate, who has long stood as an outsider in congress because of his sexual orientatin, came out in 1987.  Since, his political adversaries have attempted time and time again to unseat him, but to no avail.

In a Boston Globe article, Congressman Frank stated;

“Governor Palin’s daughter is entitled to be treated with compassion. But that is precisely the point that makes this a relevant political issue. Palin was selected by McCain in substantial part because of her high standing as a leading advocate of the socially conservative wing of the Republican Party.”

On the way to becoming a grandmother to an illegitimate child her underage daughter is carrying, Palin, 44, stated:

“We have been blessed with five wonderful children who we love with all our heart and mean everything to us. Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. We’re proud of Bristol’s decision to have her baby and even prouder to become grandparents.”

Congressman Frank’s general reply:

“The glaring inconsistency between the social philosophy that blames liberalism for divorce and teen pregnancy and the facts of Palin’s family life further underlines the serious shortcomings of that philosophy. This does not mean that family members are “fair game,” a view that some have inaccurately attributed to me. People are not “game,” fair or unfair. They are human beings who often face difficult personal decisions. The relevant political point about the existence of these incidents in Palin’s family is not that they reflect badly on her or her relatives, but that they further reveal the central flaw of the harshly judgmental and intolerant philosophy she exemplifies. That is why the questions of divorce and teen pregnancy are relevant in discussions of the McCain/Palin ticket. The individuals involved in these cases deserve to be treated with compassion, but so do millions of other Americans who find themselves in similar situations. But, sadly, they are often met with criticism and hostile public policy formulated by those who now claim Palin as their political champion. Too often, people on the right seek to impose strict standards on others, and blame them for falling short, while making exceptions for those close to them. Respect and compassion should extend to all who find themselves in similar situations.”

While Palin claims to have gay friends, and is receptive to arguments about discrimination, she also stated she would support a statewide ballot proposal in Alaska that would deny benefits to homosexual couples.

I wonder if listening to Stevie Wonder makes her a sensitive to African-American issues?

Michelle Obama Speaks to GLBT Community

Michelle Obama addressed GLBT delegates including Tammy Baldwin, Barney Frank, and other GLBT leaders from around the country.
“We want to make our nation a place where everyone gets a shot regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation,” she said. “You in this room are setting the tone for everything we’re doing this week.”
Obama spoke about the progress the GLBT community has made. She noted that 88 years ago this week, women won the right to vote, and 45 years ago this week, Martin Luther King, Jr. made his famous “I have a Dream” speech.  “It’s been five years since Lawrence v. Texas and 39 since Stonewall, and we’ve still got work to do before we achieve equality,” she said.

Michelle and her husband, Presidential hopeful Barack Obama have certainly stepped up to the plate for the GLBT Community

GLBT Community Making a Mark at the DNC

The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) Community will be well-represented at the Democratic National Convention and many GLBT Leaders and Organizations will play a role in convention events.

There will be a ground-breaking number of GLBT delegates at this year’s convention. The Stonewall Democrats estimate that When final number counts are released in Denver, more than 350 GLBT participants will attend the convention. This represents approximately 6% of total convention attendees and is 27% increase from the 282 LGBT participants who attended the Democratic National Convention in Boston in 2004.

The Stonewall Democrats National Convention will be held the weekend of August 21-24 prior to the Democratic National Convention.

Openly gay U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, along with the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and The Human Rights Campaign will host a GLBT Delegate Lunch at the Convention. Guests will include another openly gay U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, who will also speak at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday night.

Frank Throws Romney Under The Bus

The Democratic Party enlisted Congressman Barney Frank today to spindle fellow Bay Stater Mitt Romney in its series of conference calls to skewer potential Republican vice presidential picks.

Romney has been one of John McCain’s most enthusiastic surrogates, promoting McCain’s positions and blasting Democrat Barack Obama.

Frank, however, called Romney the “most intellectually inconsistent politician” he has ever known, citing the former Massachusetts governor’s changes of position on abortion, gay rights, and other issues.

Romney ran against Senator Edward M. Kennedy from the left in 1994, was a moderate as governor, and moved further to the right during the Republican primaries, showing the right wing’s “strong grip” on the party, Frank said.

Get more on this from boston.com.

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