Thursday, November 14, 2019

VP Mike Pence's office unhappy with NBC article about Trump's anti-LGBTQ adoption rule

Mike Pence
VP Mike Pence's office called an NBC reporter requesting that he change an article regarding a proposed Trump Administration rule. This rule would allow faith-based adoption and foster care agencies to receive tax dollars which refusing to work with potential LGBTQ parents.

The article, Pence praises rule that would let adoption agencies exclude gay parents, said in part:

During an event celebrating National Adoption Month, Vice President Mike Pence praised a proposed Trump administration rule that would allow federal funding to flow to adoption agencies that refuse to place children with LGBTQ families, among others. 
"We’ve reversed the rule implemented in the closing days of the last administration that jeopardized the ability of faith-based providers to serve those in need by penalizing them for their deeply held religious beliefs," Pence said at an event Tuesday at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington. "We will stand for the freedom of religion and we will stand with faith-based organizations to support adoption." 
Pence said he "couldn't be more proud" of the "decisive action" taken at "President Trump's direction" on this issue.

The article also focused on the negative effect the rule would have on the LGBTQ community and children seeking adoption and foster care.

On Thursday afternoon, the article's author, Tim Fitzsimons, tweeted out the following:



While Fitzsimons didn't indicate what the vice president's office wanted changed, from his description of the conversation he had with Waldman, Pence's press secretary, it appears to center around what exactly Trump's rule would do. Perhaps Pence's office isn't happy that the article focused in part on how the rule would harm the LGBTQ community and children, instead of attempting to make it sound like a victory for religion and faith, like Pence attempted to do.

And Waldman's claim of reverse discrimination is odd. Is she saying that not allowing faith-based adoption and foster care agencies to discriminate against the LGBTQ community, while having access to LGBTQ tax dollars, is some sort of "reverse discrimination?" The idea is an illogical stretch of the definition of discrimination.

But then again that illogical stretch would be coming from the Trump Administration. And if there's one thing we all should have learned after three years is to not put anything past Trump or anyone who works for him.


Editor's note -Fitzsimons also made another point with regards to Waldman. Take it as you will:





How many characters do you recognize in this 'History of Homosexuality on Film?'



A little fun change of pace for today. The video above was created in 2015 (and I've featured it before) but it is by no means dated. It is very quick look at the history of homosexuality on the silver screen. I think it deserves continued viewing, particularly by our LGBTQ kids. There is so much history they are missing in terms of how we were portrayed on the silver screen. Back in the day, we weren't as prominent or kindly viewed. I think it will be a culture shock to some of them.

 And there is something for us older folks to do. See how many characters you recognize and count how many of the movies featured in the clips have you seen. I can tell you that I've seen almost all of them (although not Brokeback Mountain . . shut up.)

'Transgender ex-cashier sues Dunkin' Donuts saying managers didn't stop harassment by coworkers, patrons' & other Thur midday news briefs