Kansas lawmakers fail to override veto of bill banning healthcare for trans kids, two anti-trans bills fail in Mississippi

It was a good Monday and Tuesday for the transgender community. 

Yesterday an hour after I posted about the victory in federal court, news came down that Kansas lawmakers failed to override Governor Laura Kelly's veto on an anti-trans healthcare bill. The bill would have banned gender-affirming are for trans minors. And central to the story is one Republican, who initially supported the bill, changing her vote.

From Michigan Live:

In a dramatic shift, the Kansas legislature failed to override Governor Laura Kelly’s veto of a bill banning gender-affirming healthcare for transgender minors. Two Republican lawmakers unexpectedly broke ranks, leading to a major victory for LGBTQ+ advocates and securing access to essential medical care for trans youth in the state.

 The legislation, Senate Bill 233, would have prohibited medical professionals from providing treatments like puberty blockers and hormone therapy to transgender youth. It also aimed to bar state employees from promoting social transitioning for children questioning their gender identity. 

 Governor Kelly vetoed the bill in March, citing its dangerous intrusion into the doctor-patient relationship and the well-being of transgender Kansans. The veto override seemed poised for success, until Representatives Susan Concannon and Jesse Borjon voted against the measure. 

 Rep. Concannon, previously a supporter of the bill, delivered a powerful speech: “We hear of bullying and ask authorities to make it stop. We hear about mental health, about suicide, and ask why. We’re not listening to the impacted youth. Government involvement is not the answer...These decisions belong between the team of professionals and the parents. The youth need our help, not government overreach. For all those who reached out, I hear you, and vote to sustain the governor’s veto.”

And just now as I was working on the above post, this news came from The Associated Press:

Mississippi's Republican-led Legislature will not take final votes on two bills that attempted to restrict legal recognition of transgender people. The bills died quietly when House and Senate leaders failed to agree on compromise versions before a Monday night deadline. Lawmakers were working on several other complex issues at the time.

 One bill would have restricted transgender people’s use of bathrooms and locker rooms in public buildings, including university dormitories. The other would have specified that sex is defined at birth, and that “there are only two sexes, and every individual is either male or female.” 

 SuperTalk- Mississippi Media added: 

 In an attempt to restrict transgender people’s use of bathrooms and locker rooms in public buildings, Republican Sen.Josh Harkins authored the Securing Areas for Females Effectively and Responsibly (SAFER) Act. The legislation deemed it necessary to provide male and female areas for each sex’s exclusive use. Lawmakers on the GOP side quickly voiced their support for the bill following an incident at a Planet Fitness gym in Alaska in which a transgender individual identifying as a woman was spotted on video shaving in the women’s locker room.

 . . . The SAFER Act became a national movement as it was backed by Paula Scanlan, a former University of Pennsylvania swimmer who has made waves along with fellow athlete Riley Gaines. Scanlan even made a trip to the Magnolia State to advocate for the bill to create “safe spaces” for women. Nonetheless, the bill, which received pushback from Democratic lawmakers, failed to survive Monday’s deadline and will not make it to the desk of Republican Gov. Tate Reeves.

Federal court rules that state healthcare plans can't deny gender-affirming care to trans individuals

A wonderful bit of news just came from the courts on Monday for the transgender community.

From MetroWeekly:

A federal appeals court ruled that states can’t deny insurance coverage for gender-affirming medical care to transgender individuals. The full panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of transgender plaintiffs in two cases from North Carolina and West Virginia, finding that existing insurance exclusions on gender-affirming care are discriminatory and unconstitutional. 

 Lawyers for the plaintiffs noted that this most recent ruling sets precedent, not only for North Carolina and West Virginia, but all other states within the 4th Circuit, including South Carolina, where state officials are considering a ban on gender-affirming care for minors — one of the few Southern states without a ban currently in place. 

 “The court’s decision sends a clear message that gender-affirming care is critical medical care for transgender people and that denying it is harmful and unlawful,” Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, counsel and health care strategist for Lambda Legal, said in a statement. The plaintiffs celebrated the appeals court’s ruling as a victory for transgender people.

 . . .In 2020, Lambda Legal, together with employment attorney firm Nichols Kaster, PLLP, and The Employment Law Center, PLLC, filed a lawsuit against West Virginia officials on behalf of a Medicaid participant, Christopher Fain, who was denied coverage for gender confirmation surgery. That same lawsuit also previously challenged a similar exclusion contained in West Virginia’s state employee health insurance plan on behalf of two state employees who could not obtain coverage for gender-affirming treatments, either for themselves or their dependents.

Lambda Legal subsequently added additional transgender plaintiffs to the case, including Shauntae Anderson. The state employee plaintiffs’ claims were eventually resolved by a 2022 settlement with The Health Plan of West Virginia, Inc., which removed its exclusion on gender-affirming care. The lawsuit subsequently resumed, challenging only the Medicaid exclusion.

'UK right wing actor has to pay $225,000 for calling Drag Race contestant and LGBTQ activists 'pedophiles'' & other Thur/Fri news briefs

UK Right Wing Actor Must Pay $225,000 For Calling Drag Race Contestant And LGBTQ Activist “Pedophiles”​ - It would have been lovely for this to have happened in America. Nevertheless, give it up, turn it loose!

The queer community has long struggled with bisexual inclusivity. It’s even worse for bi elders. - We really need to do better when it comes to our bisexual brothers and sisters.

Four States Tell Schools To Ignore Biden's New Title IX Rules Protecting Trans Students - Ho boy here we go! We are going to be in for a fight. 

Colorado allows anti-LGBTQ+ group to pursue law outing trans students to parents - They are being allowed to collect signatures for a ballot measure which would force schools to out trans students to their parents. It doesn't sound appealing as to voters as it is. 

Meet the transgender minister representing LGBTQ+ rights in Georgia - Rev. Andi Woodworth is doing wonderful work.

Spreading lies about 2020 election leads to bankruptcy for anti-LGBTQ site The Gateway Pundit

 

Jim Hoft

Far be it from me to celebrate in someone's misfortune, but when an anti-LGBTQ publication is having serious problems, it's party time.

From Raw Story

In a message posted to the conspiracy theory-laden site that he founded, Jim Hoft announced that The Gateway Pundit has declared bankruptcy. “TGP Communications, the parent company of The Gateway Pundit, recently made the decision to seek protection under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code in the Southern District of Florida as a result of the progressive liberal lawfare attacks against our media outlet," Jim Hoft wrote in the post

. In December of 2021 Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Shaye Moss sued the site alleging that Hoft and his twin brother Joe Hoft used the site to engage in "a campaign of lies” that “instigated a deluge of intimidation, harassment, and threats that has forced them to change their phone numbers, delete their online accounts, and fear for their physical safety.” 

 The site grew to prominence and saw its traffic surge in 2020 by repeating false claims about mass voter fraud in that year's election -- claims that helped spark the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. As Mediaite points out, the site saw around 1.7 million unique readers in January of 2020 alone. A year later, that number dropped by around 50 percent. 

 “This is not an admission of fault or culpability. This is a common tool for reorganization and to consolidate litigation when attacks are coming from all sides. It allows TGP to consolidate this lawfare in one court for ultimate resolution," Hoft wrote in his statement. 

Well before 2020 and Trump's false claims about a rigged election, Hoft had a reputation of spreading conspiracy theories and outright lies. Media watchdog site Media Matters has an extensive file on Hoft while calling him "the dumbest man on the internet."

 Hoft, who came out as gay in 2016, has also targeted LGBTQ people. In 2009, he made several accusations against Dept. of Education official Kevin Jennings. His claims included accusing the openly gay appointee of "promoting fisting to 14-year olds" and personally pushing books which instructed kids to meet gay men at bars for sex

 I wrote extensively about the attempts to smear Jennings, including one of the above incidents (which at the time was referred to by some on the right as "Fistgate." In 2012, I was able to personally question Hoft on these accusations as well other lies he's told.  He wasn't as bold in defending the claims as he was in creating them.

Even now years after he's come out, Hoft's Gateway Pundit contains a plethora of articles whose only purpose is denigrating LGBTQ people.

All things considered, the next time you look up "karma" in the dictionary, don't be surprised if you see a picture of Hoft next to the definition.

'Blacks for Trump' make a rap video and it's the most bullsh!tiest bullsh!t of any bullsh!t you've ever seen.

Nothing says respect to Black voters like a half- naked female gyrating during a music video. At least in the eyes of Donald Trump supporters.

A while back, a prominent poll came out which inferred that Donald Trump was getting a good percentage of the Black vote. Of course, black folks disputed this on several credible grounds, but the media in general never listens to us anyway so they proceeded to push a "Joe Biden is losing Black voters" narrative. It's similar to the one they pushed before Biden was elected in 2020 and before the 2022 midterms. Hell, they even pushed an "Obama is losing Black voters" narrative during his presidency.

One would think that the media would at least conduct interviews or nuanced discussions with Black voters about this narrative, but no such luck. Our media (who has the uncanny ability to find Trump voters to interview whether it be on Atlantis, Mars, or even in the sewer visiting that clown from 'It') decided to limit their conversations to Black figures they appointed as our spokespeople, i.e. rappers and radio show hosts. And then these folks, with their limited knowledge, made arguments about "stimmy checks. Or asked rhetorical questions of "what has Biden done for us;" which could easily be answered if they amplified credible Black pundits instead of chasing nonsense about who is sleeping with whom or some ridiculous ho-tep ideas of Black masculinity and femininity.  

And that is partly the reason why we are stuck with mess like below. A small and obscure group calling itself Blacks for Trump and led by some wannabe rapper (who I refuse to mention) has put together a video claiming that Black voters are coming out in large volumes for Trump.

It's a video you simply have to see to believe. But not here.  There is no way in HELL I'm putting that mess on my blog. The following is a short, but highly nauseating snippet followed by screenshots of the full video, which should be enough to make the point that this is going to be a long election cycle.  

Lord Jesus, I'm gonna need a drink AND an edible to get through this sh!t.

Blacks for Trump release song, say Donald Trump is the first black President. They're behind him 500 percent. WATCH pic.twitter.com/8ofk4PnOLu

— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) April 22, 2024

And to the right is "Uncle Cleophas" with the bad perm which he thinks makes him a 'mack daddy'.

I guess she thinks she's the white girl at the end of MC Hammer's 'You Can't Touch This' video.

Oh look, it's Sexxy Redd's cousin - Stanky Greene.

I don't know who this man is, but you have to give him points for trying to keep up.

Editor's note - Top photo courtesy of Joe Jervis.

20 anti-LGBTQ bills fail as Iowa legislative session adjourns

The LGBTQ community received a wonderful bit of good news in Iowa and LGBTQ activists and journalists are hoping that it is the sign of a new trend.

From Bil Browning of LGBTQ Nation:

In state after state, GOP-dominated state legislatures are adjourning without passing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. Now, Iowa has become the latest state to fail to pass any of the numerous bills introduced this session. 

 . . .Iowa Republicans saw bill after bill fall this session despite prioritizing them. A last-minute effort to push one through as an amendment to another bill also collapsed. More than 20 bills were introduced during this session. Some were introduced by the governor herself. 

 One bill tried to remove trans people from the state’s civil rights laws and declare them “disabled” instead. Another would have redefined the word “equal” in state law to specifically exclude trans people from the standard definition of “same” or “identical.” A third bill would have banned transgender from bathrooms that match their gender identity. 

One of the worst, known as the “pink triangle law,” would have required special markers on trans people’s birth certificates and driver’s licenses. The proposed change to Iowa’s civil rights law was so drastic and loathsome that even Republicans refused to entertain the idea. A crowd of hundreds erupted into cheers when the members of a subcommittee who had heard an hour of testimony against the bill announced they would not advance it any further. 

 Trans blogger and activist Erin Reed pointed out in The Washington Blade that though Iowa was the latest state legislature which failed to pass anti-LGBTQ bills this year, there is still work to be done.

 Iowa is not the only state to witness significant victories over anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-trans legislation this year. Earlier, all explicitly anti-LGBTQ+ bills—20 in total—were defeated in Florida, prompting a statement from local HRC advocates that “The tide is turning.”

 Similarly, over 20 bills failed in West Virginia, leading to celebrations. In Georgia, every anti-LGBTQ+ bill also failed, despite similar last-minute attempts to amend anti-LGBTQ+ legislation into entirely unrelated bills. 

 Although attacks on trans and queer individuals have encountered significant obstacles in Iowa and other states historically targeting LGBTQ+ people, some states are advancing with particularly severe legislation.  These states include Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, all of which have introduced bills that would ban transgender people from bathrooms, allow individuals with religious objections to adopt LGBTQ+ children, and more.

Meanwhile, Ohio is moving forward with a bathroom ban that could affect transgender adults in colleges, and Utah has already passed a sweeping bathroom and locker room ban this year. Additionally, the United States presidential election is already witnessing political attacks on transgender individuals, which may intensify in the coming months.

'Told you so' moment regarding book ban is latest embarrassment for 'culture warrior' Ron DeSantis

Florida Gov Ron DeSantis

While many eyes are on Donald Trump's trial, former presidential candidate FL Gov Ron DeSantis is facing another embarrassment which comes from laws he pushed while hyping himself up as a conservative culture warrior. DeSantis pushed for certain laws in an attempt to get the GOP presidential nomination. Now that the road to the White House has been cut off from him (at least for now), Mr. "Never Back Down" is actually backing down.  And with rapid speed.

From The Associated Press:

Two years ago, Democrats repeatedly and forcefully warned Republicans and Gov. Ron DeSantis that a new law making it easier to challenge schoolbooks was so broadly worded that it would create havoc across the state. 

Now they can say, “I told you so." 

 DeSantis backtracked on the 2022 law on Tuesday when he signed a bill narrowing its focus. He blamed liberal activists for abusing the law, not the citizens whose objections to certain books account for the majority of book removals from school libraries and classrooms. 

 “The idea that someone can use the parents' rights and the curriculum transparency to start objecting to every single book to try to make a mockery of this is just wrong,” DeSantis said the day before the bill signing. “That’s performative. That’s political.” 

 But the organization which has been fighting DeSantis over this book bans, PEN, told the Associated Press that it's actually conservative groups like Moms for Liberty who have been "abusing the law." 

 “The majority of books that we see being removed are books that talk about LBTQ+ identities, that include characters of color, that talk about race and racism, that include depictions of sexual experiences in the most broadest interpretation of that understanding,” said Kasey Meehan, Pen America's Freedom to Read program director.

Those challenges are being made by conservative individuals and groups such as Moms For Liberty, Meehan said. 

 According to the article, DeSantis's office provided one name as proof that the law was being abused by "liberal activists" - man by the name of Chaz Stevens who made challenges in several school districts claiming that the Bible iis obscene. However, Florida Democrat House leader Fentice Driskell disputed that claim. He told the Associated Press that DeSantis was warned in 2022 that the law would be abused. 

 “We told him so. The Florida House Democrats on the floor — in our debate, in our questioning — pointed out the vagueness in the original law and how it could be subject to abuse,” she said. “Chaz is not the problem. It's the folks who are taking liberties with the law who are the problem.”

DeSantis's backtracking on book banning is the second time he has backed away from a position he adopted in an attempt gain the GOP nomination.  In March, a lawsuit settlement practically gutted the centerpiece of his political narrative, i.e. the infamous "Don't Say Gay" law. DeSantis tried to claim that the settlement was a victory for the law, but others pointed out that it actually eliminated the law's most powerful element - it's vague wording.

According to The Tampa Bay Times:

DeSantis and others who backed the legislation insisted repeatedly that they had no intention of stopping discussions about LGBTQ+ issues in schools. Their goal, they said, was to eliminate what they called gender ideology. They did not provide clear definitions, though, nor did they offer detailed guidelines explaining what is and is not allowed in classrooms. 

Some claimed that not providing clear definitions or guidelines was a deliberate intent of the law. While it didn't offer clear instructions, but the penalties for breaking it were made very clear. This caused a lot of fear and confusion:

The critics claimed the result was a chilling effect that led teachers to stop talking about children’s families, remove books relating to LGBTQ+ characters and themes from their shelves, and to pull back support for LGBTQ+ students. As part of their defense, lawyers for the state pushed back against the allegations that the law lacked clarity. The settlement, announced by lawyers for the plaintiffs, took those arguments and made them real.