tried to divert and use money that had been earmarked for HIV/AIDS to fund conversion therapy, which has been banned in several states and is not supported by ANY medical organization, or evidence for that matter. The very same Mike Pence also signed a bill into law LAST YEAR that was virulently anti-LGBT allowing business to claim “religious freedom” as an excuse to discriminate against us. Those are but a few items in the “deplorable” (yeah, I said it!) list that show just how homophobic Governor Pence is. Much will be made of the Democratic candidates silence on behalf of the LGBT community, because, frankly, it is unacceptable. However, let's face it, last week Kaine did put major pressure on GOP Vice Presidential nominee Mike Pence all night long during the debate, forcing him to outright lie and deny Trump's very own words. Then this past Sunday, Donald Trump himself, in full #Pu$$ygate style, put on a farce of a press conference where he disgracefully displayed women who have accused Bill Clinton of dreadful acts, (the very same acts Trump brags about in the #Pu$$yGate film) like a cat who has brought home its prey to make its owner proud. Simply put, our community's plight has taken a back seat to issues that are unpleasant, ugly, but that make really good TV and are great for ratings. As of press time, the ratings for the second presidential debate aren't in but the first one broke all previous records with an estimated 84 million viewers and CNN’s poll does give the win to Clinton. Based on everything he has shown us thus far, it's easy to see that Trump has doubled, even tripled down on his bet against the LGBT community. He has promised to appoint Supreme Court Justices who will overturn marriage equality rulings, picked one of the most anti-gay people currently holding public office as his VP, as well as surrounding himself with Republican operatives like Tony Perkins who have called for the execution of LGBT
people simply because of their sexuality. While Kaine's behavior at the VP debate was questionable, his combativeness was understandable based on the sheer number of offensive statements Trump and Pence have made over the course of the campaign. Conversely, while Clinton didn't score a clearly defined victory at the second debate, she proved again that she has the temperament (just based on all the incoming she faced from Trump's juvenile attack style), the knowledge and the background to be President. She didn't have to go out and punch back every time Trump hit her, she's already in the lead, she needed to look like the President, and on that account, she won, handily.
As a community, we must continue to stand up for ourselves, especially at times when our “allies” fail to do so for us. We have to make our voices heard, so it's up to you to do your part. Call your local leaders, urge them to speak up, write, email, and tweet the Clinton Campaign and hold them accountable for their practical silence. Do the same with the Trump campaign let them know that anti-LGBT laws are unconstitutional (as if he cares about a tiny little thing like the Constitution), and make sure that your friends and family who are our allies do the same. Most importantly, VOTE. The time is now. We can't allow our lawmakers to turn back the hands of time and write us off. WE'RE HERE, WE'RE QUEER, GET USED TO IT!!
“...it's easy to see that Trump has doubled, even tripled down on his bet against the LGBT community. He has promised to appoint Supreme Court Justices who will overturn marriage equality rulings...”