News
Republicans ignore LGBT issues at CPAC
Log Cabin criticizes organizers for exclusion from ‘outreach’ panel
Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-La.) speaking at the 2014 Conservative Political Action Conference. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Amid growing support for LGBT rights and following a string of court victories on marriage equality, high-profile Republican speakers avoided those subjects at the first day of the 2014 Conservative Political Action Conference.
Although many of the speakers have previously articulated their opposition to same-sex marriage — with some going as far as supporting a Federal Marriage Amendment — none took the opportunity while speaking before an estimated 8,500 conservatives in attendance to attack gay rights or made statements against the many recent judicial rulings in favor of marriage equality.
Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-La.) most closely approached LGBT issues when he defended his earlier statement supporting Phil Robertson of “Duck Dynasty” for controversial comments equating homosexuality to sinful behavior.
“But the reality is this: I stood up for their right to speak up and articulate their beliefs because I’m tired of the left,” Jindal said. “I’m tired of the left that claims they’re tolerant, claims they’re for diversity — and they are — they are tolerant and they are for diversity except for when you dare to disagree with them.”
Jindal made the reference to “Duck Dynasty” after criticizing the Obama administration for supposedly impinging on the religious liberties of Americans.
Another veiled reference to LGBT issues came up when Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) praised the restaurant chain Chick-fil-A — despite the company’s history of anti-gay donations and controversial comments in opposition to same-sex marriage by owner Dan Cathy.
You would have to look off stage at CPAC to find anti-LGBT sentiments. According to Right Wing Watch, the ultra-conservative Catholic group Tradition, Family, and Property distributed fliers at the event depicting the gay conservative group GOProud as a rainbow-colored beaver, explaining “Why GOProud Does Not Belong at CPAC.”
“Why is GOProud a welcomed and official guest at CPAC, when it advocates the legalization of same-sex ‘marriage,’ thus undermining the votes and dreams of millions of God-fearing Americans?” the flier reportedly says.
Ross Hemminger, co-director of GOProud who helped the group regain its guest status at CPAC after two years of being banned, responded to the flier succinctly.
“I think it’s hilarious,” Hemminger said. “We will proudly be the rainbow beavers.”
Even though no one on stage at CPAC took the opportunity to oppose LGBT rights, no one speaking on stage said anything in favor of them either.
That absence was most acute during a panel titled “Reaching Out: The Rest of the Story,” which looked at the ways the conservative movement can expand into minority groups.
On the panel, moderated by Revolvis Consulting partner Jason Roe, was Republican U.S. Senate candidate from Virginia Ed Gillespie; Robert Woodson, president of the Center for Neighborhood Enterprise and Elroy Sailor, CEO of J.C. Watts Companies.
Although the panel talked at length about the Republican Party entering the black and Latino communities to win over those heavily Democratic constituents, not once did any mention of LGBT outreach come up, nor was the word “gay” even uttered.
Gregory Angelo, executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans, attended CPAC as a guest and criticized the lack of LGBT outreach on the panel in an interview with the Blade.
“The silence is deafening there, as least as far as I’m concerned,” Angelo said. “This is a constituency that the conservative movement needs to reach out to and formally acknowledging that in some capacity is something I think it needs to do.”
In the wake of GOProud’s readmission as a guest to CPAC, Angelo penned an op-ed piece for The Daily Caller saying Log Cabin had sought “meaningful” participation at CPAC, such as a seat on the outreach panel, but was “rebuffed.” The American Conservation Union, which hosts CPAC, didn’t respond to a request for comment.
“Our ask was that we have a voice at the conference — that’s it — whether that was introducing speakers, introducing panelists, or being part of a panel,” Angelo said. “From our perspective, that was a simply non-controversial proposal that would have shown the country that gay conservatives are a meaningful part of this movement, in a vehicle that wasn’t all about ‘gay policy issues.'”
Log Cabin executive director Gregory Angelo (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
While remaining silent on LGBT issues, a number of prominent Republicans who spoke on stage at CPAC — many of whom are seen as Republican presidential contenders — addressed other relevant issues of the day, often attacking President Obama.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) talked about the importance of the “three-legged stool” of the conservative movement — social issues, fiscal issues and national security issues — that Republicans say led to Ronald Reagan’s wide victories during presidential elections in the 1980s.
“When we say that we’re pro-life, and that we’re proudly pro-life, that doesn’t mean that we’re pro-life just when that human being is in the womb,” Christie said. “It means we have to be in favor of an educational system that’s accountable, so that child, as they grow, can have a world-class education. It means that we have to be in favor of a society that creates opportunity and jobs for them — not one that has the government control what they think is good or fair in our society.”
Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.) speaking at the 2014 Conservative Political Action Conference. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Amid concern over Russia’s military incursion into Ukraine, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) derided the Obama administration for what he said was allowing the growth of totalitarian regimes in North Korea, Iran, China and Russia.
“All the problems of the world, all the conflicts of the world are being created by totalitarian regimes who are more interested in forcing people to do what they want them to do than truly achieving peace and prosperity and respect for the rights of others,” Rubio said.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), another rising Republican star, enumerated several policy items he wanted to achieve, including repeal of Obamacare and Dodd-Frank financial reform, abolition of the IRS and the establishment of the flat-tax.
Following his speech, Cruz took a shot at former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, whom many see as the likely Democratic presidential nominee in 2016, when asked about her candidacy.
“I’m less concerned about Hillary Clinton than I am about the direction this is country is going,” Cruz said. “We will have had eight years of a failed economic agenda that is resulting in a lack of leadership across the world. It is allowing Russia and China and Iran to expand their spheres of influence and make the world a much more dangerous place, and at home people are hurting. We’ve got the lowest labor force participation since 1978. Let me tell you, we can’t afford eight more years of this: Hillary Clinton would continue the failed Obama economic agenda.”
It should be noted Cruz is an opponent of marriage equality and has introduced in the Senate the State Defense Marriage Act, which would prohibit the federal government from recognizing same-sex unions in states where they’re illegal.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) speaking at CPAC 2014. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Florida
Key West Pride’s state funding pulled
Republican Fla. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed anti-DEI bill
Following the passage of anti-DEI legislation in Florida, Key West will no longer receive any state funding for its future Pride events.
In a letter provided to the Key West Business Guild, the LGBTQ visitor and tourism center for the string of islands, a senior assistant county attorney for Monroe County officially said that the organization would no longer receive funding for its ongoing projects as a result of Senate Bill 1134 and House Bill 1001, starting in 2027.
The popular Key West Pride, gay men–leaning Tropical Heat weekend, and Womenfest will no longer receive any state money. This is something that Gay Key West Visitor Center Executive Director Rob Dougherty highlighted will shift how all the largest LGBTQ events in the Keys will be held after this year.
He said that the explanation is solely a result of SB 1134 and HB 1001, which limits the official actions of local governments by “prohibiting counties and municipalities, respectively, from funding or promoting or taking official action as it relates to diversity, equity, and inclusion …”
The legislation is being used to impose restrictions on funding events that exclude — whereas the events’ true purpose is to uplift already marginalized groups.
“Womenfest lost it [funding] because it’s a women’s-only event. Tropical Heat lost it because it’s a men’s-only event … that’s how this is being applied.”
This will not impact anything this year, Dougherty assured the Washington Blade; however, the future is not as certain.
“The law that (Republican Florida) Gov. DeSantis signed does not go into effect until Jan. 1, so for 2026 we’re okay,” Dougherty told the Blade. “But it impacts Key West Pride 2027, it impacts Tropical Heat 2027 and Womenfest — so we have lost all funding for those three events.”
He said that this will amount to a large chunk of the expected funding for the LGBTQ celebrations, which the Key West tourism board says is “internationally known as a gay mecca.”
“We’re due to lose about $200,000. Not all of that is direct, but the way that the Tourist Development Council (TDC) distributes their money, about $75,000 of it is for Key West Pride, and that helps to pay for things like marketing, swag, and other things that promote the event.”
He went on to explain that marketing to many major metropolitan areas with large LGBTQ populations may not see the same Key West advertisements and push as in years past — and that is the point.
“Our digital marketing, our print marketing, our SEO marketing — all of that is paid for through there, and it targets places with direct flights like Washington, D.C., New York, Philly, Atlanta, Dallas. So it’s definitely going to impact that.”
The money that will stop coming is not just to run events and celebrations, he explained. Money that goes back directly into the community is going to be hardest hit.
“An estimated 250,000 LGBTQ+ travelers make it to Key West on an annual basis, and on a very conservative basis, for every LGBTQ+ person there are two to four allies traveling with the same values.”
“The TDC also estimates that $1,500+ is spent per person per visit … so if you take those figures and multiply those all together, it comes up to about $1.2 billion … that is potentially going to be lost.”
He says that this will intrinsically change how Key West’s tourism — especially the large LGBTQ side of it — will run, especially since gay vacations need a foundation and expectation of safety and support to blossom.
“We travel based upon where we feel most welcome,” Dougherty said. “Key West has always been its own little place … the LGBTQ+ history of Key West and everything about Key West has always been a little bit weird for people, and that’s why they come here.”
The Guild was formed in 1978 to encourage summer tourism and support Key West’s gay community — becoming the nation’s first LGBTQ destination marketing organization. It has grown tremendously from its original membership to now include more than 475 enterprises representing virtually every facet of the island’s business community.
He also went on to say that this should be eye-opening for anywhere considered an LGBTQ destination, regardless of whether it is in a blue state or a red one.
“I think it can be a wake-up call across the country, because if it can happen here, it can happen anywhere.”
Federal Government
DOE investigates Smith College’s trans-inclusive policy
Mass. college accused of violating Title IX
The U.S. Department of Education announced on Monday that it opened an investigation into Smith College for admitting transgender women.
Smith College, a private and famously all-women’s college in Northampton, Mass., established in 1871 and opened in 1875, has a long list of women who make up its historic alumni — including first ladies, influential political figures, and cultural leaders.
The DOE released a statement about the investigation into the institution through the Department’s Office for Civil Rights, saying it was looking into the possibility that Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 was violated by allowing trans women, referred to in the statement as “biological males,” into women’s intimate spaces protected by IX.
The statement explicitly highlighted that this stems from trans women being granted “access to women-only spaces, including dormitories, bathrooms, locker rooms, and athletic teams” while also allowing their audience into the school itself.
This is the first time the Trump-Vance administration has taken a step into admissions processes, a stark jump past investigating policies that allowed trans women to participate in women’s sports and use women’s bathrooms, and allows for the administration to go more after trans acceptance policy as a whole.
Smith’s admission policy allows for “any applicants who self-identify as women,” including “cis, trans, and nonbinary women,” according to the college’s website, and has since 2015, when it updated its policy.
“The college is fully committed to its institutional values, including compliance with civil rights laws,” Smith’s statement in response to the DOE’s investigation said. “The college does not comment on pending government investigations.”
“An all-women’s college loses all meaning if it is admitting biological males,” said Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey. “Allowing biological males into spaces designed for women raises serious concerns about privacy, fairness, and compliance under federal law. The Trump administration will continue to uphold the law and fight to restore common sense.”
This move continues to align with actions the Trump-Vance administration has taken to curtail LGBTQ — and specifically trans — rights in America, as members of the administration attempt to break down safeguards and protections that have long been used to protect marginalized communities.
Since Trump took office in his second term, there have been significant legal challenges. According to the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association, there are over 35 court cases that have emerged since his second swearing-in that directly relate to the administration’s attempts to minimize the rights and protections of trans Americans — from medical care and educational protections to military policy.
Much of this anti-trans policy direction was outlined beginning in 2022 with the Project 2025 playbook, which Trump officials have used as a guide to scale back protections for LGBTQ people, Black Americans, poor and Indigenous communities, while also increasing costs for lower-income Americans and providing tax cuts to the wealthy and ultra-wealthy. The plans also “erode” Americans’ freedoms and remove crucial checks and balances that have allowed the executive branch to remain in line with the Constitution without becoming too powerful over either the courts or the legislative branch.
Ukraine
Ukrainian MPs advance new Civil Code without protections for same-sex couples
Advocacy groups say proposal would ‘contradict European standards’
Ukrainian lawmakers have advanced a proposed new Civil Code that does not contain legal protections for same-sex couples.
The Kyiv Independent reported the proposal passed on its first reading on April 28 by a 254-2 vote margin.
The newspaper notes more than two dozen advocacy groups in a statement said some of the proposed Civil Code’s provisions “contradict European standards” and “violate Ukraine’s commitments under its EU accession process.”
“The most worrying provisions are those that make it impossible for a court to recognize the existence of a family relationship between people of the same sex,” the statement reads. “This overturns the already established case law on this issue, and closes the only legal avenue that allows partners to somehow protect their rights in individual cases.”
“Moreover, the draft completely ignores the obligations that Ukraine should have already fulfilled as part of its accession to the EU, as it lacks provisions that would allow people of the same sex to register their relationships,” it adds.
“The provisions also stipulate that all marriages concluded by people who have changed their gender automatically become invalid,” the statement further notes. “This is not just stagnation in the field of human rights or lack of progress on the path to European integration, but an actual setback in the legal sphere.”
Olena Shevchenko, chair of Insight, a Ukrainian LGBTQ advocacy group, in an April 28 Facebook post said the new Civil Code “is a step back on upholding the rights of women and the LGBT+ community in Ukraine.”
The Ukrainian constitution defines marriage as between a man and a woman.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2022 publicly backed civil partnerships for same-sex couples.
The Ukrainian Supreme Court on Feb. 25 recognized Zoryan Kis and Tymur Levchuk — a gay couple who has lived together since 2013 and married in the U.S. in 2021 — as a family. Ukraine the day before marked four years since Russia began its war against the country.
Key West Pride’s state funding pulled
DOE investigates Smith College’s trans-inclusive policy
A reign defined by commitment and human impact
Ukrainian MPs advance new Civil Code without protections for same-sex couples
Gay ICE detainee freed after 150 days in detention
Republicans attach five anti-LGBTQ riders to State Department funding bill
Tennessee’s trans data bill a frightening omen
The university that refuses to let go
Calendar: May 1-7
