Tell Your Red State Senators to Codify Same-Sex Marriage
#139
Welcome to Third Cultured, a newsletter covering all things queer and techno-politics from the perspective of Kyle Borland (he/they). My goal is to highlight all the ways today is different (and not so) from yesterday.
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This edition:
Opinion Essay
A List of LGBTQ+ Wins
Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws/Violence in the US and around the world
Links, Quotes & Gay Shit
Opinion Essay
I’m sure you’ve heard by now, the House passed the Respect for Marriage Act (ROMA) 267–157.
Even 47 Republicans joined the Democrats in codifying same-sex marriage and interracial marriage into law. That “large” of a showing of bipartisanship support (since the bar is in Hell) makes me cautiously optimistic about the bill’s chances of making it through the Senate. As of now, five GOP senators – Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Rob Portman (R-OH), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Ron Johnson (R-WI) – have voiced their support.
LGBTQ+ lobbyists believe Senator Shelly Moore Capito (R-WV) and Richard Burr (R-NC) are also likely “yes” votes. Burr voted to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell back in 2011 and insiders are hoping he’d like to maintain a legacy of doing “the right thing” as he leaves office. Several senators have been noncommittal, particularly Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who is in an interracial marriage himself, and the notoriously religious Mitt Romney (R–UT). Then, of course, we have the disingenuous Marco Rubio (R–FL) and Lindsay Graham (R–SC) who claim the issue is “settled law” – a phrase no one should trust coming out of a conservatives mouth – and Ted Cruz (R–TX) saying the quiet part loud, calling for Obergefell to be overturned.
Even if all those dominoes were to fall the right way, we’d still be one short of the 60 needed to bypass the filibuster. That’s why it’s likely that we are going to be leaning heavy on the “moderate” Republicans who have voted with Democrats on the infrastructure package, gun reform, and the CHIPS+ bill.
Based on the CHIPS+ bill yesterday, they are: McConnell, Blunt, Burr, Capito, Cassidy, Collins, Cornyn, Daines, Graham, Hagerty, Moran, Portman, Romney, Sasse, Tillis, Wicker and Young. (The names in bold have already been mentioned and strikethroughs have already voiced their opposition to marriage equality.)
The only senators that didn’t vote for the CHIPS+ but have already come out in favor of ROMA are Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski (who was out with COVID) and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin. We need to apply a lot of pressure over the next week-and-a-half to those remaining eight senators. Unfortunately, Murkowski isn’t the only key vote that has contracted COVID in the past week and three Democrats are also out with COVID, so time will tell if this bill will even be brought to the floor for a vote before the Senate adjourns for its August recess and hectic fall campaign schedules.
All that being said, same-sex marriage is at a pivotal crossroads that no one would have predicted two or three decades ago. The GOP is splintering over the issue with the “moderates” moving on from the issue fighting with the religious fanatics in their base. The party establishment knows this is a losing issue – 71% of Americans agree with gay marriage, including a majority of Republicans – but the Christian fascists are the most organized and still care about the issue as if it was still the 1980’s.
In true Republican fashion, they served up a perfect example of conservative hypocrisy in the form of Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA). Thompson was one of the 157 Republicans who voted “no” on ROMA in the House, only to attend his gay son’s wedding on Friday (three days after the vote). He even gave a speech!
Standing next to his wife, the member of Congress told the guests how “blessed” he felt to celebrate the men’s marriage and to welcome a new member into his family. Thompson said any parent hopes and prays that their child stays healthy, finds their way, and ultimately finds “that one true love so that they have the opportunity to experience that: someone to grow old with.”
“We love it when they find their one true love, especially when they become a part of our families then. That’s what we’re rooting for,” Thompson said, praising his son for his selection of a husband.
It’s impossible to comprehend or even sympathize with that level of cognitive dissonance. If I Thompson’s son, I would’ve uninvited him the moment he cast that vote. He would’ve known going into the vote was the repercussions of his decision would be for our relationship if he voted against marriage equality, especially when the bill was guaranteed to pass with “large” bipartisan support either way.
This spineless swaying back-and-forth is why your call or email could be so pivotal right now. Republican senators are looking for any excuse to show that there is still some semblance of rationality left in their party. That they aren’t all Trumpian maggots waiting for their orders from on-high. Contact your senators, especially if you’re in a Red State, and let them know where you stand! They need the push.
Stay safe and healthy, beautiful people.
As always, thanks for reading.
Kyle (@kgborland)
PS – If you’re a fellow man who has sex with men, listen to WHO: get the monkeypox vaccine when you can and try to limit the number of new sexual partners for the time being. No one is telling you to stop having sex – we know better! – but be careful as you play and let’s all do our part to help contain this new contagion while we still can. Here is a list of more Monkeypox resources that I’ve come across:
As Monkeypox Spread in NYC, 300K Vaccine Doses Sat in Denmark (NYTimes)
As monkeypox spreads, know the difference between warning and stigmatizing people (NPR)
California’s LGBTQ community feeling ignored, angry, confused as monkeypox cases rise (LA Times)
Conservatives are using childhood cases of monkeypox to imply that gay and bisexual men are molesting children. (LGBTQ Nation)
It’s not homophobic to say that monkeypox is impacting gay men (Dazed)
Monkeypox: Gay man recalls ‘total nightmare’ of contracting ‘agonising’ virus at Pride (Pink News)
Saying monkeypox is tearing through communities of queer men isn’t stigmatising – being afraid to say it is (The Guardian)
Struggle to protect gay, bisexual men from monkeypox exposes inequities (WaPo)
WHO declares monkeypox a global health emergency and recommends gay/bi men limit sexual partners to reduce the spread of monkeypox (CNBC, WHO)
“If you’re gay or transgender, I love you. And if anyone gives you any shit, tell ’em Charles says f**k you!”
– Charles Barkley, NBA legend and 11-time All Star #RunForALGovernorCharles
A List of LGBTQ+ Wins
9 LGBTQ+ Candidates Who Did Us Proud During Pride Month (Advocate)
150,000 people march for LGBTQ rights in Berlin (DW)
‘A place of joy’: Inside a safe haven for Black queer teens in Alabama (Chalkbeat)
A record number of trans and nonbinary people are running for office (WaPo)
Andorra becomes the 33rd country with marriage equality (LGBTQ Nation)
Biden moves to reinstate health protections for LGBTQ Americans (Washington Post)
Commonwealth Games: Countries with homophobic laws unlikely to host (BBC)
D.C. Will Open Its First Homeless Shelter For LGBTQ+ Adults This Summer (DCist)
‘Groomer’ slur banned on Reddit and Twitter in bid to tackle hate speech (Pink News)
Japanese Court Said Same-Sex Marriage Is Unconstitutional. Nintendo Japan Gave Them the Middle Finger. (The Mary Sue)
Matt Gaetz body-shamed a queer teen. She used the publicity to raise $168K for abortion funds. (LGBTQ Nation)
Romania may follow Russia in banning LGBTQ "propaganda," but not if its first pair of married women can help it (CBS News)
Russia's top tennis star comes out as lesbian amidst Russian parliament moves to expand 'gay propaganda' (The Guardian)
These LGBTQ activists are leading the charge in some of the most LGBTQ hostile countries on Earth (LGBTQ Nation)
Thousands take part in Seoul LGBT festival (Reuters)
White House Finally Defends Trans Official After GOP Onslaught (Daily Beast)
Yulia Tsvetkova: Russian LGBT activist acquitted of 'porn' charges (BBC)
Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws/Violence in the US & around the world
6 Texas lawsuits targeting gay marriage, LGBT rights after the fall of Roe vs. Wade (Dallas Morning News)
Anti-LGBTQ+ Calif. Congressman Changes Tune When Facing Gay Challenger (Advocate)
Book ban movement has a chilling new tactic: harassing teachers on social media (MIT Technology Review)
CA Governor Gavin Newsom pardons concentration camp survivor arrested for having gay sex (LGBTQ Nation)
China’s Tsinghua University Punishes Students for LGBTQ Flags (Bloomberg)
Christian candidate says doctors who help trans kids should be hung “from the nearest tree” (LGBTQ Nation)
Claim that sex ed ‘grooms’ kids jolted Nebraska politics a year before it swept the nation (Washington Post)
Costa Rica’s Tourist-Famous LGBTQ Beach Town Isn’t As Welcoming to Queer Locals (Refinery29)
Death sentences for three gay men in Nigeria ‘opens the door’ for more ‘draconian judgements’ (Pink News)
Donald Trump describes LGBTQ people as “sickos” in speech signaling 2024 run (LGBTQ Nation)
EU executive will sue Hungary over LGBT law, radio broadcaster (Reuters, VoA)
Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Enforcement of L.G.B.T.Q. Protections (NYTimes)
Fight breaks out as neo-Nazis protest drag story hour event calling LGBTQ people molesters (them)
Gay man harassed about PDA with “kids around” (Queerty)
Gay Oklahoma mayor resigns due to concerns for his safety after altercation with police (LGBTQ Nation)
GOP-controlled states sue over LGBT- inclusive policy to get school lunch funds (The Hill)
How Meta, Google, Twitter and TikTok are 'failing' LGBTQ+ users (Protocol)
Intersex youth are also hurt by anti-trans laws, advocates say (WaPo)
Iranian LGBT Rights Defender Detained Again, Accused Of Trafficking Woman To Iraq (Radio Free Europe)
LGBT Afghans face sexual violence while stuck in refugee camps almost a year after fall of Kabul (iNews)
LGBTQ communities facing new repression in Middle East (DW)
LGBTQ people, keep voting against anyone who votes against you (LA Times)
Man Posing as Officer Attacked Gay Men in a Washington Park, Prosecutors Say (NYTimes)
One couple’s same-sex race to get married fueled by love, loss and the Supreme Court (Reckon)
Queer Children’s Books Targeted By the “Don’t Say Gay” Bill (The New Yorker)
Republicans in Congress lay groundwork for anti-transgender push (Reuters)
Rightwinger gets kicked out of an Arizona PetSmart for saying rainbow flag “sexualizes kids” (LGBTQ Nation)
Texas professor calls for “cure” to homosexuality to prevent monkeypox outbreak (LGBTQ Nation)
The New York Times, The Atlantic, More Keep Publishing Transphobia. Why? (Teen Vogue)
This Trans Man Was Just Trying to Pee. He Was Assaulted and Arrested. (them)
'Those people': French minister's LGBTQ remarks spark anger (WaPo)
“We failed”: Gay Republicans who fought for acceptance in Texas GOP see little progress (Texas Tribune)