Editorial: The Gay Agenda for 2022

by Martha McDevitt-Pugh, DA LGBTQ+ Global Caucus vice chair

The DAUK LGBTQ+ Caucus kicked off this election year with a discussion of “The Gay Agenda" for 2022.

During the webinar, we heard from Sam Alleman, LGBTQ+ Coalitions Director at the DNC, to hear about measures the Biden Administration has taken to advance protections for LGBTQ+ people. These efforts started with signing executive orders on LGBTQ+ rights within hours of taking the oath of office — including preventing and combating discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation and the whole-of-government initiative establishing efforts to advance equity and justice for communities who have been left behind, underserved, or discriminated against by federal policies, laws, and programs, including LGBTQ+ communities. They also included lifting the ban on transgender military service and providing Americans with same-sex partners with an equal pathway to registering their children born abroad as U.S. citizens.

I joined Alleman to speak about the state of play across the country — and the role each of us has to play in advancing LGBTQ+ rights ahead of the midterm elections. The event was moderated by Caroline Ruchonnet and organized by DAUK LGBTQ+ Caucus chair Austin Allaire.

Republican state legislatures across the country have been targeting some of society’s most vulnerable — LGBTQ+ youth. Nearly 240 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been filed in the first three months of 2022 alone, half of them targeting transgender people. From Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill to Iowa’s new anti-trans sports law, we are seeing Republicans enact a hateful, bigoted agenda which jeopardizes the hard-won progress of the LGBTQ+ community.

LGBTQ+ issues are expected to be highlighted throughout the 2022 election cycle, making it critical that Democrats use the opportunity to speak to the issues. Relational organizing will be more important than ever — checking in with friends and family to find out if they’re registered and ready to vote.

The panel noted that getting out the vote in the 2022 midterms is as important as it was in 2018 and 2020, when Democrats took power in the House, Senate and won the presidency. With Democrats Abroad mobilizing voters in all 50 states, DA is a good partner for the DNC and the DNC LGBTQ Caucus, to bring attention to local and state issues while encouraging Americans overseas to vote. U.S. democracy itself is at stake.

If you missed it, you can watch the event here.

(Let us know what you think about anything you read in the Newsletter. Or let us know if there’s something we should cover. Email us your feedback to [email protected].)

Editorial: Doing what we can in a time of war

by Irene Chriss, associate editor

Biden’s State of the Union address was not just front-loaded with calls to challenge Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, but it also delivered a bold and unequivocal message for LGBTQ+ Americans.

“And for our LGBTQ+ Americans, let’s finally get the bipartisan Equality Act to my desk. The onslaught of state laws targeting transgender Americans and their families is simply wrong,” Biden said. “… I’ll always have your back as your president, so you can be yourself and reach your God-given potential.”

Sarah Kate Ellis, CEO of GLAAD reacted, “The state of our union is only as strong as our action and commitment to ensure no marginalized person is left behind. LGBTQ voters are more motivated than ever to hold elected officials accountable in the midterms.”

The Equality Act continues to languish in the Senate due to inadequate Republican support. This underscores the importance of your vote in the midterm elections, and it’s easy to register online and receive an online ballot. Just go to https://www.votefromabroad.org/request/your-information for more information.

On the Ukrainian front, “All Americans should leave Ukraine,” Biden told NBC News, adding that he could not risk a clash with Russian troops that might trigger a broader military engagement. Biden insisted he would not use the military to extract anyone trapped by a Russian attack. According to a New York Times article, Biden officials made clear that the 2021 Kabul airlift was “unique” and U.S. officials would not rescue its citizens who remain in Ukraine.

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, in a recent interview with a Ukrainian television station, said this decision had been made “out of an abundance of precaution.”

“It’s the prudent thing to do,” Blinken added, “because my personal responsibility is the safety and security of our people.”

If Kyiv falls, those who remain might be at particular risk of persecution. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations office in Geneva warns that Russia has plans to kill or round up journalists, activists, minorities, dissidents, and LGBTQ Ukrainians to be placed in camps.

The U.S. has no requirements for the approximately nine million Americans living abroad to declare where they live, reported State Department spokesperson Ned Price. Despite not knowing how many American residents are in Ukraine, we do know they are in peril and no rescuers will be coming for those who stayed behind.

Organizations from the grassroots to the international level are taking steps to protect refugees who face additional layers of danger. A word of caution: While mass grassroots efforts can surface overnight, there is also a potential for scams. Do your research. Verify the organizations’ non-profit Form 990 or check social media accounts to see if they’ve posted any receipts of how they’re using people’s money.

Some resources have been provided by reputable publications such as the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post.

Here are some others:

• Doctors Without Borders, https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/what-we-do/news-stories/story/ukraine-we-are-calling-respect-human-life
• The International Rescue Committee, https://www.rescue.org/topic/ukraine-crisis
• Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross provides assistance to those in Ukraine, https://www.icrc.org/en/where-we-work/europe-central-asia/ukraine
• U.N. Crisis Relief, https://crisisrelief.un.org/ukraine-crisis
• The World Food Program, the U.N.’s anti-hunger humanitarian organization, has launched emergency relief operations in Ukraine and surrounding border countries, https://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-ramps-food-operation-ukraine-and-warns-worlds-hungry-cannot-afford-another-conflict
• Outright is supporting fifteen LGBTQ+ non-profits dealing with refugees in the region. Testimonials: https://outrightinternational.org/ukraine
• TGEU is handling 300 trans cases in Ukraine (https://tgeu.org/support-ukraine)
• LGBTQ+ Ukrainians in America (https://qua.community/)
• Immigration Equality is supporting Ukrainians to obtain asylum in the US (https://immigrationequality.org/get-involved/give/)
• Rainbow Railroad provides plane tickets and does advocacy (https://www.rainbowrailroad.org/)
• ORAM advocates and provides safehouses, including Berlin (https://www.oramrefugee.org/)

Do you have a story to tell about a Ukrainian relative or yourself? If you wish to share your story, email [email protected]. Any information, including your name, will not be published. Rather, all comments with be synthesized into an overview to keep our members safe and our readers informed.

(Let us know what you think about anything you read in the Newsletter. Or let us know if there’s something we should cover. Email us your feedback to [email protected].)