Should A Woman Be Allowed to hold the office of President of the USA?

[webfact]

LGBT advocates scared, despite White House words on equality

By Laila Kearney and Daniel Trotta

REUTERS

 

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump holds up a rainbow flag with "LGBTs for TRUMP" written on it at a campaign rally in Greeley, Colorado, U.S. October 30, 2016. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Advocates said on Tuesday they were bracing for a Trump administration rollback of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights, despite a White House statement vowing to uphold protection for LGBT people in the workplace.U.S. President Donald Trump will continue to enforce a 2014 executive order by his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, barring discrimination against LGBT people working for federal contractors, the White House said.

 

The statement marked a break with the Republican Party's traditional stance, but advocates said they feared Trump could still take executive actions allowing discrimination under the guise of religious exemptions.

 

"LGBTQ people must remain on guard for attacks," said Sarah Kate Ellis, president of the civil rights group GLAAD.

 

Some LGBT activists were abuzz over a draft of an anti-LGBT executive order that had leaked and was circulating in Washington, expecting Trump's impending order to be unveiled in conjunction with the annual National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday.

 

The draft of the executive order would have eliminated non-discrimination protections for federal employees and contractors, according to a source who has seen the draft and asked not to be identified for fear of reprisals from the Trump administration.

 

The draft executive order also would have allowed adoption agencies that receive federal funding to deny services to LGBT parents on religious grounds, among other measures, the source said.

 

Reuters could not verify whether the draft was being seriously considered. When asked at Monday's press briefing about the possibility of Trump issuing an anti-LGBT executive order, Press Secretary Sean Spicer said: "There is a lot of executive orders, a lot of things that the president has talked about and will continue to fulfil, but we have nothing

on that front now."

 

Just as LGBT advocates geared up for a similar clash to the recent immigration controversy but on their issues, the White House issued the pro-LGBT statement, and the advocates were not easily swayed.

 

"The President is proud to have been the first ever GOP (Republican) nominee to mention the LGBTQ community in his nomination acceptance speech, pledging then to protect the community from violence and oppression," the White House statement said.

 

Trump on Friday signed an executive order to temporarily bar entry to people from seven predominantly Muslim countries, leading to large protests across the United States.

 

Enforcing Obama's 2014 LGBT order puts Trump at odds with many fellow Republicans, who for the most part have fought civil rights protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Some conservatives have softened their positions in recent years, however, particularly towards same-sex marriage.

 

During his presidential campaign, Trump acknowledged gay rights and called on LGBT voters to cast their ballots for him.

But by picking Indiana Governor Mike Pence, a staunch conservative Christian, as his vice president, as well as other senior officials who oppose gay rights, Trump has sent a clear message to the community, said Chad Griffin, president of Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer advocacy organisation.

 

"Trump talks a big game on his support for LGBTQ people, yet he has filled his cabinet with people who have literally spent their careers working to demonize us and limit our rights," Griffin said in a statement.

 

LGBT leaders were anticipating a Trump announcement on filling the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court, set for 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday (0100 GMT on Wednesday).

 

Trump's nominee pick will be especially revealing about his stance on equality, said Shannon Minter, legal director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

 

"Whoever is in that seat is going to have a huge impact," Minter said. "It is so critical that the Senate not confirm any nominee who is going to roll back the clock on LGBT equality."

 

(Reporting by Laila Kearney and Daniel Trotta in New York and Susan Heavey and Eric Walsh in Washington; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli and Andrew Hay)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-02-01

[Scott]

Off-topic post removed.

 

[Stargeezr]

LGBTQ  Be afraid, very afraid.  It seems to me,  that you all seem to think you are a special

group of people ,when you are just another group of people.Enough said.

Geezer

[Baerboxer]

Homosexuals and transgender people have the right not to be discriminated against. They don't have a right to special treatment, dictate laws to everyone else or decide who can and cannot be appointed to public office purely on who favors them or gets their approval.

 

All minority groups can lobby and deserve protection. But not elevation above all others.

[Galactus]

it starts with muslims and time sure will come to LGBT individuals, jews and other minorities slowly.

just wake up US.

Edited February 1, 2017 by Galactus

[DM07]

53 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

Homosexuals and transgender people have the right not to be discriminated against. They don't have a right to special treatment, dictate laws to everyone else or decide who can and cannot be appointed to public office purely on who favors them or gets their approval.

 

All minority groups can lobby and deserve protection. But not elevation above all others.

Pray tell: what "special laws" does the LGBTQ- community want?

 

[dutchisaan]

58 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

Homosexuals and transgender people have the right not to be discriminated against. They don't have a right to special treatment, dictate laws to everyone else or decide who can and cannot be appointed to public office purely on who favors them or gets their approval.

 

All minority groups can lobby and deserve protection. But not elevation above all others.

All they are asking for is to have the same rights as everybody else in the USA, not to elevate above other people.

 

[Jingthing]

The trumpist B.S. line so far has been, be grateful gays, we're not as bad as some Islamist regimes that throw gays off tall buildings. Well, that is certainly appreciated but in the context of U.S. society it's reasonable to strive for full  equal civil rights in all matters. Many people don't know that in the majority of U.S. states it is totally legal to not hire, to fire, to deny housing, to evict from housing ONLY on the basis of sexual orientation / gender identity. People of different races are protected from this. Women are protected from this. People of all religions are protected from this. But not LGBTQ people. Hillary Clinton had favored national legislation to overrule all those BIGOTED state laws. trump does not and there is ZERO chance such legislation will pass in the trump era.

It's not SPECIAL rights sought. It's EQUAL rights.

[Trouble]

I think the reaction is overblown like the reaction to almost everything Trump has done.  As the article said, Trump will probably stay away from the gay marriage issue which was decided by the Supreme Court. Republicans have softened on that issue. The other issues concerning gay rights ultimately need to be enshrined in law not executive orders. There is no doubt in my mind that there will be conflict ahead between religious rights and gay rights. It surely is a problem. It is also generational thing and it's not going to be easy to convince old folks to change their opinions. It is going to take time. We should all remember that neither Obama nor Clinton embraced gay marriage initially but they came around. Personally I think it was political expediency rather that a true change of heart.  Trump is indeed the first Republican presidential candidate to accept the LGBTQ community and I don't think he is going to want to alienate that group.

 

It is going to be a battle over issues like forcing a staunchly conservative Christian person to go against their beliefs, right or wrong. What LGBTQ person  wants to work for or live by that kind of person anyway? While I believe that there should NOT be discrimination in the workplace, etc., what is needed is acceptance not laws forcing the issue. Most LGBTQ people choose to live and work in surroundings where they are accepted not hated, even if they have the right to do so. Further, I really don't believe that any previous executive order has prevented most discrimination where it exists in housing, employment, etc.  People that don't want to hire or rent get around those things anyway. The furor the article brings from the LGBTQ community, based on a leaked rumor, only stirs up the other side in my opinion.

 

The big issue coming is the transgender bathroom issue that is going to end up in the Supreme Court. The problem with things like this is that they create issues where, generally speaking, there is only a small number of cases to begin with and stirs up the whole country.  What will come next? The gym shower room?  That's going to be an interesting one. Where does one persons right overshadow another persons right. That's the big question. Is the boy who feels he is a girl going to want to shower in the girls shower room at school?  Where does it end and how much accommodation does the public have to make for only a very few cases across the country. Why these things end up in the court is because in most cases it can't just be legislated. This is not just always about just equal rights its about who's lifestyle takes precedence. Not an easy thing to deal with and the LGBTQ organizations are all to quick to stir up things. They need to pick their battles more carefully.  

 

 

[mtls2005]

Rumor is Jar-Vanka talked him down on this one.