Trump's Cruel and Cynical Transgender Ban

Donald Trump made many promises during the 2016 presidential campaign.  So far, other than putting anti-gay Neil Gorsuch on the Supreme Court, Trump has delivered on few of his promises.  At least the publicly made ones.  Time will tell what promises he may have made to Vladimir Putin, but today we witnessed Trump delivering on one of his promises to Christofascist leaders in June, 2016.  Today, Trump issued a fiat ban on transgender individuals serving in the U.S. military - much to the near orgasmic joy of hate group leaders such as Tony Perkins.  Pleasing the evangelical Christians who bear responsibility for Trump's presidency is far more important than delivering jobs to those in Youngstown, Ohio, or western Pennsylvania who he played for fools.   So too is causing distractions to divert media attention from the increasingly serious Russiagate scandal.  A piece in The New Yorker looks at Trump's cruel and cynical action against one of the most beleaguered segments of society.  Here are excerpts:

Nearly a half century ago, young Donald Trump—a Wharton graduate, and an avid player of squash, football, and tennis—scored a 1-Y medical deferment. Hundreds of thousands of young men were being deployed to Vietnam. Trump had some bone spurs. He then limped happily into his father’s real-estate business without delay.

When Trump was interviewed by the Times about his deferment during the 2016 campaign, he admitted that the foot condition was “temporary” and “minor”—usually orthotics or stretching eased the pain—and yet, “I had a doctor that gave me a letter—a very strong letter on the heels.” He promised the paper that he would look for the letter. Amazingly, it never turned up.

On Wednesday morning, the Commander-in-Chief declared by tweet-fiat that, “after consultation with my Generals and military experts,” he had decided to reverse an Obama Administration decision and bar transgender individuals from serving in the military “in any capacity.” Trump tweeted further, “Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming . . . victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail.”

Let’s begin with the retrograde cruelty. There are thousands of transgender people already serving among the 1.3 million active-duty members of the military. These are people who have volunteered their service and have potentially put their lives on the line, and yet their President, who managed to come up with a flimsy doctor’s note back in the day, denies them their dignity, their equality. He will not “accept or allow” them in the military. Imagine the scale of this insult.

However, today’s outrage—they seem to come at least once daily—is not merely one that reflects on Trump’s low character. It also reveals yet another layer of his political cynicism, and his willingness to use any tactical means available to try to emerge whole from his current predicament.

The President is in the midst of a colossal scandal, and the country, to an increasing measure, knows it. It’s not merely a matter of poor popularity polls. A sizable portion of the country wants to be rid of him and suspects he is unworthy of his office. Six months into his Presidency, according to a USA Today/Media Ethics poll, the country is split on whether or not he should be impeached . . . . The scandal is broad-based, but it surely includes (but is not limited to) contacts with Russian officials during the campaign and potential collusion . . . . the accumulating evidence of a history of sleazy business practices and partners; and the level of sheer incompetence in the West Wing.

It is implausible that Trump paid much attention to his highest-ranking generals, or to experts, generally; Secretary of Defense James Mattis has supported transgender individuals joining the military. And the hardly radical Rand Corporation has published an in-depth study refuting the idea that transgender soldiers are somehow expensive, or that they undermine the morale and cohesion of the military over all. Trump’s decision to bar transgender people from the military is pure politics, cheap and cruel politics, a naked attempt to divert attention from his woes, to hold on to support from his base . . . . In other words, it is a decision straight out of the Steve Bannon playbook. Cue the organs of the alt-right press.

When you begin to consider the meanness of what Trump has done, it is worth remembering him saying that he was “smarter” than the generals on military matters, and that he mocked John McCain’s service in Vietnam because “I like people who weren’t captured.” When you begin to think about the scale of this offense, it is worth remembering Khizr Khan, the Gold Star father who lost a son in Iraq, addressing Trump directly from the lectern of the Democratic National Convention: “You have sacrificed nothing and no one.”

Not my president.

A Lesson for Obama - President of Argentina Wins Landslide Re-election

Barack Obama, who continues to run away from supporting marriage equality for all USA citizens might learn a lesson from Argentina's Cristina Fernández de Kirchner who won re-election by a huge margin. As some may recall, when the Argentine Senate was posed to possible kill the same sex marriage law that had previously passed the lower house, Kirchner - who was out of the country on a trade mission at the time - spoke out in the strongest terms via video supporting passage of the law. Moreover, she pointedly condemned efforts by the Catholic Church to block the legislation and slammed the Church for its many wrongs (See the video here). In short, she used the bloody pulpit of her office and likely tipped the scale for passage. To date, Barack Obama has not had the spine - or core belief in equality for all under the civil laws - to use the power of his office in a similar manner on virtually any issue. The New York Times looks at Kirchner's election victory. Here are some highlights:

President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner of Argentina cruised to re-election on Sunday, riding a wave of economic prosperity in her quest to continue the political dynasty begun by her late husband, former President Néstor Kirchner. As recently as two years ago, Mrs. Kirchner had seemed a long shot to win a second four-year term. Her combative style, highlighted by a heated dispute over agricultural export taxes, sent her approval ratings below 30 percent.

But on Sunday, one year after her husband died of a heart attack, Mrs. Kirchner, Argentina’s first elected female president, completed a remarkable political turnaround. With about 81 percent of voting stations tabulated, she was leading with about 53 percent of the vote, while her closest challenger, Hermes Binner of the Broad Progressive Front, had about 17 percent. The ample margin would be enough to avoid a runoff and be the widest victory since democracy was restored in 1983.

The economy emerged as the central issue on voters’ minds. By many measures Argentina is booming: the economy is expected to grow by 8 percent this year, the fastest growth in Latin America; employment has reached record levels; and the poverty rate has been cut by more than half since 2007, the government said. The country continues to benefit from heavy government spending, high commodity prices and strong demand from China for its agricultural products.

A story in the Virginian Pilot on Kirchner's re-election had this quote that I believe is most applicable to the spineless Obama:

U.S. President Barack "Obama could take a lesson from this," said Weisbrot, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington. "It's an old-fashioned message of democracy: You deliver what you promise and people vote for you. It's kind of forgotten here in the U.S."

Obama Needs to Demand Resignation of Marine Corps Commandant

I have voiced my concern - alright, outrage - previously at the Liar-in-Chief's selection of General James Amos as the new head of the U. S. Marine Corps. Amos has made no secret of his open contempt for LGBT Americans and has argued for the retention of the religious based policy of discrimination known as Don't Ask, Don't Tell. And all of this was known to the Liar-in-Chief BEFORE he tapped Amos to head up the Marine Corps. Now, Amos - who can only be described as a bigoted bigot who cares little for the U. S. Constitution which he is sworn to uphold - has shot off his mouth again claiming that repeal of DADT will result in military deaths. Obama needs to ask for Amos' resignation NOW - and if Obama fails to do so immediately, it will underscore the reality that he's never given a damn about seeing DADT repealed. It's all been smoke and mirrors and a desire to tap into LGBT money and votes. The Beverly Hills Courier has details on Amos' verbal diarrhea. Here are highlights:
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The chief of the US Marine Corps said Tuesday that ending a ban on openly gay troops in the military could jeopardize the lives of Marines in combat by undermining closely knit units. General James Amos, commandant of the Marine Corps and an opponent of lifting the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" prohibition, cited a Pentagon study saying Marines fighting in Afghanistan were worried that permitting gays to serve openly could disrupt "unit cohesion."
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"When your life hangs on a line, on the intuitive behavior of the young man ... who sits to your right and your left, you don't want anything distracting you," Amos told reporters at the Pentagon. "I don't want to lose any Marines to distraction. I don't want to have any Marines that I'm visiting at Bethesda (hospital) with no legs," he said.
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Obama's fellow Democrats are pressing for another vote on the issue, but it remains unclear if the measure will win enough support in the final days of the current session.

Republicans, who oppose scrapping the ban, will take control of the House of Representatives from January and Democrats in the Senate will see their majority dwindle to 53 out of 100, meaning the move is highly unlikely to pass during the next session of Congress.
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Besides being Liar-in-Chief, Obama is commander-in-chief and Amos' statements amount to nothing less than wilful insubordination. The old bigot needs to be sent into retirement, preferably with a demotion in rank as well.

Joe Solmonese and HRC Make Me Sick

Had Martin Luther King subscribed to the mindset of the self-anointed leaders at HRC, the South would still be segregated and anti-black racial bigotry would continue to be the norm. I have had less than kind things to say about HRC in the past - and I regularly throw away their pleas for money - but I am now of the mindset that either HRC needs to be shut down or a coup staged to take over the leadership so that the organization acts as a civil rights organization as opposed to a simpering ass kisser for politicians that stroke certain egos by giving them "access." HRC in its current form makes me sick. It's a wonder Joe Solmonese has not suffocated since his nose is so far up Obama's ass. I am not the only one that believes Solmonese doesn't see the forest for the trees. Here's snippet of Pam Spaulding's take on his e-mail blast to supporters:

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Is HRC telling people to sit hands folded for Obama re: progress until 2017?

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In one of those "what does he really mean" moments, Joe Solmonese sent out an HRC e-blast to supporters that suggests he's willing to cut the President slack until he leaves office in 2017, after an assumed second term in office. . . . If this the message that is being telegraphed as the party line, it proves the org is definitely not in touch with the grassroots discussion out there about what the President needs to say tomorrow night.

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And cutting slack until 2017, if that's indeed the message, means yet again, that those who have the luxury to wait (they have non-discrimination measures where they live and work), don't understand the day-to-day peril working LGBTs live under in terms the vulnerability of being fired or losing the chance for employment because of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.

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Like me, Pam lives in a state where LGBT citizens have zero protections. North Carolina does not have an anti-gay marriage amendment, but otherwise its LGBT citizens are third class citizens like those of us in Virginia. You can read Solmonese's full message at Pam's site, but I think she has parsed it correctly. I am NOT willing to cut slack until 2017 and in fact, as I will address in another post, it may be a hugely perilous assumption to expect Obama to win re-election in 2012 since (1) the way things are going he may well face a nomination fight and (2) the GOP might surprise us an find a rational candidate to challenge him. The only thing Obama has delivered to date is that he's not John McCain. Beyond that, most of us are still waiting for delivery on campaign promises.

Repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Now. It is Well Past Time.

EDITOR'S COMMENT: This post is cross posted from Bilerico-DC and was written before I saw Jonathan Capehart's thought full post in the Washington Post that correctly notes that besides pressing Obama to live up to his campaign promises the LGBT community really needs to put pressure on the representatives in Congress as well. Here are highlights where Jonathan is right on point:

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If gays and lesbians want big victories, such as the repeal of DOMA and the "don't ask don't tell" policy, they should focus their fire where it belongs: on Congress. Each bill will take 218 votes in the House and 60 in the Senate to reach the president's desk, and the votes aren't there yet. Saying no one is going to hand gay men and lesbians their rights, Berry told me, "We have to get out there and fight and get those votes." That won't be easy. But if last week's announcement is a sign that Obama will be vocal, persistent and public in his support, the fight can be won.

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As for my Bilerico-DC piece, here it is:

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Living in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia with its huge military population, Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) is an ever present blight on the LGBT community. I personally know numerous gay and lesbian couples where one of the partners is active duty military and they live in constant fear of discovery.

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The result is that they must live very low profile lives, be careful how they hold title to property and take numerous other precautions to guard against possible discovery of their relationships.
In some cases, gays and lesbians even marry for cover as they each live their true lives on the side. Despite such precautions, a single disgruntled fellow service member can make allegations that result in "witch hunts" - and in the case of two friends, both were thrown out of the military and they never even knew the identity of their accuser.

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Moreover, while the military claims that it "does not ask," the reality is that there are those in the military that have been known to watch people leaving gay bars trying to identify military personnel, and those who search gay chat rooms for the same purpose.

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Thus, while President Obama and Congressional Democrats spinelessly dance around the issue - basically because of anti-gay religious based discrimination - real lives are adversely affected literally ever day, and frequently individuals are "outed" through no direct actions of their own.

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It has been argued that Obama could end discharges via an executive order - but as one highly-placed LGBT opponent of DADT has made clear, there is a good argument why this approach has definite negative aspects to it. Here are some highlights from a recent e-mail:

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The prior gay ban was, in fact, suspended during the first Gulf War...but what happened, immediately after, is that the gay troops whose dismissals had been postponed were sent home and fired at the war's conclusion.

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As a result, dozens of Americans who had served honorably in the war zone were kept on board just long enough to finish the job, and then given a pink slip as a "thank you" for their service. I don't think any of us would argue that was an acceptable solution.

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Even if an executive order could be used as a temporary solution by President Obama (and I'm not yet completely convinced that it could be), it opens up a can of worms, and a ton of questions that - down the road - could be very problematic for our community, and our country.

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If President Obama were to sign such an order, he would essentially be circumventing the will (and power) of Congress. Because, while other prior gay bans were a matter of military policy, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is a law codified by Congress. When it became law, Congress - for all intents and purposes - took the power to implement, modify or cancel the law away from the commander-in-chief and gave it to the legislative branch instead.

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Were President Obama to attempt the precedent (and it would be that) of stopping implementation of a Congressional law via executive order, it would set off a litany of constitutional questions. And, even if the order withstood legal scrutiny (which, again, I have serious doubts about), it would then set the stage to allow future Presidents to simply stop implementation of Congressional efforts with the stroke of a pen.

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I believe that this analysis is on point and, therefore, the only real solution is Congressional repeal of DADT. If Obama and the Democrats continue to be spineless on this issue, then the LGBT community needs to make the apparent unraveling of the DNC fundraiser this coming week a political disaster that resonates with the Democratic Party.

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The LGBT money ATM needs to be turned off and our "supposed community leaders" need to stop running to the White House whenever invited so that the Obama administration can engage in damage control. As former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, John M. Shalikashvili says, the true evidence supports the fact that gays serving openly in the military does NOT impair unit cohesiveness or military readiness. We simple need leaders who have the courage to do the right thing rather than stand about fearfully wringing their hands. Here are some highlights from Shalikashvili's recent editorial in the Washington Post:

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Tradition is a critical military value, and the armed forces have a long-standing tradition of banning gay men and lesbians. Equally important military traditions, however, are learning and adapting -- and my colleagues made claims as if no new knowledge has been acquired over past decades, during which time Israel and Britain joined more than 20 other nations to allow openly gay individuals to serve without overall problems.

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In Britain and Canada, polls had indicated that thousands would resign if gays were allowed to serve, but when the bans were lifted, almost no one left. The British Defense Ministry conducted several assessments of the policy change and called it a "solid achievement." The flag officers neglected to acknowledge Britain's experience, instead dismissing the relevance of nations such as "Denmark, the Netherlands and Canada."

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While it is true that the U.S. armed forces are unique, it is important that we not marginalize the lessons learned in other countries -- particularly those that often conduct joint operations with us. But it is not just foreign militaries that show service by allowing openly gay individuals to serve their country. The U.S. military itself has had successful experiences. Enforcement of the ban was suspended without problems during the Persian Gulf War, and there were no reports of angry departures. 8

According to several polls and reports released in the last several years, a majority of U.S. service members say they know or believe someone in their unit may be gay or lesbian - and yet find no detriment to unit morale or cohesion.

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Truth be told, it is far past time for Obama and the Congressional Democrats to stop listening to the likes of the laughable Elaine Donnelly and similar deranged Christianist homophobes, and instead deliver on Obama's promise to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Absent some delivery on his campaign promises, personally I will not believe a thing that Mr. Obama and his mouthpieces say about being "fierce advocates" for LGBT Americans.

Obama Can’t Remember His Promises

Even if Barack Obama can no longer remember his campign promises to LGBT Americans, we still do and we are waiting for action, not just talk.