After the Democrats took control of Congress in January, we expected progress on two key issues important to the LGBT community: an inclusive hate crimes law and an inclusive employment non-discrimination law. Now, Congress is readying to adjourn for the holidays and neither piece of legislation has gone to the president. So here we have Democrats in control of Congress, with San Francisco's own Nancy Pelosi as House speaker, and the LGBT community is left standing at the curb with nothing to show for all of the support it has given various politicians over the years, and especially last year in several contested House and Senate races.
Nothing.
A version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act was passed by the House, but it only covers sexual orientation and leaves out gender identity, to its great detriment. As has been reported, gay Congressman Barney Frank (D-Massachusetts) pushed for this gay-only ENDA, using the rationale that some is better than nothing, and a little is better than a lot. It's a false argument and one that drove a wedge between transgenders and the Human Rights Campaign, which reneged on its promise to support an inclusive ENDA.
The hate crimes bill, named in honor of the late Matthew Shepard, went down to defeat because the Democratic leadership couldn't keep its members on board. The law, which included gender identity, passed the House and the Senate, where it was part of the war-spending bill. The thinking was that the president wouldn't veto funding for Iraq. That strategy was a mistake. When it came time for a final vote, anti-war Democrats wouldn't vote for it, leaving it doomed. While we disagree with Frank's ENDA moves, we agree with him that hate crimes needs to be a stand-alone piece of legislation.
To say that we're disappointed in Congress is an understatement. We understand the politics involved with the war. We get that 60 votes are needed to pass anything in the Senate, and that the Democrats are short of that magic number. But the fact remains that the LGBT community is viewed as expendable on Capitol Hill, that when it's time to move legislation forward, we're still on the outside, looking in.
We'd like to think that 2008 will be different; in fact we expect it to be worse. With the presidential race in full swing, as well as congressional and Senate races, it is unlikely progress will be made on either ENDA or hate crimes. This year presented the best opportunity for action, and the Democrats frittered it away, leaving the LGBT stocking empty.
Sole 'Survivor'
Congratulations to gay Mormon Todd Herzog, the 22-year-old flight attendant from Utah who won $1 million as the winner of Survivor: China.
Herzog really played the game, the goal of which is to out last and out play opponents, and lied and schemed his way to victory over 15 other contestants, spending 39 days in the wilds of China.
On Sunday's finale, just after Herzog was voted the winner, the CBS show had a camera trained on a crowd of people in Utah who were rooting for Herzog. We think this is a first – a group of likely (or mostly) Mormons cheering for a gay man.
What's next? The Mitt Romney campaign calling on Herzog to do LGBT outreach? That's doubtful, though an amusing thought.
Enjoy your winnings, Todd, but be sure to pay your taxes so that you don't end up like that other gay Survivor winner Richard Hatch, who's doing hard time in the federal pen.
Happy holidays.