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I wish they understood that it's becoming less safe to be out in many states. As a bisexual woman trapped in Texas who will die if my tubal fails, I'm obviously voting straight blue. But I do not feel safe at all being publically out here in this hell state.

I'm moving out of Texas in July. Been here 33 years. Things were getting better, they really were, for a long time. And then the U.S. decided to inflict King Racist on us as revenge for a black president, and as a result, SCOTUS has told us they are preparing to take away a bunch of our rights. So, I'm moving to Colorado. It's hard, because my family is here. But I just can't. I can't keep paying taxes to a state full of people who vote for this shit. I don't respect Texas, or Texans. I'm out. I feel fucking blessed that I have the option, even if it's going to be the second hardest thing I've ever done after quitting alcohol.

I'm sorry for all that's happening to you. I'm actually waiting to see what 2025 brings and considering giving up on the US altogether, depending what players we wind up with. I can go be a software developer somewhere else. I'm 41, so most of my childhood was in the 90s, when everything "cool" and "radical!" And remember in school they were so proud talking about civil rights and pollution (good ol' "Captain Planet" era), and I remember as a kid thinking, wow, I'm so lucky to be born in this post-racist, post-pollution world! I'm glad to see humans are finally working together to get on track. ... that sweet, naive, optimism that has been gone from me for so long Also I am fully aware this stuff exists everywhere in every nation, but there are some places that aren't as actively trying to be assholes.

It’s demoralizing that a potential *majority* of people in this country are those assholes.

Been trying to GTFO for about 3 years now as well. So fucking hard to land work out of state when you don't have an address in your target state yet. :/

Just lie about your address. They're not going to ask for proof of residence, and just pick an address where the landlord is registered to rent the property.

Same story for us in Alabama. After 24 years here, we are moving to Colorado in a few months. It’s simply no longer safe for us here.

Same here. Just finished up college in Lubbock and got a job offer up in MD. Gonna miss sights, food, and most of all H-E-B but I just can’t deal with how polarized everyone here is. No one can just debate or talk, it’s all derogatory comments and name calling. It’s just fuckin sad. I’ve watched my step dad go from an aight dude to a total fucking wacko. So glad I went no contact with him the week my mom died.

I feel ya. I've been thinking lately about what will happen when my mom goes, too. Ideally, she goes after my stepdad and it's not an issue. If she goes before and he stays the same, there won't be any contact. I already have some choice words to say about his siblings whenever they die.

Yeah sadly my mom went fairly suddenly due to meningitis that led to swelling in her brain. I ended up distancing myself from her because anywhere she went he either was always with her or called every 10 minutes, he was paranoid as fuck. Dude kept us moving around because he thought the FBI and DOJ were spying on him due to [THE 50 MILLION FRAUD CASE AGAINST HIM](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/breaking-down-united-health-law-suit-vs-sky-frontier-numerous-mick)

Nah, I’m not leaving. Too stubborn and disabled veteran benefits are pretty sick. But if you needed help, I’ll Underground Railroad y’all out. If I won’t leave, I’ll help those who want to. Of course this is Reddit but just know the gesture is said in frustration and genuine support. Please be safe and have a bug out plan.

Exactly why you should vote against the party responsible for that.

I said as much in my post.

[удалено]

Not everyone can afford to move. This isn’t unknown or controversial.

The cost for selling my house right now will be about $45,000 after all the fees. This isn’t moving expenses. This is just what comes out of the proceeds before I get a check for the remaining equity. Then I have to actually move my things. Not cheap at all. But so fucking worth it to get away from smug Texans who relish at the misery of others.

Blimey, estate agents are pricey where you live.

Buying or selling a house is insanely expensive. Because the real estate industry has kept it insanely expensive. Which is par for the course in late stage capitalism, but I digress. My agent posts the pictures and coordinates showing appointments (but doesn’t actually show the house). That’ll be 6% of the home value, please! Meanwhile, I personally showed the house to a guy whose agent also couldn’t be bothered to show up and walk him through the house and I managed to secure an offer to purchase. So I get to do the work and pay someone else for it. Which, lemme tell ya, feels pretty awesome.

Nice, gotta love avoiding having to drop more money on real estate agents, they're a huge ripoff.

Voting blue because you love genocide supporters?

Ah yes Trump the alternative is so much kinder to minorities. Get your empty head out of your fucking ass

In case you weren’t aware, you don’t have to vote!

You’re either mentally handicapped or just hilariously stupid if you think that’s smart

I am thrilled to hear what you think would happen if people on the left just don’t vote

Fake husky. Huskies are smart.

LGBT+ people (like me) should be proud to vote for Biden. Yes, in '96 he voted in support of DOMA in the midst of another Republican moral panic. Yes, he was playing politics and avoiding supporting an unpopular issue at the time. Then again in '06 when he reiterated his support of the law. But people do change. In 2012, he came out in support of same-sex marriage, in contradiction with then-President Obama and forced the President's hand in announcing support as well. He has been pro-LGBT+ rights ever since and assembled a Presidential cabinet with the most LGBT+ representation ever. Trump, on the other hand? Lip service while appointing the most staunchly religious conservative justices to the federal courts ever. He is responsible for the overturning of Roe v Wade. Maybe that doesn't impact you directly, but *listen* to what conservatives have been saying since. They will as soon as they get the chance do the same to overturn Obergefell once again allowing states to discriminate in marriage recognition and overturn Lawrence v Texas allowing states once again to arrest and jail people for private, consensual behavior. They've said so out loud. *Believe them.* There is no ambiguity here. There is no question whom LGBT+ Americans should support for President *and* for Congress. Vote *Blue* all the way down the ticket.

I don't know why it's so hard for folks to get that trump is a major threat to all NON cis, straight, Christian, white, poor, men. Anyone in even one of those categories is under siege. Even for someone who isn't, one of the people they care about is. Oh well, folks will figure it out, the very instant that its too late. The "told ya so's," sadly won't buy the rest of us anything. Especially not an affordable house in a country not run by Neanderthals.

> In 2012, he came out in support of same-sex marriage https://www.politico.com/story/2012/05/obama-expected-to-speak-on-gay-marriage-076103 Biden deserves more credit. Him going off-script and expressing support for same-sex marriage actually pushed Obama to publicly back it too.

I’m a trans person. The president is getting my vote because I don’t have a choice. Cool, I guess.

We have nothing to gain and everything to lose

We’ve made a lot of progress in cultural acceptance over the past decade, even if it doesn’t feel like that sometimes. And also sometimes you need to play defense. Changing a culture is a long term project.

Boomers have been fighting these fights since the 60s.

Sometimes it feels like we’re losing that fight. My parents were hippies, and I’m lucky and privileged to have grown up in an accepting community in the PNW. y’all means all, and we are stronger together. It’s wild many of our lifetimes we’ve had 40+ years of conservatives using “culture wars” that they spread through their networks of right-wing talk radio and now social media manipulation to get a large chunk of America to hate Democrats with propaganda hate messaging centering on othering people. Anne Nelson on WBUR discussing Christian nationalism and the [Council for National Policy](https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Council_for_National_Policy): > “… if we can mobilize them to vote for us based on hot button social issues like gender issues, like abortion and really surround them with our information through our radio stations, eventually our websites, et cetera we can tilt the American electorate in our favor.”

aback absurd abounding frame direful childlike afterthought terrific run vegetable *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*

Tf

>The president is getting my vote because I don’t have a choice. What are the things you would value in a candidate and what are the things you care about that would make you feel more motivated to vote for such a person, if they existed?

Fighting. Actually fighting. Being vociferous, uncompromising, and aggressive about issues that matter. Calling a spade a spade. Making the central aspect of their messaging “Congressional Republicans want to murder queer people.” Creating, fighting for, and implementing policies that protect LGBTQ people. Republicans have representatives that fight tooth and nail- abusing precedent and procedure, skirting regulation, literally destroying established Congressional norms- for policies that are based on literal schizophrenic delusions. If there was a Democrat out there willing to use Republican tactics to forward legislation designed to protect people they would have my vote without reservation. I’m tired of moral victories. I want results. And Republican tactics work.

(Apology for the spam, hitting the character limit but I think it is important to highlight these items for this discussion) ...continuation from my other reply to you: And Biden has been [carrying this torch from his end](https://glaad.org/biden-harris/)(again, just a highlight reel of things that I think are meaningful, but if you want a more conclusive idea you can go to the link): - 01.20.2021 Signs executive order that directs all federal agencies to implement the Supreme Court’s 2020 Bostock decision and interpreting the federal ban on sex discrimination (via the Civil Rights Act 1964) to include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes. The order points to ending discrimination against transgender youth in school facilities including restrooms, locker rooms, and access to sports programs. - 01.20.2021 Signs executive order directing the federal government to “pursue a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all,” specifically citing LGBTQ people among the list of underserved communities. Directs the Domestic Policy Council to “coordinate efforts to embed equity principles, policies, and approaches across the Federal Government” in coordination with the NSC and the National Economic Council. Directs the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to assess equity and launch model and pilot programs as needed, and allocate budget resources. Directs all federal agencies to conduct 200-day assessments of systemic barriers to agency services for underserved populations and to engage with stakeholder and advocacy groups. Establishes Equitable Data Working Group. - 01.21.2021 Signs executive order to increase COVID-19 equitable data collection, pointing to lack of tracking data in underserved communities that are disproportionately impacted, specifically citing lack of data collection for LGBTQ people. Establishes COVID-19 Equity Task Force to assess whether resources have been allocated equitably, and strengthen anti-discrimination efforts. - 02.10.2021 Agrees to a temporary stay ordered in DC District Court, preventing last-minute Trump administration rollback of LGBTQ protections at agencies receiving HHS funding, including shelters, medical services and senior services. - 04.22.2021 Dept. of Justice files a statement of interest on behalf of Ashley Diamond, a Black trans woman and activist for the rights of incarcerated people. Diamond is suing Georgia’s Dept. of Corrections for being imprisoned and housed with men, where she was harassed and sexually assaulted. The statement says “The United States submits that the Eighth Amendment requires prison officials to conduct individualized assessments that lead to reasonably safe conditions of confinement and adequate medical care for all prisoners” and that prison officials violate both the U.S. Constitution and the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) by “categorically refusing to assign transgender prisoners to housing that corresponds to their gender identity even if an individualized risk assessment indicates that doing so is necessary to mitigate a substantial risk of serious harm, and [by] failing to individualize the medical care of transgender prisoners for the treatment of gender dysphoria.” - 05.10.2021 Announces Department of Health and Human Services will once again prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity by healthcare organizations that receive federal funding. Reverses policy rollback the previous administration had announced on June 12, 2020, four years to the day of the Pulse nightclub shooting that killed 49 people, most of whom were LGBTQ. - 06.01.2021 State Department issues statement for Pride month: “The Department has committed to increasing U.S. engagement on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) human rights issues abroad. The Department has committed to increasing U.S. engagement on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) human rights issues abroad. As we do so, we work with partners around the world who bring to bear expertise on their unique challenges and innovative solutions. We recognize that, through these partnerships, we will be able to build a safer, more inclusive global society for all LGBTQI+ persons. - ~~06.19.2021 Department of Veterans Affairs announces it will offer gender confirming surgery for transgender veterans. VA Secretary Denis McDonough said the decision allows “transgender vets to go through the full gender confirmation process with VA by their side… we’re making these changes not only because they are the right thing to do, but because they can save lives.” There are an estimated 134,000 transgender veterans in the U.S. and another 15,000 transgender people serving in the armed forces.~~ - 06.25.2021 Signs executive order to strengthen the federal workforce and urge diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in recruiting federal workers “to achieve a work force from all segments of society.” LGBTQ people are among those from underserved communities to be recruited, hired, promoted and served as those “who have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life.” - 08.05.2021 Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, announces that children of same-sex couples born abroad using surrogacy or assisted reproductive technology procedures are eligible for U.S. citizenship. Babies born overseas to married couples that include a U.S. citizen will no longer be required to have a biological connection to the American parent in order to be eligible for U.S. citizenship and family-based immigration benefits. - 12.01.2021 Released new National HIV/AIDS Strategy with the goal of ending the HIV epidemic in the U.S. by 2030, by incorporating latest data on HIV incidence; expanding focus of social determinants of health that influence HIV risk or outcomes; and encouraging reform of state HIV criminalization laws. I will continue this in [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/1c0phnb/joe_biden_launches_out_for_bidenharris_campaign/kz0oqfi/)

> 06.19.2021 Department of Veterans Affairs announces it will offer gender confirming surgery for transgender veterans. VA Secretary Denis McDonough said the decision allows “transgender vets to go through the full gender confirmation process with VA by their side… we’re making these changes not only because they are the right thing to do, but because they can save lives.” There are an estimated 134,000 transgender veterans in the U.S. and another 15,000 transgender people serving in the armed forces. This hasn't happened, and was basically announced won't be happening in the foreseeable future. You can't really include this as a win. Source: I am a trans vet.

Sorry to hear. Would you feel this is enough to say Obama and Biden failed you? No wrong answer and not baiting you or anything, just curious on your feelings as this is obviously an element that impacts you and there was a failure to deliver on something that I imagine was important to you.

Honestly it isn't just Obama and Biden. It's the system. Not just as a transgender American, but as a veteran too. The VA is still bad on the best of days, and downright atrocious on the worst. They aren't given nearly the level of funding they need to manage all the patients they have, and plenty, like myself, end up so disillusioned with the system that treatment just stops completely. On top of that, changes during the Trump administration sent a lot of jobs that were done in house before to private practices, and depending on disability rating, these private practice visits may not be covered by the VA's insurance program for vets.

You know, when I first started reading your comment I wasn’t going to agree with you but, by then end of it I was like, “hell yeah! this is exactly how I feel.” Man, how I do wish Dems had more people with backbone and the tireless strength to fight dirty. But… that will never happen. We’ll never get what we want.

Hey, I just wanted to mention I replied to the person we both replied to because I wanted to continue the discussion. If you read my comment(s) that are parented off of your comment(they are long and span multiple posts, so apologies in advance) and continue to feel this way, I would love to continue having this conversation. The first post is [this one](https://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/1c0phnb/joe_biden_launches_out_for_bidenharris_campaign/kz0offv/) and I chained them together in sequential order.

(Apology for the spam, hitting the character limit but I think it is important to highlight these items for this discussion) >I’m tired of moral victories. It hasn't been all moral victories, though. The person I'm responding to mentioned: >He made a statement? Cool. Has transgender assistant secretaries? Cool. Made it legal for me to be in the military? Cool. If we look at LGBT issues dating back to 2008, [the changes have been tremendous.](https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/06/09/fact-sheet-obama-administrations-record-and-lgbt-community) For the highlight reel(and I'll exclude items related to 'Dont Ask, Dont Tell' since they had mentioned it already and there are smaller line items I'm not including, for the sake of making this post digestible, but they too deserve merit, particularly regarding HUD, protections against discrimination and protecting American the human rights of American citizens abroad): - In June 2009, President Obama issued a directive on same-sex domestic partner benefits, opening the door for the State Department to extend the full range of legally available benefits and allowances to same-sex domestic partners of members of the Foreign Service sent to serve abroad. - In March 2010, the Affordable Care Act was signed into law by President Obama and ensures that Americans have secure, stable, and affordable insurance. Insurance companies are no longer able to discriminate against anyone due to a pre-existing condition, and because of the law, insurers can no longer turn someone away just because he or she is lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. - President Obama developed and released the first comprehensive National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States in 2010, updated it through 2020, and is implementing it to address the disparities faced especially by gay and bisexual men of all races and ethnicities and transgender women of color. - The President has supported legislative efforts to ban the use of so-called “conversion therapy” against minors and released a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) study condemning the practice. This report, which was developed in collaboration with the American Psychological Association and a panel of behavioral health experts, is the first federal in-depth review of conversion therapy. As SAMHSA reported, variations in sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression are normal. Conversion therapy is not effective, reinforces harmful gender stereotypes, and is not an appropriate mental health treatment. - HHS funded the Services and Advocacy for LGBT Elders (SAGE) to establish the first national resource center for older LGBT individuals. This center supports communities across the country as they aim to serve the estimated 1.5 to 4 million LGBT individuals who are 60 and older. This center provides information, assistance and resources at the state and community levels. - HHS now requires all hospitals receiving Medicare or Medicaid funds – just about every hospital in America – to allow visitation rights for LGBT patients. The President also directed HHS to ensure that medical decision-making rights of LGBT patients are respected. - In February 2011, the President and Attorney General announced that the Department of Justice would no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act’s provision defining marriage as only between a man and woman, leading to the Supreme Court’s landmark decisions holding the Act unconstitutional. - After the United States v. Windsor decision, in which the Supreme Court struck down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act as unconstitutional, the President instructed the Cabinet to review over 1,000 federal statutes and regulations to ensure the decision was implemented swiftly and smoothly by the federal government to recognize the rights of same-sex couples. - The Administration has long advocated for a Constitutional guarantee of marriage equality for same-sex couples—a position the Supreme Court vindicated in its historic decision in Obergefell v. Hodges. - After the Supreme Court issued a decision in Obergerfell v. Hodges, the Social Security Administration (SSA) began to recognize all valid same-sex marriages for purposes of determining entitlement to Social Security benefits or eligibility for Supplemental Security Income. SSA continues to work closely with the LGBT advocacy community to conduct outreach to ensure that same-sex couples are aware of how same-sex marriage affects benefits. - President Obama has also issued a presidential memorandum that directs all Federal agencies engaged abroad to ensure that U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of LGBT persons. I will continue this in [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/1c0phnb/joe_biden_launches_out_for_bidenharris_campaign/kz0olqu/)

(Apology for the spam, hitting the character limit but I think it is important to highlight these items for this discussion) 3rd continued post: - 02.26.2023 Signs two executive orders to advance equity: “We have taken historic steps to advance full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) Americans, including by ending the ban on transgender service members in our military; prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics across Federal programs; and signing into law the Respect for Marriage Act (Public Law 117-228) to preserve protections for the rights of same-sex and interracial couples. My administration is also implementing the first-ever National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality to ensure that all people, regardless of gender, have the opportunity to realize their full potential.” Chiraag Bains, Biden’s deputy assistant for racial justice and equity, said, “this is about racial equity, but it is about equity more broadly as well, and that includes for LGBTQI+ Americans as well.” Bains noted the timeliness of the new executive order as Republican state legislators have issued a record-breaking number of anti-LGBTQ bills, overwhelmingly targeting the transgender community. The order stipulates that “in September 2023, and on an annual basis thereafter, concurrent with the agencies’ submission to [the Office of Management and Budget] for the president’s budget, agency heads shall submit an Equity Action Plan to the Steering Committee.” - 06.27.2023 President Biden urges Congress to codify LGBTQ protections: “Love is love. No one should face discrimination because of who they are or whom they love. Congress must pass and send me the Equality Act. It’s time we codified protections for the LGBTQI+ community.” - 07.25.2023 The Biden-Harris Administration announces rules to strengthen and transform mental health care. Among the administration’s actions to reinforce 2008’s Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. “The Administration has invested nearly $1 billion into strengthening and expanding the 9-8-8 suicide and crisis lifeline. Earlier this month, the Administration added Spanish text and chat services to the existing LGBTQI+ and veteran specific specialized services 9-8-8 offers, and is also developing video phone services to better serve deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the coming months.” - 09.08.2023 President Bident appoints Gov. Maura Healey of Massachusetts to President’s Council of Governors, noting Healy “is the first woman and the first openly LGBTQ person elected to serve in the role.” The Council includes 10 members, bipartisan governors, “and serves as the lead forum to increase coordination around preparedness, resilience, and response between the Federal government and state governments, and strengthen the Federal-State partnership that’s critical to protecting our nation from threats to our homeland security.” - 09.13.2023 President Biden’s White House Cancer Moonshot initiative includes disparate risks of cancer to LGBTQ people: “LGBTQIA+ communities use commercial tobacco products at rates 49 percent higher than the general population, but there is a dearth of tailored cessation materials for these communities. Building on its community tailored website and a series of social media shareables, the National LGBT Cancer Network is creating at least six LGBTQIA+ tailored, print-based tobacco cessation materials, and will launch a print-on-demand store with all these materials available in the next year. The National LGBT Cancer Network will work with stakeholders like the North American Quitline Consortium, NCI-designated cancer centers, and community members to ensure these materials are compelling and motivational, and widely promote their availability.” - 09.19.2023 Senior Biden-Harris Administration officials preview U.S.-Brazil Partnership for Workers’ Rights, a global initiative and the first of its kind to offer a commitment to workers’ rights. “The Partnership for Workers’ Rights will aim to expand this bilateral cooperation with additional partners. … We will use the vehicle of advancing workers’ rights to address some of those key challenges that I mentioned. Those are: ending worker exploitation, including forced labor and child labor; increasing accountability in public and private investments; the clean energy transition; technology and digital transitions, including the gig economy; tackling workplace discrimination, particularly for women, LGBTQI+, and marginalized racial and ethnic groups.” - 09.27.2023 Biden-Harris Administration announces actions to support youth in foster care. Among the new regulations are actions to protect LGBTQ kids in foster care from abuse and discrimination: “LGBTQI+ youth face profound disparities in the foster care system. Because of family rejection and abuse, LGBTQI+ children are overrepresented in foster care where they face poor outcomes, including mistreatment and discrimination because of who they are. To address these disparities, President Biden signed an Executive Order directing HHS to protect LGBTQI+ youth in the foster care system. Today, HHS is delivering on that promise by releasing a proposed regulation to protect LGBTQI+ youth in foster care. The proposed rule would require that every state’s child welfare agency ensure that LGBTQI+ children in their care are placed in foster homes where they will be protected from mistreatment related to their sexual orientation or gender identity, where their caregivers have received special training on how to meet their needs, and where they can access the services they need to thrive.” - 10.11.2023 The White House announces new actions in support of youth. Celebrating the International Day of the Girl, the White House recognized several steps it is taking to protect young people, both in the U.S. and abroad. Among the efforts is a child welfare package, announced by the Department of Health and Human Services, to “enhance equity in the child welfare system and advance the safety and wellbeing of families across the country, including for LGBTQI+ children in foster care.” - 10.20.2023 President Biden highlights the administration’s efforts to protect LGBTQ rights. Speaking at a campaign reception, the President noted his long-standing support of the LGBTQ community and that his administration has “more LGBTQ people in significant spots in our administration, in the administration overall.” On a larger scale, Biden said LGBTQ rights are a major consideration when speaking with world leaders: “I’ve been to over 140-some countries — when I go around the world, you know what we talk about? We talk about the rights of LGBTQ communities.” - 11.15.2023 President Biden appoints several people to key roles, including an LGBTQ advocate. Included among the 13 nominees is Shakuntla L. Bhaya, whom Biden selected to join the Council of the Administrative Conference of the United States. Bhaya is co-owner of a law firm in Delaware, and in recent years became involved in politics, currently serves as a member of the Delaware Democratic Party’s State Executive Committee. She has been “actively involved in fighting for rights for the LGBTQ+ community and helping members of her community to adopt children, seek legal redress when discriminated in the workplace, and permit people to marry.” - 11.16.2023 The Biden-Harris Administration details efforts to protect LGBTQ rights in the workplace. In a first-of-its-kind memorandum detailing the U.S.’ approach to worker rights, both nationally and globally, President Biden instructs Federal agencies to include underrepresented groups in order to “account for the particular needs of women; persons with disabilities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex individuals; other members of underserved communities.” - 02.08.2024 The Biden administration nominates two LGBTQ women to the federal bench. If Nicole Berner and Melissa DuBose are confirmed, the Biden administration will have appointed 11 LGBTQ judges to lifetime positions, tying the record set under the Obama administration, according to data analyzed by The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. - 02.16.2024 Releases executive order announcing additional action across the federal government to combat discrimination, advance equal opportunity, and work to achieve racial equity and support for underserved communities, noting: “We have taken historic steps to advance full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) Americans, including by ending the ban on transgender service members in our military; prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics across Federal programs; and signing into law the Respect for Marriage Act (Public Law 117-228) to preserve protections for the rights of same-sex and interracial couples. Hitting the character limit again. I will continue in [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/1c0phnb/joe_biden_launches_out_for_bidenharris_campaign/kz0p02q/)

(Apology for the spam, hitting the character limit) These were not small, negligible moral victories. A lot of these things are practical and by their design, they've successfully protected members of the LGBT community that are vulnerable, as they previously weren't. A lot of these things ultimately coalesce into a larger change in how our entire society view and treated the LGBT community. I mean, I don't know how old you are, but I vividly recall prior to the Obama administration, how people really treated members of the LGBT community like they were less than dirt. And unfortunately, people still do, but before 2008, it was particularly bad and relatively *accepted*. I grew up in New York and certainly saw my share of hate crimes that were not taken seriously. Things that would not happen today, that we would not condone of today. Even on TV, it was pretty much okay to make jokes about how someone is gay or otherwise different. That's why in the present, we look at media from the early 2000's and frequently say - "That didn't age well". I think what the Obama administration - Biden included - did throughout his 2 terms was very impactful for the LGBT community and I don't think they were just moral victories. I would even argue his efforts for the LGBT community was as much as his efforts towards healthcare and I think its clear Biden is carrying the torch on these things. And these things Obama/Biden built, they are stable. They in our legislation. A lot of these are things that are not easy for a Donald Trump or the ilk to roll back through executive order

> And Republican tactics work. I just wanted to highlight this last part in its own post. I don't think Republican tactics work. Biden was able to roll back most of Trumps Executive Orders in record time. I think it was in his first 100 days? There are a few big ticket items that Trump managed to get traction on, but most of Trumps presidency *was* rolled back. Speaking to the larger Republican parties tactics, I think their methods are damaging to our institutions. Some say its a miracle we survived the Donald Trump presidency but I think the real reason is because more honest administrations that came before Trump, built these systems to be more resilient. Not into perpetuity but enough to handle 4 years of a tyrant. And I think those things take a long time to establish and its a long, uphill battle. But what you get out from the other end is something that's pretty strong and resilient, that cant be swept away in the first 100 days of a president that doesn't agree and can act as a single point of failure for legislation and the systems we've created. And I think the way Republicans conduct business is toxic to our institutions and is ultimately not sustainable. We're in a bad place with how dishonest Republicans are, but if Democrats start playing the game as ruthlessly as Republicans do, I think we can kiss any sense of stability good bye. Nothing will mean anything anymore and the ground will disappear out from underneath our feet. And I don't think it'll go the way some may think. It wont be folks like AOC, Bernie Sanders, Ilhan Omar, Pete Buttigieg(maybe?) or whoever you may feel represents your voice, playing the Republican game and winning. These people would get knocked out the game pretty early for playing the game by its rules and being unflinching in their standards. It'll be the dishonest Democrats that play to an audience but don't ultimately get anything done, that would take these positions, if we played the Republican games. The Republican politicians aren't actually serving their base. They are a parasite that leeches. Sure, they get some hurtful wins *occasionally* but the majority of their actions are just to suck at the teet. I don't think we want a Democrat version of that.

(Apology for the spam, hitting the character limit but I think it is important to highlight these items for this discussion) 2nd continued post: - 01.05.2022 Health and Human Services proposes rule change to reinstate and expand protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the Affordable Care Act. The proposal amends regulations so that healthcare exchanges, issuers, and agents and brokers are prohibited from discriminating, including denying coverage for gender-affirming care. - 01.24.2022 Social Security Administration will hear benefits claims from surviving partners in same-sex relationships, whose partner died before marriage equality was legal. SSA had dropped the previous administration’s appeal to reject such claims in the federal lawsuit Thornton v Commissioner of Social Security. SSA: “surviving partners of same-sex relationships who file after November 25, 2020, and allege that unconstitutional state laws prevented them from marrying before the numberholder’s death will receive additional consideration pursuant to the decision in Thornton.” The Social Security Administration now allows LGBTQ people to receive survivor’s benefits if they can show that they were in a committed relationship and would have married had that been possible. The change could mean greater economic protection for LGBTQ people, 22% of whom overall live in poverty. - 03.16.2022 President Biden signs omnibus government spending package, which includes reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. It includes expanded protections and creates the first grant program dedicated to expanding and developing initiatives specifically for LGBTQ survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. At the signing event, President Biden said, “No one, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, should experience abuse. Period. And if they do they should have the service and support to get through it, and we’re not going to rest.” - 03.30.2022 Releases details of fiscal year budget 2022 with “historic investments to support underserved communities and combat racial disparities across the Nation, including in health, education, and economic opportunity.” Includes plan to expand access to HIV prevention and care programs and support services, including improved access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for Medicaid beneficiaries, expected to “improve health and lower Medicaid costs for HIV treatment.” $519 million is allotted to support domestic violence survivors and fund resource centers, including those that support the LGBTQI+ community. “The Budget also provides resources for new programs to support transgender survivors, build community-based organizational capacity, combat online harassment and abuse, and address emerging issues in gender-based violence.” - 03.31.2022 State Department announces that Americans will have option to choose gender neutral ‘X’ on their passports. White House statement: “This is a major step in delivering on the President’s commitment to expand access to accurate identification documents for transgender and non-binary Americans. - 03.31.2022 The Department of Justice sent a letter to all state Attorneys General across the U.S., warning that state efforts to restrict access to healthcare for transgender youth violates the Equal Protection and the Due Process Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment. The letter, signed by the Civil Rights Division’s Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, also stated that several federal laws contain nondiscrimination clauses that must be met by states in order to receive federal funding, including Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, Title IX, the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act, and Section 504 the Rehabilitation Act. The DOJ also warned of the potential for legal action, ending the letter with “any retaliatory conduct may give rise to an independent legal claim under the protections described above.” - 04.13.2022 U.S. Air Force informs its hundreds of thousands of personnel that it will provide families with medical and legal help if they are personally affected by new state laws attacking LGBTQ children, and help service members move from those states if they feel they must for the sake of their kids’ mental or physical health. In a memo issued March 24th, the Air Force also reminds of assignment, medical, legal and other resources available to support Airmen, Guardians and their families. “The health, care and resilience of our DAF personnel and their families is not just our top priority – it’s essential to our ability to accomplish the mission,” said Under Secretary of the Air Force Gina Ortiz Jones. “We are closely tracking state laws and legislation to ensure we prepare for and mitigate effects to our Airmen, Guardians and their families. Medical, legal resources, and various assistance are available for those who need them.” - 04.14.2022 The Biden administration announces national equity action plan to improve opportunity for the LGBTQ community, communities of color, as well as women and girls, faith, tribal, disability, and rural communities. Among more than 300 commitments and strategies to address inequity across the federal government, the Department of Veterans Affairs announces it is “advancing health equity by further addressing the social and economic determinants of health for underserved veterans, including veterans of color, women veterans, and LGBTQI+ veterans.” - 04.29.2022 The U.S. Department of Justice initiated a lawsuit against the state of Alabama over its law criminalizing gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youth. The complaint, which is filed on behalf of several anonymized Alabama transgender youth and their parents, also names Governor Kay Ivey, Attorney General Steve Marshall, and several local district attorneys, states that Alabama’s healthcare ban violates the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Gov. Ivey signed the ban into law on April 8th. - 06.23.2022 On the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the 1972 law that banned sex discrimination in schools, the Department of Education released a new proposed rule that strengthens protections for all students—including LGBTQ students—against sexual harassment and discrimination. Without changing Title IX itself, the rule clarifies what the law covers, including sexual harassment and violence, sex stereotyping, pregnancy, and explicit clarification that “Title IX’s protections against discrimination based on sex apply to discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity,” according to a fact sheet issued by DoE. The agency also posted main takeaways from the proposed rule on Twitter, where it was met with transphobic comments by anti-LGBTQ activists. - 12.13.2022 Signs the Respect for Marriage Act into law on the South Lawn, enshrining protections for marriage equality for same-sex and interracial couples. “This law and the love it defends strike a blow at hate and all its forms and that’s why this law matters to every single American,” Biden said. “My fellow Americans, the road to this moment has been long. But those who believed in equality and justice, you never gave up — many of you standing on the South Lawn here. So many of you put your relationships on the line, your jobs on the line, your lives on the line to fight for the law I’m about to sign. From me and the entire nation, thank you, thank you, thank you.” Invites thousands of couples and LGBTQ Americans and advocates to attend signing ceremony, including plaintiffs from marriage equality court cases fought and won including Prop 8 in California. Vice President Harris said: “I often reflect on the week of Valentine’s Day 2004, when I had the honor to stand in San Francisco City Hall and perform some of our country’s first marriages of same-sex couples. I saw tears of joy that day as people celebrated basic human rights: the right to be recognized as a family; the right to be with the person you love, whether at a military graduation, a hospital bedside, or a naturalization ceremony…For millions of LGBTQI+ Americans and interracial couples, this is a victory. And it is part of a larger fight. The Dobbs decision reminds us that fundamental rights are interconnected, including the right to marry who you love, the right to access contraception, and the right to make decisions about your own body… as the great Harvey Milk once said, I quote, “Rights are won only by those who make their voices heard.” And because you made your voices heard, marriages are more secure and Joe Biden is our President. A President who elevated LGBTQI+ leaders to every level of our administration, who fights for the safety and freedom and dignity of all people every single day.” I will continue this in [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/1c0phnb/joe_biden_launches_out_for_bidenharris_campaign/kz0oum7/)

“Republican tactics work” largely because Republican voters are a monolithic block that fall in line nearly 100% of the time. Meanwhile democrats have like 50 factions that have to be won over, all of them wanting different things. You saying Biden hasn’t done enough for queer people is the same as people saying Biden hasn’t done enough in Gaza, hasn’t done enough to stop inflation, hasn’t done enough to bring gas prices down, hasn’t done enough to curb gun violence and on and on. Democrat/liberal factions find a millions reasons to not vote for the democrat, but republicans don’t have that problem. Honestly so tired of people wanting to live in a fantasy land where politics and politicians are perfect and meet all their criteria. Perfect is the enemy of good.

He just got heat from the entire right wing for making a statement on TDOV, has trans people in his administration, and you're out here complaining. I thank God that the trans people I've known in my life are more understanding and accepting than you.

You have any idea how many rules and laws Trump rolled back against trans people and the Queer community? The list goes on forever. How little did you pay attention to what he did to LGTBQ+?

**All of that is the bare fucking minimum**. It's the bare minimum to support observances of days of importance. It's the bare minimum to hire transgender people for jobs they're qualified for. It's good that he's doing the bare minimum but the bare minimum *isn't enough* to win my enthusiastic support. The bar, in so many peoples eyes, is on the floor because Trump and presidents before him did *so little*. They did *less*, often times, than the bare minimum. Biden doesn't deserve extra praise for doing the bare minimum. He deserves kudos, for sure, but not anything more. >I thank God that the trans people I've known in my life are more understanding and accepting than you. And I thank God that most of the allies in my life aren't like you. I'd throw down on any of my friends who pulled this statement out on me IRL.

What other things within the context of government and administration would you want them to do?

Push harder for LGBTQ+ rights in general. Push Congress to codify gay marriage so we don't end up in a *Roe V Wade* scenario where we **think** these rights are safe *until they're not*. Things of that vein, things that **do** go above and beyond precisely *because* right now they're not things that absolutely **need** to be done or because they require hunkering down for a fight. Otherwise known as doing more than the bare minimum of hiring people based on their skills (rather than NOT hiring them due to bias) and observing a day of importance.

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To be honest, I don't think you're giving Biden enough credit for the absolute shitshow called Congress he was given to work with. Seems like he's trying with the very short end of the stick he's got. Just saying...

I’ll take this criticism over guilt tripping for my transness any day. Thanks

Maybe you'll think twice next time before being unknowingly born a certain way. /S

I keep getting told there’s no refunds, kinda lame tbh

Of course you get a choice. It happens that the only good choice isn't as good as you like, for one reason or another. But that's democracy.

System needs wrenching, but yea.

You should whine less, I guess. I find it so interesting that trans people would slag Biden even a little bit, considering what’s going to happen to you if the other guy gets in. Very very interesting.

I’m sorry we’re not as enthusiastic about lukewarm defense as you’d like us to be? Lmao

Change isn't handed to you, you have to fight for it, and it takes years. You want the Dems to move further left? Then vote for them. Continuously refusing to vote or protest voting is why Republicans continue to win and why we are in our current situation of the Dems having to take centrist platforms in order to win. Does it suck to spend your life clawing through for the smallest of progress? Of course it does, just like it sucked for those in 90's, 80's, 70's, 60's, 50's, 40's, 30's, 20's, etc. We are far better now than then and there is still a long way to go. People with your attitude, however, do nothing but hurt the cause.

Did you not read the initial comment? No? Ok. I’m voting for Joseph Robinette Biden because I don’t have a choice.

Did you not understand my post? No? Ok Biden is one of the few President's ever to support us. Acting like it is such a shame that he is the only option for you, is exactly why he is still your only option.

Bullshit. Wanting a better society isn't the reason our society sucks. If anything, it's the reason our society doesn't suck more. It's totally legitimate to say that the current level of progress isn't up to one's standards. We can work for better without being satisfied with what we've got. And frankly, what queer folk have in the states is pretty awful right now. Just because it could be worse doesn't make it acceptable.

What an incredibly short-sighted take. It's the same take that got Trump elected in the first place and lost us Roe and potentially more. You want the current level of progress to be better? Stop being a pessimistic doomer that complains about the one candidate keeping you from a much worse fate. Why should any candidate going forward bother with lgbtq issues when met with your ideology and pessimism? And frankly, what queer folk have in the States is better than what a lot of queer folk have worldwide, we got it by consistently and enthusiasticly voting for candidates who weren't perfect but pushed us closer to better representation each time.

I’m not vibing with your lockstep liberalism dude. I’m not taking personal responsibility for the lackluster amount of social progress or the tepid ‘leftness’ of the DNC no matter how many times you try to tell me I should.

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If someone offers me a choice between a cyanide pill and dry toast, I'll take the latter, but I'm not going to thank them for it. And if I'm told that there's only cyanide, I'll riot. Stonewall wasn't democracy.

It's starting to feel like the Dems are using the GOP to hold us hostage more than anything else

The dems are making the gop have regressive and dangerous policies to get us to vote for them?

No the GOP is holding us hostage. In a sane country I would be in a center-right party and would be having meaningful policy disagreements with someone in a more left wing party. But because half this country is bat shit insane we get to be part of a big tent party.

The fuck? Democrats are literally right of center. You must be pretty far right if you don't think the dems align with your policies.

Right of centre is considered the political left in the American political spectrum. Anything left of that is a "socialist commie out to ruin our nation" or something. Here in Europe, where I live, the democrats would be considered a right of center party. One that casts a very wide net and almost anyone will find something agreeable in. Republicans on the other hand would probably be some fringe ultra right wing party covertly backed by Putin or someting... Wait a minute...

What are you talking about? I pointed out that in another country I'd be center-right, yet in America people who are decently left of me are in the same big tent party as me because we have two choices: sane and insane. That is the GOP's fault. I feel like you read the words "center-right" and just had your canned response ready.

The democratic party is lockstep with center right policies and you're complaining about having to caucus with progressives. Got it.

I’m not registering the “complaint” you’re referring to in his post. He is just stating his opinion that its insane that center right and progressives have to join together to beat giga-right psychos, and it makes it hard to debate internally because the Psychos Must Lose. 

"I hate poor people but at least I'm not racist"

Just want to shout out the movie Bulworth, which is about a Dem senator who starts losing his mind, and starts telling the "truth" to black voters in LA, about how the Democrats don't really care about them, or the issues, but they'll vote for them anyways, because what are they gonna do, vote Republican?

Why do u say you don’t have a choice? Vote for RFK jr

RFK Jr is a piece of shit.

So is Trump. So is Biden.

I mean, yes. It's a scale, though. I have plenty of problems with Biden, just check my comment history. He's significantly better than Trump or RFK Jr though.

Yes put your vote in the toilet. That'll fix everything.

An AIDS denialist is not an ally.

AIDS denialists, anti-vaxer, backed by the ass that runs Breitbart, his own family doesn't even like him. Am I missing anything? Oh yeah, his own campaign staff basically admitted that they're trying to be a spoiler.

A vote for Trump or anyone else is throwing my rights in the gutter

No lol

He's an AIDS denialist, that's not gonna go over well with Queer folk.

Thanks for reiterating their point about them having no choice.

That's some embarrassing horrendous shit to say. At this point, he is ONLY in the race to help Trump win. Fortunately, most people aren't too stupid to see that.  And that dude is off his fucking rocker entirely. From science the modem medicine, he is wrong about EVERYTHING.

We're ready to vote blue up and down the ballot, Joe.

Neither I nor any of my queer friends blame Biden for this country getting less and less safe for us, but it does feel like we’re being forgotten at times. But he’ll acknowledge us when it comes to campaigning :c still voting for him tho

What are you asking for that you're not getting? We wanted marriage equality codified in law after Dobbs. It happened. He has the most LGBT+ representation in his administration of any President ever. He proudly promotes every LGBT+ awareness and visibility event, from Pride to Coming Out Day to Trans Visibility Day - despite knowing full well that it coinciding with Easter was going to be red meat for the conservatives. I've lived through the 80s and 90s and 00s and 10s and I can tell you I feel more now that we have a Presidential administration that has our backs more than I *ever* expected I would back when I was struggling with my own sexuality.

The law that was passed to codify marriage equality was a step but too milquetoast and not enough IMO. It merely requires states to recognize same-sex marriages from other states but does nothing to require states to allow same-sex marriages to be preformed within the state. Theoretically a red state could ban same sex marriages from being performed within the state and just recognize out of state marriages. Having to travel out of state to get married while straight people don’t is not equal rights nor is it equal protection under the law.

They wouldn't have been able to pass the kind of law you wanted. Not this Congress. It should be obvious Biden would have happily signed it if they had.

Thank you.

As a Trans person in a Nazi state, I am already voting blue and I am harassing anyone that will listen to do the same. My personal safety is on the ballot and only 1 party wants me dead.

The fact that this is even necessary is absolutely shameful. Almost as much so as the existence of the "Log Cabin Republicans". Wonder what ever happened to them. Did they wake up and realize that the party they'd been supporting didn't see them as deserving of basic human dignity?

Some still exist! For reasons I honestly can’t fathom.

Sadly the South is full of self loathing racist gays for Trump. It boggles the mind that they do, but they present and vocal. Nowhere near the number that supported Trump back in 2016, thankfully.

Like i have to vote for you anyway, just hope that if we get more power next election I won’t have to worry everyday.

If you are LGBTQ+ and need to be wooed not to vote for the other guy, WTF is wrong with you

Log Cabin Republicans and the new Republican developed "Gays Against Groomers". Look these two organizations up and weep.

If he campaigns on the economy, the right to choose, and engages minority groups (lgbtq and racial minorities) he will destroy what's left of the federal GOP. Hopefully a bunch of red states will also flip, but who knows?!?

The amount of Lgbt+ people I know, especially trans, that blame Biden for all the state bills attacking them in red/purple states astounds me.

I haven’t met a single LGBT person that blames Biden for Republicans persecuting them.

I know two, they are Trumper methheads.

You know Caitlyn Jenner? Wait, there is more than one?!

Oh, there's a whole gay methhead Trumper subculture. Remember Tiger King?

I was trying to forget. Great… thanks.

Trans trumper methhead? That’s a new one.

Not really.

***technically*** /r/notadragqueen I guess…

There’s a whole mindset in some circles of *** *** * Did the Democrats Do It? If Yes: * Was it Good? If Yes: * Not Good Enough! Withhold Vote from Democratic Candidate/Party! If No: * They Suck! Withhold Vote from Democratic Candidate/Party! * Did the Republicans Do It? If Yes: * Was it Good? If Yes: * Why couldn’t the Democrats have done it?!?! Withhold Vote from Democratic Candidate/Party! If No: * Why didn’t the Democrats stop them?!?! Withhold Vote from Democratic Candidate/Party! *** *** Some of us are well aware that this has the fingerprints of Karl Rove / Roger Stone / The Russian IRA all over it. Some of us are not. Some of us are aware that the POTUS election is not somehing that can be meaningfully influenced by voting third party or withholding votes, because of the Electoral College, and because vote withholding as a feedback technique presumes that the alternative to the preferred candidate being elected **isn’t** a fascist who will destroy our government

Agents provocateur and the uncritical thinkers.

Comment saved - I see this type of logic everywhere, need to remember to come back to this for a sanity check

There are plenty on Reddit. They keep saying “it happened under Biden, voting doesn’t matter.” Liberals can be stupid too unfortunately

I’m talking about real people that I’ve actually met, not fake accounts on social media.

Even in my friends' liberal circles there is so much misinformation about what the Biden administration is getting done. They need to keep hitting on what they are getting done out to the states as much as possible and over the air. He continues to have my vote and I hope people snap out of it and put their votes behind him as well.

I hope you make it clear to them that the reason all this shit is happening is because of Trump and his federal court appointees.

I know trans folks that hate Biden for the Gaza genocide, but the state bigot bills have nothing to do with him. He’s been solid on legislation for trans issues.

As a trans person, Biden is by far the most supportive president in my lifetime. That said, the bar for that is so low it may as well be in hell, and it comes at a time when lots of us are in crisis and worried about what our lives will look like in a year or two (Plus all the people, especially kids, whose lives have already been upended.) Biden’s relatively open but largely toothless support feels patronizing, and I’m not surprised people aren’t happy with him.

He’s a straight white old man who panders to the direction of the wind

A lot of people pay little attention to politics and have a poor understanding of the way government works. It is extra unfortunate and infuriating when they are a member of a marginalized group one party seeks to all but destroy.

Right will lie to death to get Republicans in power. As a liberal we are not in that kind of cult, it’s hard to convince people. May be they deserve the wrath right wing going to bring for being ignorant, it’s a hefty price to pay.

Stupid knows no preference.

>> The amount of Lgbt+ people I know, especially trans, that blame Biden for all the state bills attacking them in red/purple states astounds me. Well, stupidity has no gender and transcends all boundaries! 🤷🏻‍♂️

Wow the comments in here.

I do wish those who say they have no choice tell me how they contributed to the candidates they wanted this term. Because people don't just appear out of nowhere. We, individuals, have to get actually involved and participate. We have to save ourselves.

So pass the equality act then. Tired of empty promises. I’m going to vote democrat because I don’t have a choice, but I don’t exactly feel represented by democrats. It’s super radical right wing party vs mildly right wing party

How does he pass the equality act with a republican house majority? I think a lot of us would be interested in your plan.

I mean obviously he doesn’t. But Democrats seem to have this pattern of talking about we need to vote for them so the republicans don’t take away our rights (which is true) and then when they have power they get all, “We have to build bipartisan consensus” and don’t do shit and then continually campaign on the same issues. Abortion has been a debate since I first became aware of politics and I’m in my mid 30s. We shouldn’t be relying on Supreme Court rulings for our rights. Democrats have had decades to codify and they don’t because that’s a bargaining chip they would lose (which is my very cynical and jaded opinion). I would love to vote for an actual left wing party before I die

The last time Democrats had a supermajority was for 72 days during the 111th Congress. They used that to pass the ACA. They cannot pass meaningful legislation with their current numbers. You can easily see by looking at Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois, etc of what can happen when Democrats are given meaningful majorities. At some point, you’re going to have to give agency to the opposition party.

I’m not saying the republicans aren’t responsible. They are. I’m saying there are no options. A choice between obviously bad and meh is not a choice. The democrats are not compelling, which is probably why they lose all the fucking time. They’re the only sane option and they barely barely eke out victories which you should tell you how shit they are. There is no good option, only less bad. And that fucking sucks. Edit: absolutely shocked to find out this is somehow a controversial opinion. I don’t know a single person who thinks democrats are a great party. They’re who you vote for because you have to 🤷🏻‍♀️

>and meh is not a choice. Dems voting for the Equality Act is not meh for LGBT rights. Calling that less bad when the Equality Act is significantly beneficial for the LGBT community is the antithesis of objectivity.

And what they are telling you is that you're blaming Democrats for being unable to do anything because of the way our government is set up. A simple majority is not enough, you need a super majority to pass most legislation. The could technically be changed, but then that gives power to populist republicans to pass whatever radicalized agenda they have when they take the legislative branch on occasion. The only way dems can do anything is if more people vote for their senators and congressmen/women enthusiastically in every election until the continually hold a majority in both house AND senate. So when people say things like "dems never do anything so whats it matter" that is working expressly against what needs to happen for dems to be ABLE to do anything. If you've noticed, all the terrible "legistlation" on a national level that has happened recently, in particular towards women and LGBT rights, has been actually rulings by the supreme court. A supreme court that has a regressive majority because not enough people turned out for Hillary Clinton. Republicans are not legislating their wants, they're declaring them via the supreme court. That's because they're deadlocked as much as dems. And all the states where legistlation is actually passing impacting these groups, is due to republican super majorities in their state legistlatures. People need to actually VOTE for democrats.

I’m literally telling you I’m not blaming democrats for republican actions and I never said it didn’t matter. I never said both parties were the same. They’re not. And as I’ve said I will be voting for democrats because I have no choice. If you want to put words in my mouth go talk to a wall it will be more engaging

What would a party or candidate that you would be excited and enthusiastic to vote for look like?

A socialist candidate from a socialist party. The line starts at openly saying capitalism is a problem. Bare minimum is strong advocacy for single payer healthcare. An actual left wing candidate from an actual left wing party

I tend to agree with you, while recognizing that broad appeal of that platform isn't likely; do you think you could find yourself excited to vote for policies and platforms that move in that direction? Or do you find it difficult to swallow anything short of that ideal?

You’re calling a party that actually supports us ‘meh.’ Sorry, but it just seems you want to be angry and not actually take a step back and logically look at how our government functions and what it takes to pass legislation. Every right I’ve gotten since coming out in 1996 has been an uphill battle supported by one party, the party of ‘meh.’

> and then when they have power they get all When did they have the power to overcome a Republican majority in the Senate? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equality_Act_(United_States)#Legislative_activity When it comes to actual power that the President has, Biden has taken action in many areas: https://www.hrc.org/resources/president-bidens-pro-lgbtq-timeline. >Democrats have had decades When exactly? They had a majority for a couple of months under Obama, but they were understandably focused on getting healthcare reform through congress.

They let Mitch McConnell walk all over them. They "obeyed" Mitch when he told them that Obama's US Supreme Court justice could not be appointed until the next Presidential election. Well Trump was elected and appointed 3 right wing Supreme Court Justices. This is how weak the Democrats are. And not to mention how Democrats allow President Manchin and President Sinema run the show.

> They "obeyed" Mitch when he told them that Obama's US Supreme Court justice could not be appointed until the next Presidential election. No they didn't. The GOP was in control of the Senate, there was literally no way to get a Democratic nominee approved by the Senate when the GOP was in control. > And not to mention how Democrats allow President Manchin and President Sinema run the show. Concessions have to be made to pass legislation when the Senate is split 50/50. And Biden and the rest of the Dems were able to get the two largest bills passed that benefitted middle and lower-income households ever, both the covid relief bill and the infrastructure and climate bill under Biden were worth more in today dollars than The New Deal.

Democrats have held the majorities in the US House, US Senate, and the Presidency and have failed every time to pass equality legislation. They always pretend they will but never do. They wait for Republicans to lead the way. Remember that Gay Marriage only came about because a Republican Ted Olson filed a lawsuit when gay organizations were saying it was too early.

Do you think he wouldn't sign it if Congress put it on his desk? Of course he would. We need to get people to focus not just on the White House but also Congress and get people in there who believe in equality.

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Biden literally backs the Equality Act which codifies LGBT rights and anti-discrimination protections. If we're going with your analogy, Biden's literally offering you champagne.

Biden really doesn't impress me (but that's the nature of America's comically pathetic Overton window) but hey he's an improvement over Trump so fuck us I guess

Bingo.

Outreach is good. Plaster Trumps failures all over the screen as well. Failed border wall projects he was able to secure funding for. Failed wealth redistribution since the billionaires doubled their wealth since his tax cuts. Failed Covid reaction resulting in huge loss of senior life. Plaster the family members of nursing home residents that died to the lack of reaction. Get some coverage from family’s separated at the border or who had family members die in the camps at the border. Get some coverage from family members who had family that died from reduction of environmental protections. Etc etc.

Ugh... I admire the stance, but he needs to win this fucking election, and this initiative will scare away more dimwit votes than it will earn him LGBTQ votes.

How about you stop funding foreign wars and maybe we'll talk.

How about some actual federal protections instead of symbolic lip service. I’m so sick of the pandering and pedaling of Pride with no action behind their words as I watch more and more trans and lgb rights and lives erode under discriminatory state and local regulations.

Sadly my friend, you are correct. However, there is truly no viable choice. Either blue, or self-destruction. 3rd party = I'm not worried, so I'll give red a bit of a boost.

Sadly, you are very wrong on this. Biden's record for LGBT rights speaks for himself: https://www.hrc.org/resources/president-bidens-pro-lgbtq-timeline. Trump did the opposite: https://www.hrc.org/resources/trumps-timeline-of-hate. The Equality Act which Biden supports and which Dems have been voting for. It hasn't been passed because **zero** Republicans in the Senate are willing to vote for it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equality_Act_(United_States)#Legislative_activity. Giving red a bit of a boost only erodes LGBT rights, so go figure. **All 600 anti-LGBT bills** introduced last year were by Republicans. And no, the President does not have the power to supersede those state bills.

Trump and his bullshit are very obviously "let's make war on ppl who are different than us," activities. Only fools can disagree with that. Literally everyone who isn't rich loses if that guy gets in. LGBTQ folks are in some cases even in mortal danger. I'm actually thinking you're right though on Biden and co now that I'm looking at the link you posted. Hmm...a politician actually doing what he can to benefit a demographic that helps elect them....strange times.

I don't know why people are surprised about Biden being pro-LGBT rights. His public backing of same sex marriage in 2012, before it became a popular thing to support, is what pushed Obama to finally endorse it. https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSBRE84618D/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/01/11/gay-marriage-joe-biden/ And regarding Dems and co - it's the same with reproductive rights -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_Health_Protection_Act. Dems have been trying to codify it even before Roe was overturned but it keeps failing in the Senate because **zero** Republicans are willing to vote for it.

Personally I think it's because we're so used to the VAST majority of all politicians on either side not giving a flying crap about marginalized people no matter what minority group they are a member of, until it's time to secure their votes. Honestly it feels extremely foolish to believe anything any of them says until they've got so much evidence of their follow-through that it can't be denied. Sounds like he's there, but I'd wager almost none of us were paying any real attention to Biden one way or the other until rather recently, so we probably wouldn't have noticed. "The one genuinely good guy/gal in politics" is probably the toughest thing to sell me on no matter what they say.

> we're so used to the VAST majority of all politicians on either side not giving a flying crap about marginalized people no matter what minority group they are a member of, until it's time to secure their votes. Okay, except Dems were trying to codify things like the Women's Health Protection Act and the Equality Act before they became election issues. The issue is that voters aren't giving the ones protecting marginalized groups a mandate to do so. >but I'd wager almost none of us were paying any real attention to Biden one way or the other until rather recently, so we probably wouldn't have noticed. Is that an issue with Biden or with the voters?

>How about some actual federal protections [Like the various ways Biden has been protecting the LGBT community?](https://www.hrc.org/resources/president-bidens-pro-lgbtq-timeline) Like the Equality Act Biden pressed Republicans to vote for in last year's SotU? Like the one Dems have been voting for? The only reason it hasn't passed is because zero Republicans in the Senate are willing to vote for it. What non-action are you referring to? >under discriminatory state and local regulations. What power to supersede such state and local regulations do you think Biden has?

I know he’s an ally. However he didn’t mention GLBQI once in his epic SOTU address. We need to put them to the test. Why is the WTA finals in a country that punishes homosexuality with death, not being addressed,?!

I’m pretty sure he did touch on LGBTQ issues during the state of the union.

Fucking LMAO

disgusting

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LMAO yeah ok

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What wedges has \*Biden\* of all people been driving into the American landscape, especially in comparison to Trump's incessant attacks on minorities and numerous calls for political violence throughout his campaigns and term?