Tmp’s Pick for Intelligence Chief Reprents a Step Forward for Gay Rights

Contents:

• RICHARD GRENELL NOW HIGHT-RANKG OPENLY GAY OFFICIAL US ERNMENT HISTORY
• GRENELL NGRATULAT BUTTIGIEG ON BEG SEND OPENLY GAY CABET MEMBER
• RICHARD GRENELL, FIRST OPENLY GAY BET MEMBER, SAYS TMP REJECTS ‘INTY POLICS’
• RICHARD GRENELL CREDS HIS GAY SEXUALY FOR TURNG HIM TO A BETTER CHRISTIAN!!!
• MEDIA NCELS RIC GRENELL AND CLAIMS BUTTIGIEG WILL BE FIRST OPENLY GAY CABET MEMBER
• RICHARD GRENELL, OPENLY GAY ROMNEY AI, RIGNS AFTER BACKLASH
• RICHARD GRENELL, OPENLY GAY ROMNEY SPOKMAN, RIGNS FROM POST
• GRENELL WAS THE FIRST GAY BET MEMBER—SO WHY DO MEDIA CLAIM BUTTIGIEG WILL BE?
• TMP NAM THE FIRST OPENLY GAY PERSON TO A BET-LEVEL POSN
• GAY GASLIGHTER RICK GRENELL’S DISHONT ATTACK ON JOE BIN AND ABSURD CLAIM ABOUT ‘PRO-GAY’ TMP
• AMBASSADORS RIC GRENELL, KELLY CRAFT LL OUT 69 UNTRI THAT CRIMALIZE GAY PEOPLE
• WATCH: RIC GRENELL TARGETS LGBT COMMUNY: TMP ‘MOST PRO-GAY PRINT IN AMERIN HISTORY. I CAN PROVE IT.’
• STT BIXBYUPDATED AUG. 26, 2020 4:58AM EDT / PUBLISHED AUG. 26, 2020 4:28AM EDT GETTYWH THE OBLIV FANFARE OF A BOYTTED OLYMPIAD, THE TMP MPAIGN’S QUADRENNIAL OVERTURE TO GAY AND LBIAN VOTERS BEGAN ANEW LAST WEEK WH THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT PRINT DONALD TMP, WHO HAS BANNED TRANS SERVICE MEMBERS THE U.S. ARY AND OPPOSED LEGISLATN PROTECTG LGBT PEOPLE OM DISCRIMATN, IS “THE MOST PRO-GAY PRINT AMERIN HISTORY.”“GAY PEOPLE DON’T HAVE TO VOTE DEMOCRAT, BEE DONALD TMP IS THE MOST PRO-GAY PRINT AMERIN HISTORY,” ANNOUNCED RICHARD GRENELL, FORMER ACTG DIRECTOR OF NATNAL TELLIGENCE AND LONGTIME TMP SUPPORTER, A VIO RELEASED ON AUG. 19 BY THE GAY NSERVATIVE GROUP LOG CAB REPUBLINS. THE VIO PREFACED THE ROLLOUT OF “TMP PRI,” THE MPAIGN’S ALN OF GAY TMP SUPPORTERS, AND THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT GRENELL WOULD APPEAR ON WEDNDAY AT THE REPUBLIN NATNAL CONVENTN TO SPEAK ABOUT WHAT HE LD AS TMP’S “HISTORIC MPAIGN TO CRIMALIZE HOMOSEXUALY AROUND THE GLOBE.”BUT A YEAR AND A HALF AFTER GRENELL FIRST ANNOUNCED THAT IATIVE, LGBT HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOT AND ACTIVISTS TOLD THE DAILY BEAST THAT THE SUPPOSED PROGRAM HAS ALMOST NOTHG TO SHOW FOR S EFFORTS—AND SOME UNTRI HAS ACTUALLY LOST GROUND AS S DOMTIC POLICY AGENDA HAS UNRCUT THE PH FOR EQUAL TREATMENT FOR QUEER PEOPLE ABROAD. “NOTHG MORE THAN A SERI OF SELF-PROMOTG TWTER PHOTOS,” SUMMED UP JULIE DORF, A SENR ADVISER AT THE COUNCIL FOR GLOBAL EQUALY, LLG THE MPAIGN A “SHAM.”“I’M NOT AWARE OF ANY MAJOR BREAKTHROUGHS OM RIC GRENELL’S MPAIGN TO CRIMALIZE HOMOSEXUALY,” SAID JSI STERN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF OUTRIGHT ACTN INTERNATNAL.“THE CRIMALIZATN MPAIGN IS SMOKE AND MIRRORS,” SAID GRAEME REID, DIRECTOR OF THE LGBT RIGHTS PROGRAM AT HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, WHO ACCED THE TMP MPAIGN OF SISTEPPG THE ADMISTRATN’S EXTENSIVE RERD OF HOSTILY TOWARDS LGBTQ AMERINS BY HIGHLIGHTG AN IATIVE THAT FUNCTNALLY DON’T EXIST. “THE U.S. OPPOSED CRIMALIZATN LONG BEFORE PRINT TMP TOOK OFFICE—AND SAYG PEOPLE SHOULDN’T BE IMPRISONED FOR BEG LGBT IS THE BARE MIMUM OF WHAT THE U.S. SHOULD BE DOG, NOT A BOLD ENAVOR.”NONE OF THE EXPERTS TERNATNAL LGBT HUMAN RIGHTS POLICY TOLD THE DAILY BEAST THAT GRENELL’S PH TO CRIMALIZE HOMOSEXUALY HAD LED TO ANY TANGIBLE RULTS.“THIS IS WDOW DRSG,” SAID LUS ASTA, NATNAL PRS SECRETARY FOR THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN, “HELD UP AS A MAJOR ACPLISHMENT BY RIC GRENELL, WH NO ACTUAL CREDIBLE VICTORY.”OUT OF NEARLY 70 UNTRI THAT STILL TREAT HOMOSEXUALY AS ILLEGAL EHER LAW OR PRACTICE, ONLY TWO—BOTSWANA AND GABON—HAVE CRIMALIZED HOMOSEXUAL ACTS SCE GRENELL ANNOUNCED THE IATIVE FEBARY 2019. OF THOSE TWO, BOTSWANA’S LEGALIZATN WAS THE RULT OF A LONG-FOUGHT LEGAL BATTLE THAT THE ERNMENT HAS SOUGHT TO APPEAL, MAKG GABON THE LONE UNTRY WHERE CRIMALIZATN WAS ENACTED WH THE SUPPORT OF ELECTED OFFICIALS.EVEN THAT VICTORY, ASTA SAID, DO NOT APPEAR TO HAVE ANY NNECTN TO EFFORTS BY THE TMP ADMISTRATN.“WE DON’T KNOW WHAT VOLVEMENT GRENELL AND THE PEOPLE ‘WORKG’ ON HIS IATIVE EVEN HAD WH THAT LEGISLATIVE PH,” ASTA SAID, ADDG THAT THE ADMISTRATN’S “HORRIBLE RERD HERE AT HOME” SERLY UNRCUTS TMP’S MORAL CREDIBILY ON LGBT ISSU ABROAD.THE APPARENT FAILURE OF THE PROGRAM IS NOT HUGELY SURPRISG, EXPERTS SAID, PART BEE TMP HIMSELF APPEARED UNFAIAR WH S EXISTENCE THE DAY AFTER WAS ANNOUNCED.“I DON’T KNOW, UH, WHICH REPORT YOU’RE TALKG ABOUT. WE HAVE MANY REPORTS,” TMP SAID ON FEB. 21, 2019, WHEN A REPORTER ASKED HIM DURG AN OVAL OFFICE GAGGLE WHY HE HAD STARTED THE IATIVE. “ANYBODY ELSE?”THE STATE DEPARTMENT, FOR S PART, ALSO DOWNPLAYED THE MPAIGN’S SIGNIFINCE OM THE GET-GO.“THIS REALLY IS NOT A BIG POLICY PARTURE—THIS IS LONGSTANDG AND ’S BIPARTISAN,” PUTY STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKPERSON ROBERT PALLADO TOLD REPORTERS AFTER GRENELL’S ANNOUNCEMENT. “I WOULD SAY THAT THIS IS A GOOD OPPORTUNY TO LISTEN AND TO DISCS IAS ABOUT HOW THE UNED STAT N ADVANCE CRIMALIZATN OF HOMOSEXUALY AROUND THE WORLD, AND THAT’S BEEN OUR POLICY.”GRENELL, DORF TOLD THE DAILY BEAST, “SOMEHOW NVCED TMP TO CLU ONE BUNGLED SENTENCE ‘TO STOP CRIMALIZG OF HOMOSEXUALY’ HIS SPEECH TO THE U.N.” SEPTEMBER 2019. “BUT THERE HAS NEVER BEEN ANY TMP ADMISTRATN CRIMALIZATN PLAN—NO NEW FUNDG TO SUPPORT THE LOL LGBTQ+ ACTIVISTS WORKG THOSE UNTRI ON CRIMALIZATN. THEY ARE THE TE HERO ON THE GROUND WHO SERVE AMERI’S SUPPORT.”AT A U.N. BREAKOUT SSN DECEMBER 2019, GRENELL SISTED THAT THERE WAS A PLAN, EXPLAG THE GLACIAL MOMENTUM BEHD THE IATIVE AS A LOGIL NSEQUENCE OF THE PLEXY OF ADDRSG THE SPECIFICS OF EACH STATUTE EACH UNTRY.“WE NEED TO HAVE 69 DIFFERENT PLANS OF ACTN BEE WE ARE ALG WH 69 DIFFERENT UNTRI,” GRENELL, THEN THE U.S. AMBASSADOR TO GERMANY, SAID. “IT IS A LONG ROAD.”BUT ADVOT TOLD THE DAILY BEAST THAT THE ADMISTRATN’S PROMIS TO CRIMALIZE SAME-SEX RELATNSHIPS, THOUGH CRIL FOR THE WELL-BEG OF QUEER PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD, ARE MEANGLS WHOUT NCRETE RULTS.“ENDG THE CRIMALIZATN OF LGBTQ PEOPLE IS AN URGENT AND A MONUMENTAL TASK, BUT FORMER AMBASSADOR GRENELL AND THE TMP ADMISTRATN HAVE FAILED TO ANNOUNCE ACTUAL ROURC OR PLANS TO ACPLISH ,” SAID SARAH KATE ELLIS, PRINT AND CEO OF GLAAD, SAYG THAT NSIRG TMP’S DOMTIC RERD ON QUEER ISSU, WAS “NO SURPRISE” THAT THE WORLD DIDN’T HEED THE ADMISTRATN’S LL FOR EQUAL TREATMENT OF LGBT PEOPLE.“THE TMP ADMISTRATN SELF IS FIGHTG AGAST LGBTQ RIGHTS AT HOME BY ROLLG BACK MULTIPLE POLICI AND ARGUG ALL THE WAY TO THE SUPREME COURT TO PRIVE HARD-WORKG LGBTQ AMERINS OF EMPLOYMENT PROTECTNS,” ELLIS SAID. “ACTNS SPEAK LOUR THAN WORDS, UNFORTUNATELY TO THE TRIMENT OF LGBTQ PEOPLE EVERYWHERE.”ADVOT POTED TO THE TWO MOST HIGH-PROFILE TERNATNAL CRIS THAT HAVE FACED LGBT PEOPLE SCE GRENELL’S PLEDGE: BNEI’S PLAN, SCE WHDRAWN, TO LEGALIZE PAL PUNISHMENT FOR HOMOSEXUALY THE FORM OF STONG; AND THE ONGOG DISAPPEARANCE OF LGBT PEOPLE THE RSIAN REGN OF CHECHNYA.THE TMP ADMISTRATN WAS IALLY SILENT ON THE BNEI LAW, ONLY TELLG THE DAILY BEAST THAT WAS “NCERNED” ABOUT THE CISN AFTER THE PUBLITN OF A STORY NOTG SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO’S SILENCE ON THE MATTER. AS FOR CHECHEN LGBT PEOPLE, WHO WATCHDOGS SAY HAVE BEEN SUBJECTED TO SEXUAL TORTURE AND STATE-SANCTNED MURR SCE ANTI-GAY PURG BEGAN 2017, THE TMP ADMISTRATN HAS MA THE RECEIPT OF ASYLUM STAT NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE, DRAWG SHARP CRICISM OM THE TERNATNAL WORK OF RSIAN LGBT ACTIVISTS ATTEMPTG TO BRG THEM TO SAFETY.“RECENT STATE-SANCTNED LGBTQ DISCRIMATN AND VLENCE OCCURRED UNR TMP’S WATCH, OM POLAND TO CHECHNYA, AND BNEI, BRAZIL, INDONIA AND MORE,” ELLIS SAID, “BUT THE TMP ADMISTRATN REMAED SILENT STEAD OF HOLDG HOSTILE ERNMENTS ACUNTABLE.”GRENELL DID NOT RPOND TO MULTIPLE REQUTS FOR MENT ABOUT THE EFFICY OF HIS MPAIGN TO CRIMALIZE HOMOSEXUALY TERNATNALLY. DPE THE CRICISM, THE TMP MPAIGN AND THE REPUBLIN NATNAL COMMTEE ARE HANGG THEIR HAT ON THE CRIMALIZATN IATIVE, PART OF A BROAR PH TO WOO LGBT VOTERS—WELL, AT LEAST “L” AND “G” VOTERS—SPE THE ADMISTRATN’T RERD ON QUEER ISSU AT HOME. LAST WEEK, THE TMP MPAIGN ANNOUNCED “TMP PRI,” A ALN OF GAY NSERVATIV WHO SUPPORT TMP’S REELECTN.THE ALN’S ADVISORY BOARD, POSED OF 21 PEOPLE WHOSE NAM WERE OCSNALLY MISSPELLED, CLUS SEVERAL GAY AND LBIAN NSERVATIVE MASTAYS OM THE LOG CAB REPUBLINS ORB, CLUDG GRENELL AND THE GROUP’S VICE CHAIR JILL HOMAN.BUT THE “TMP PRI” BOARD ALSO CLUS SOME MORE NTROVERSIAL FIGUR, MANY OF WHOM HAVE A HISTORY OF ANTI-TRANSGENR AND ANTI-MLIM STATEMENTS.BOARD MEMBER DAVID LEATHERWOOD, KNOWN BY THE SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLE “BROKEBACK PATRT,” EQUENTLY RIS THE LEGIMACY OF TRANS INTY, AND HAS ED THE SLUR “TRANNY” ON SOCIAL MEDIA AS RECENTLY AS LAST SUMMER.“TRANS WOMEN ARE NOT WOMEN, THEY ARE MEN WH GENR DYSPHORIA,” HE TWEETED DECEMBER. “TRANS MEN ARE NOT MEN, THEY ARE WOMEN WH GENR DYSPHORIA.”ANOTHER BOARD MEMBER, @THEGAYWHOSTRAYED, IS A LBIAN INSTAGRAM FLUENCER AND SELF-SCRIBED “ISLAMOPHOBE” WHO EQUENTLY SHAR WHE NATNALIST MEM ON HER ACUNT, WHICH HAS 185,000 FOLLOWERS.ROB SMH, A BLACK GAY NSERVATIVE WHO ONCE OPPOSED TMP’S BAN ON TRANSGENR SERVICE MEMBERS THE U.S. ARY, HAS SCE LLED TRANS INTY A “CULT” AND SAYS GAY GROUPS EXIST FOR THE PURPOSE OF “ABOLISHG BLOGIL SEX AND PHG THE TRANS AGENDA.”THE TMP MPAIGN DID NOT RPOND TO MULTIPLE REQUTS FOR MENT ABOUT WHETHER WAS AWARE OF THE MENTS WHEN FORMG S ADVISORY BOARD, OR IF THOSE STATEMENTS PORT WH THE VIEWS OF THE MPAIGN.BUT WNG OVER LGBT VOTERS MAY NOT EVEN BE THE POT OF TMP’S PUBLIC PH, ADVOT SAID, THEORIZG THAT THE “TMP PRI”-GRENELL AXIS SEEMS BETTER SUED FOR WNG OVER SUBURBAN STRAIGHTS THAN ACTUAL QUEER PEOPLE.“THE REALY IS THAT THE TMP ADMISTRATN HAS NSISTENTLY UNRMED LGBT RIGHTS DOMTILLY AND TERNATNALLY,” SAID REID, “AND THE MPAIGN IS BEG ED TO DISTRACT PEOPLE OM THAT.”“I THK WHAT THEY’RE ACTUALLY DOG IS LIKE TRYG TO ALLAY THE NCERNS OF, LIKE, THE SUBURBAN MOM OF AN LGBTQ PERSON MICHIGAN WHO VOTED REPUBLIN EVERY SGLE ELECTN CYCLE FOR THE LAST WHILE, BUT BEE OF TMP’S POSN ON EQUALY IS NOW LIKE THKG, MAYBE THEY PIVOT AWAY,” ASTA SAID. “BY HIGHLIGHTG THIS LIKE IATIVE THAT DID NOTHG, THEY’RE JT TRYG TO PUT A MASK OVER THE TRASH HEAP THAT IS TMP’S RERD ON LGBTQ ISSU.” STT BIXBY
• TMP’S PICK FOR INTELLIGENCE CHIEF REPRENTS A STEP FORWARD FOR GAY RIGHTS

RICHARD GRENELL NOW HIGHT-RANKG OPENLY GAY OFFICIAL US ERNMENT HISTORY

Grenell, a nservative and stnch Tmp supporter, hasn't been a favore of LGBTQ+ activists at home or abroad, and he has been cricized by German policians who felt he was tryg to terfere the natn's domtic was tasked wh leadg the Tmp admistratn's efforts to crimalize homosexualy the natns where remas a crime, somethg at odds wh the admistratn's anti-LGBTQ+ polici at home -- and Tmp's zs wh some eply homophobic and transphobic foreign lears, such as Brazilian Print Jair actg director of natnal telligence ma Grenell the first openly gay person to lead a Cabet-level partment the U. Those who head Cabet and equivalent partments on an terim basis don't generally receive the chairs, but Grenell said an Instagram post that Tmp gave him the chair bee for Grenell to be the first out gay person such a posn was "a big al. In 2012, Mt Romney faced cricism om a sectn of Republins for hirg Richard, a gay man, as his foreign policy spokman.

GRENELL NGRATULAT BUTTIGIEG ON BEG SEND OPENLY GAY CABET MEMBER

SACRAMENTO — Richard Grenell, a Republin advisor to former Print Tmp who has cricized the Equaly Act and railed agast transgenr youth rights, was honored on the California Senate floor on Monday the name of Pri regnn of Grenell, who is gay, by California Republins was protted by members of the state’s Democratic legislative majory, wh several lawmakers quietly walkg off the floor durg the short ceremony honorg him as “the first openly gay printial Cabet member. Secretary of Transportatn Pete Buttigieg, a Democrat, also claims the tle of beg the first out gay printial Cabet member, and, unlike Grenell, was nfirmed by the U. “This is their way of celebratg Pri, by brgg a guy who is tly a self-hatg gay man, who tak tons of anti-LGBTQ posns, ” Wiener said an terview the Capol on Monday.

”In a tweet rpondg to cricism om Wiener, who is also gay, Grenell said “’s an honor to be your enemy” and lled him “an apologist for pedophilia and child abe, ” echog sentiments of unfound right-wg QAnon nspiracy theori about the state a news nference outsi the Capol held by state Republins to celebrate Grenell, the former Tmp admistratn official lambasted Democratic polici and what he lled “the gay left mafia.

RICHARD GRENELL, FIRST OPENLY GAY BET MEMBER, SAYS TMP REJECTS ‘INTY POLICS’

” When asked if he believed was also tolerant that California Republins left the floor while the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence were siarly honored for Pri Month, Grenell said he has liberal iends and that he “don’t n out of the room” over differg duelg Pri Month events the California Capol e as the state matas among the strongt gay rights polici the natn and more LGBTQ+ lawmakers are office than ever before. Atks, who is gay, said that while she and her fellow Democrats “absolutely oppose the toxic polarizatn that Richard Grenell embodi, ” they did not ask that he be unved.

“I know I speak for so many the LGBT muny who love and support this urageo appotment by Print Tmp, ” add Whe, who is gay. Last December — jt hours before his boss was impeached by the Hoe of Reprentativ — Grenell led the Uned Natns nmng 69 untri that still outlaw homosexualy.

RICHARD GRENELL CREDS HIS GAY SEXUALY FOR TURNG HIM TO A BETTER CHRISTIAN!!!

“I want them to unrstand that you nnot put someone jail or kill someone simply for beg gay, ” Grenell told the assembled reprentativ, some om natns where LGBTQ people are targeted. Richard Grenell, who beme the first openly gay man to serve a print’s Cabet after beg signated actg director of natnal telligence (DNI) last year, ngratulated Pete Buttigieg on beg the send after he was nfirmed to head the Transportatn Department by the Senate on Tuday. While he is only the send openly gay person to serve as member of a print’s Cabet the natn’s history, he is the first to be Senate-nfirmed.

MEDIA NCELS RIC GRENELL AND CLAIMS BUTTIGIEG WILL BE FIRST OPENLY GAY CABET MEMBER

Speakg to Brebart News on Saturday, Grenell, the first openly gay US bet member, said Tmp “don’t re about the typ of issu” when nsirg whom to appot for a posn. Thank God we don’t hire people bee they e out of a box and say, ‘Here is a black, here is a Hispanic, here is a gay person, ’” he ntued. On Wednday, the Log Cab Republins, an anizatn dited to LGBT nservativ, unveiled a mpaign ad featurg Grenell which he lled Tmp “the strongt ally that gay Amerins have ever had the Whe Hoe.

RICHARD GRENELL, OPENLY GAY ROMNEY AI, RIGNS AFTER BACKLASH

Ambassador to Germany, now actg director of natnal telligence, told fellow gay nservative Dave Rub a recent edn of The Rub Report. "So the fact of the matter is I fully embrace that I was ma this way the image of God and you n be gay and be a Christian. He nounced gay Democratic printial hopeful Pete Buttigieg for llg out Vice Print Mike Pence's anti-LGBTQ rerd; the ia that Pence is homophobic is a "hoax, " Grenell said.

RICHARD GRENELL, OPENLY GAY ROMNEY SPOKMAN, RIGNS FROM POST

And he has offend Germans wh his cricism of the natn's foreign and domtic actg director of natnal telligence, Grenell has been the first openly gay person to hold a Cabet-level posn.

He told fellow nservative member Dave Rub who is also gay that his gay sexualy is rponsible for makg him a better Christian. “So the fact of the matter is I fully embrace that I was ma this way the image of God and you n be gay and be a Christian.

They do not want to fight for their rights the te sense of the, read Thomas Anrson-the first sgle gay man of Stland to adopt a child! Webs that foc on LGBTQ issu are falsely claimg that former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg will bee the untry’s first openly gay Cabet member if nfirmed. “Former printial ndidate Pete Buttigieg will be the first out gay person to be a member of the printial Cabet, ” LGBTQ Natn reported Tuday, lkg to a Washgton Post story notg that Democratic printial nomee Joe Bin has selected his former rival to bee his transportatn secretary if he is gurated.

GRENELL WAS THE FIRST GAY BET MEMBER—SO WHY DO MEDIA CLAIM BUTTIGIEG WILL BE?

In fact, former actg Director of Natnal Intelligence Richard Grenell, appoted by Print Donald Tmp Febary, was the natn’s first openly gay Cabet-level member. At the time, LGBTQ outlet “Queerty” reported him as beg the “first openly gay Cabet secretary history, ” as did other related outlets. In a follow-up to s reportg about Bin’s choice of Buttigieg, Queerty ran a story unr s “Outraged” tegory that also sought to jtify s claim of the former Naval Rerve telligence officer and Afghanistan vet beg the first openly gay Cabet member.

They argued that Richard Grennell was actually the first openly gay person to serve as a member of the printial Cabet when he was appoted Actg Director of Natnal Intelligence by Donald Tmp earlier this year. An openly gay Republin operative hired as Mt Romney's foreign policy spokman has abptly rigned om the mpaign, suggtg the foc on his personal life had bee a Romney mpaign hired Richard Grenell, who had prevly served as Gee W. Romney for his belief me and my abili and his clear msage to me that beg openly gay was a non-issue for him and his team.

Richard Grenell, an openly gay foreign policy spokman for the Romney mpaign, rigned om his recently-appoted post on Tuday, ABC News has nfirmed. I want to thank Governor Romney for his belief me and my abili and his clear msage to me that beg openly gay was a non-issue for him and his team. Rub reported that Grenell, who is openly gay, ma his cisn "after beg kept unr wraps" at a time when natnal secury issu had risen to the foreont of the mpaign and after activists on the right raised qutns about his sexual orientatn.

TMP NAM THE FIRST OPENLY GAY PERSON TO A BET-LEVEL POSN

"The homosexual agenda reprents the sgle-greatt threat to relig liberty and eedom of associatn Ameri today, " Bryan Fischer, the director of issue analysis at the Amerin Fay Associatn, said an terview wh CNN last month. Democrats, cludg a member of the Obama mpaign team, immediately pounced on the cint as an example of the Romney mpaign vg to anti-gay forc on the right. "Today we learned that the year 2012, a Republin nomee for Print n't have a gay person as spokman, " the Obama mpaign's digal director, Teddy Goff, tweeted.

Richard Grenell, formerly the hight-rankg out gay official the Tmp admistratn, has joed a law firm found by Pat Robertson that has a history of opposg LGBTQ+ rights. He was prevly actg director of natnal telligence, makg him the first out gay person to hold a Cabet-level posn, and before that was U. In the 1996 book From Intimidatn to Victory: Regag the Christian Right to Speak, he wrote of "the sordid gay life-style" and acced a high school teacher of seekg to "rec stunts to the ranks of the gay muny.

"The Human Rights Campaign poted out that some of ACLJ's work and Robertson's posns are diametrilly opposed to what was supposedly one of Grenell's missns for the Tmp admistratn, crimalizg homosexualy abroad. From ridiculoly and errantly llg Tmp the 'most pro-gay print history' to now jog the anti-LGBTQ Amerin Center for Law and Jtice, 's clear 'Gaslight Grenell' has absolutely no backbone and no regard for the rights of LGBTQ people. "'Gaslight Grenell' is now proppg up an anizatn famo for workg Ai to crimalize homosexualy and put LGBTQ people prison for beg who they are.

GAY GASLIGHTER RICK GRENELL’S DISHONT ATTACK ON JOE BIN AND ABSURD CLAIM ABOUT ‘PRO-GAY’ TMP

Mastream media was bi self wh joy over what they lled the first gay bet nomee, but the thg is, we already had an openly gay Cabet member, Richard @PeteButtigieg has tegry he will speak out and rrect this erasure of @RichardGrenell's legacy and historic achievements. LGBTQ Natn reported on this Febary 2020 wh the headle, "Donald Tmp appots the first gay person to a Cabet-level posn.

"It appears the nuance between Grenell and Buttigeig, is as NBC News specified, "he would be the first openly gay Cabet secretary to be nfirmed by the Senate. Print Donald Tmp's former actg director of natnal telligence, Richard Grenell, was the first openly gay lear of a Cabet-level agency.

" Demonstratg they know exactly what they are dog, they poted out that if Bin failed to nomate an LGBT person, specifilly Buttigieg, "It would also give Richard Grenell—who as actg director of natnal telligence the Tmp admistratn beme the first openly gay Cabet member US history—a reason to celebrate: Tmp would have achieved a first for the LGBTQ muny that Bin didn't even attempt. Tmp's stubborn sistence on appotg qualified ambassadors and judg who happened to also be gay was difficult enough for LGBT media, advocy and generally mastream media to regnize given their fixatn on accg him of beg anti-LGBT, but Grenell's appotment to DNI was too proment to ignore.

AMBASSADORS RIC GRENELL, KELLY CRAFT LL OUT 69 UNTRI THAT CRIMALIZE GAY PEOPLE

Before beg actg director of natnal telligence, he led an effort to crimalize homosexualy untri where is illegal. Print Tmp beme the first print to name an openly gay person to a Cabet-level posn this week wh the appotment of Richard Grenell as actg director of natnal telligence.

As ambassador to Germany, he spearhead a global effort to end the crimalizatn of homosexualy nearly 70 untri where is still illegal. The iative followed the reported hangg of a gay man Iran, one of the Tmp admistratn’s adversari, and an op-ed for a German news publitn Grenell voiced a ll to arms. The Log Cab Republins recently promoted a vio wh Grenell attackg Democratic nomee Joe Bin’s rerd and claimg that Donald Tmp is “the most pro-gay print Amerin history”—an “absurd claim” that earned four Pocchs om the Washgton Post’s fact-checker.

WATCH: RIC GRENELL TARGETS LGBT COMMUNY: TMP ‘MOST PRO-GAY PRINT IN AMERIN HISTORY. I CAN PROVE IT.’

“Print Tmp has done more to advance the rights of gays and lbians three years than Joe Bin did 40 pl years Washgton, ” Grenell says, offerg almost no evince beyond his own appotment to high-level posns.

STT BIXBYUPDATED AUG. 26, 2020 4:58AM EDT / PUBLISHED AUG. 26, 2020 4:28AM EDT GETTYWH THE OBLIV FANFARE OF A BOYTTED OLYMPIAD, THE TMP MPAIGN’S QUADRENNIAL OVERTURE TO GAY AND LBIAN VOTERS BEGAN ANEW LAST WEEK WH THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT PRINT DONALD TMP, WHO HAS BANNED TRANS SERVICE MEMBERS THE U.S. ARY AND OPPOSED LEGISLATN PROTECTG LGBT PEOPLE OM DISCRIMATN, IS “THE MOST PRO-GAY PRINT AMERIN HISTORY.”“GAY PEOPLE DON’T HAVE TO VOTE DEMOCRAT, BEE DONALD TMP IS THE MOST PRO-GAY PRINT AMERIN HISTORY,” ANNOUNCED RICHARD GRENELL, FORMER ACTG DIRECTOR OF NATNAL TELLIGENCE AND LONGTIME TMP SUPPORTER, A VIO RELEASED ON AUG. 19 BY THE GAY NSERVATIVE GROUP LOG CAB REPUBLINS. THE VIO PREFACED THE ROLLOUT OF “TMP PRI,” THE MPAIGN’S ALN OF GAY TMP SUPPORTERS, AND THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT GRENELL WOULD APPEAR ON WEDNDAY AT THE REPUBLIN NATNAL CONVENTN TO SPEAK ABOUT WHAT HE LD AS TMP’S “HISTORIC MPAIGN TO CRIMALIZE HOMOSEXUALY AROUND THE GLOBE.”BUT A YEAR AND A HALF AFTER GRENELL FIRST ANNOUNCED THAT IATIVE, LGBT HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOT AND ACTIVISTS TOLD THE DAILY BEAST THAT THE SUPPOSED PROGRAM HAS ALMOST NOTHG TO SHOW FOR S EFFORTS—AND SOME UNTRI HAS ACTUALLY LOST GROUND AS S DOMTIC POLICY AGENDA HAS UNRCUT THE PH FOR EQUAL TREATMENT FOR QUEER PEOPLE ABROAD. “NOTHG MORE THAN A SERI OF SELF-PROMOTG TWTER PHOTOS,” SUMMED UP JULIE DORF, A SENR ADVISER AT THE COUNCIL FOR GLOBAL EQUALY, LLG THE MPAIGN A “SHAM.”“I’M NOT AWARE OF ANY MAJOR BREAKTHROUGHS OM RIC GRENELL’S MPAIGN TO CRIMALIZE HOMOSEXUALY,” SAID JSI STERN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF OUTRIGHT ACTN INTERNATNAL.“THE CRIMALIZATN MPAIGN IS SMOKE AND MIRRORS,” SAID GRAEME REID, DIRECTOR OF THE LGBT RIGHTS PROGRAM AT HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, WHO ACCED THE TMP MPAIGN OF SISTEPPG THE ADMISTRATN’S EXTENSIVE RERD OF HOSTILY TOWARDS LGBTQ AMERINS BY HIGHLIGHTG AN IATIVE THAT FUNCTNALLY DON’T EXIST. “THE U.S. OPPOSED CRIMALIZATN LONG BEFORE PRINT TMP TOOK OFFICE—AND SAYG PEOPLE SHOULDN’T BE IMPRISONED FOR BEG LGBT IS THE BARE MIMUM OF WHAT THE U.S. SHOULD BE DOG, NOT A BOLD ENAVOR.”NONE OF THE EXPERTS TERNATNAL LGBT HUMAN RIGHTS POLICY TOLD THE DAILY BEAST THAT GRENELL’S PH TO CRIMALIZE HOMOSEXUALY HAD LED TO ANY TANGIBLE RULTS.“THIS IS WDOW DRSG,” SAID LUS ASTA, NATNAL PRS SECRETARY FOR THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN, “HELD UP AS A MAJOR ACPLISHMENT BY RIC GRENELL, WH NO ACTUAL CREDIBLE VICTORY.”OUT OF NEARLY 70 UNTRI THAT STILL TREAT HOMOSEXUALY AS ILLEGAL EHER LAW OR PRACTICE, ONLY TWO—BOTSWANA AND GABON—HAVE CRIMALIZED HOMOSEXUAL ACTS SCE GRENELL ANNOUNCED THE IATIVE FEBARY 2019. OF THOSE TWO, BOTSWANA’S LEGALIZATN WAS THE RULT OF A LONG-FOUGHT LEGAL BATTLE THAT THE ERNMENT HAS SOUGHT TO APPEAL, MAKG GABON THE LONE UNTRY WHERE CRIMALIZATN WAS ENACTED WH THE SUPPORT OF ELECTED OFFICIALS.EVEN THAT VICTORY, ASTA SAID, DO NOT APPEAR TO HAVE ANY NNECTN TO EFFORTS BY THE TMP ADMISTRATN.“WE DON’T KNOW WHAT VOLVEMENT GRENELL AND THE PEOPLE ‘WORKG’ ON HIS IATIVE EVEN HAD WH THAT LEGISLATIVE PH,” ASTA SAID, ADDG THAT THE ADMISTRATN’S “HORRIBLE RERD HERE AT HOME” SERLY UNRCUTS TMP’S MORAL CREDIBILY ON LGBT ISSU ABROAD.THE APPARENT FAILURE OF THE PROGRAM IS NOT HUGELY SURPRISG, EXPERTS SAID, PART BEE TMP HIMSELF APPEARED UNFAIAR WH S EXISTENCE THE DAY AFTER WAS ANNOUNCED.“I DON’T KNOW, UH, WHICH REPORT YOU’RE TALKG ABOUT. WE HAVE MANY REPORTS,” TMP SAID ON FEB. 21, 2019, WHEN A REPORTER ASKED HIM DURG AN OVAL OFFICE GAGGLE WHY HE HAD STARTED THE IATIVE. “ANYBODY ELSE?”THE STATE DEPARTMENT, FOR S PART, ALSO DOWNPLAYED THE MPAIGN’S SIGNIFINCE OM THE GET-GO.“THIS REALLY IS NOT A BIG POLICY PARTURE—THIS IS LONGSTANDG AND ’S BIPARTISAN,” PUTY STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKPERSON ROBERT PALLADO TOLD REPORTERS AFTER GRENELL’S ANNOUNCEMENT. “I WOULD SAY THAT THIS IS A GOOD OPPORTUNY TO LISTEN AND TO DISCS IAS ABOUT HOW THE UNED STAT N ADVANCE CRIMALIZATN OF HOMOSEXUALY AROUND THE WORLD, AND THAT’S BEEN OUR POLICY.”GRENELL, DORF TOLD THE DAILY BEAST, “SOMEHOW NVCED TMP TO CLU ONE BUNGLED SENTENCE ‘TO STOP CRIMALIZG OF HOMOSEXUALY’ HIS SPEECH TO THE U.N.” SEPTEMBER 2019. “BUT THERE HAS NEVER BEEN ANY TMP ADMISTRATN CRIMALIZATN PLAN—NO NEW FUNDG TO SUPPORT THE LOL LGBTQ+ ACTIVISTS WORKG THOSE UNTRI ON CRIMALIZATN. THEY ARE THE TE HERO ON THE GROUND WHO SERVE AMERI’S SUPPORT.”AT A U.N. BREAKOUT SSN DECEMBER 2019, GRENELL SISTED THAT THERE WAS A PLAN, EXPLAG THE GLACIAL MOMENTUM BEHD THE IATIVE AS A LOGIL NSEQUENCE OF THE PLEXY OF ADDRSG THE SPECIFICS OF EACH STATUTE EACH UNTRY.“WE NEED TO HAVE 69 DIFFERENT PLANS OF ACTN BEE WE ARE ALG WH 69 DIFFERENT UNTRI,” GRENELL, THEN THE U.S. AMBASSADOR TO GERMANY, SAID. “IT IS A LONG ROAD.”BUT ADVOT TOLD THE DAILY BEAST THAT THE ADMISTRATN’S PROMIS TO CRIMALIZE SAME-SEX RELATNSHIPS, THOUGH CRIL FOR THE WELL-BEG OF QUEER PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD, ARE MEANGLS WHOUT NCRETE RULTS.“ENDG THE CRIMALIZATN OF LGBTQ PEOPLE IS AN URGENT AND A MONUMENTAL TASK, BUT FORMER AMBASSADOR GRENELL AND THE TMP ADMISTRATN HAVE FAILED TO ANNOUNCE ACTUAL ROURC OR PLANS TO ACPLISH ,” SAID SARAH KATE ELLIS, PRINT AND CEO OF GLAAD, SAYG THAT NSIRG TMP’S DOMTIC RERD ON QUEER ISSU, WAS “NO SURPRISE” THAT THE WORLD DIDN’T HEED THE ADMISTRATN’S LL FOR EQUAL TREATMENT OF LGBT PEOPLE.“THE TMP ADMISTRATN SELF IS FIGHTG AGAST LGBTQ RIGHTS AT HOME BY ROLLG BACK MULTIPLE POLICI AND ARGUG ALL THE WAY TO THE SUPREME COURT TO PRIVE HARD-WORKG LGBTQ AMERINS OF EMPLOYMENT PROTECTNS,” ELLIS SAID. “ACTNS SPEAK LOUR THAN WORDS, UNFORTUNATELY TO THE TRIMENT OF LGBTQ PEOPLE EVERYWHERE.”ADVOT POTED TO THE TWO MOST HIGH-PROFILE TERNATNAL CRIS THAT HAVE FACED LGBT PEOPLE SCE GRENELL’S PLEDGE: BNEI’S PLAN, SCE WHDRAWN, TO LEGALIZE PAL PUNISHMENT FOR HOMOSEXUALY THE FORM OF STONG; AND THE ONGOG DISAPPEARANCE OF LGBT PEOPLE THE RSIAN REGN OF CHECHNYA.THE TMP ADMISTRATN WAS IALLY SILENT ON THE BNEI LAW, ONLY TELLG THE DAILY BEAST THAT WAS “NCERNED” ABOUT THE CISN AFTER THE PUBLITN OF A STORY NOTG SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO’S SILENCE ON THE MATTER. AS FOR CHECHEN LGBT PEOPLE, WHO WATCHDOGS SAY HAVE BEEN SUBJECTED TO SEXUAL TORTURE AND STATE-SANCTNED MURR SCE ANTI-GAY PURG BEGAN 2017, THE TMP ADMISTRATN HAS MA THE RECEIPT OF ASYLUM STAT NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE, DRAWG SHARP CRICISM OM THE TERNATNAL WORK OF RSIAN LGBT ACTIVISTS ATTEMPTG TO BRG THEM TO SAFETY.“RECENT STATE-SANCTNED LGBTQ DISCRIMATN AND VLENCE OCCURRED UNR TMP’S WATCH, OM POLAND TO CHECHNYA, AND BNEI, BRAZIL, INDONIA AND MORE,” ELLIS SAID, “BUT THE TMP ADMISTRATN REMAED SILENT STEAD OF HOLDG HOSTILE ERNMENTS ACUNTABLE.”GRENELL DID NOT RPOND TO MULTIPLE REQUTS FOR MENT ABOUT THE EFFICY OF HIS MPAIGN TO CRIMALIZE HOMOSEXUALY TERNATNALLY. DPE THE CRICISM, THE TMP MPAIGN AND THE REPUBLIN NATNAL COMMTEE ARE HANGG THEIR HAT ON THE CRIMALIZATN IATIVE, PART OF A BROAR PH TO WOO LGBT VOTERS—WELL, AT LEAST “L” AND “G” VOTERS—SPE THE ADMISTRATN’T RERD ON QUEER ISSU AT HOME. LAST WEEK, THE TMP MPAIGN ANNOUNCED “TMP PRI,” A ALN OF GAY NSERVATIV WHO SUPPORT TMP’S REELECTN.THE ALN’S ADVISORY BOARD, POSED OF 21 PEOPLE WHOSE NAM WERE OCSNALLY MISSPELLED, CLUS SEVERAL GAY AND LBIAN NSERVATIVE MASTAYS OM THE LOG CAB REPUBLINS ORB, CLUDG GRENELL AND THE GROUP’S VICE CHAIR JILL HOMAN.BUT THE “TMP PRI” BOARD ALSO CLUS SOME MORE NTROVERSIAL FIGUR, MANY OF WHOM HAVE A HISTORY OF ANTI-TRANSGENR AND ANTI-MLIM STATEMENTS.BOARD MEMBER DAVID LEATHERWOOD, KNOWN BY THE SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLE “BROKEBACK PATRT,” EQUENTLY RIS THE LEGIMACY OF TRANS INTY, AND HAS ED THE SLUR “TRANNY” ON SOCIAL MEDIA AS RECENTLY AS LAST SUMMER.“TRANS WOMEN ARE NOT WOMEN, THEY ARE MEN WH GENR DYSPHORIA,” HE TWEETED DECEMBER. “TRANS MEN ARE NOT MEN, THEY ARE WOMEN WH GENR DYSPHORIA.”ANOTHER BOARD MEMBER, @THEGAYWHOSTRAYED, IS A LBIAN INSTAGRAM FLUENCER AND SELF-SCRIBED “ISLAMOPHOBE” WHO EQUENTLY SHAR WHE NATNALIST MEM ON HER ACUNT, WHICH HAS 185,000 FOLLOWERS.ROB SMH, A BLACK GAY NSERVATIVE WHO ONCE OPPOSED TMP’S BAN ON TRANSGENR SERVICE MEMBERS THE U.S. ARY, HAS SCE LLED TRANS INTY A “CULT” AND SAYS GAY GROUPS EXIST FOR THE PURPOSE OF “ABOLISHG BLOGIL SEX AND PHG THE TRANS AGENDA.”THE TMP MPAIGN DID NOT RPOND TO MULTIPLE REQUTS FOR MENT ABOUT WHETHER WAS AWARE OF THE MENTS WHEN FORMG S ADVISORY BOARD, OR IF THOSE STATEMENTS PORT WH THE VIEWS OF THE MPAIGN.BUT WNG OVER LGBT VOTERS MAY NOT EVEN BE THE POT OF TMP’S PUBLIC PH, ADVOT SAID, THEORIZG THAT THE “TMP PRI”-GRENELL AXIS SEEMS BETTER SUED FOR WNG OVER SUBURBAN STRAIGHTS THAN ACTUAL QUEER PEOPLE.“THE REALY IS THAT THE TMP ADMISTRATN HAS NSISTENTLY UNRMED LGBT RIGHTS DOMTILLY AND TERNATNALLY,” SAID REID, “AND THE MPAIGN IS BEG ED TO DISTRACT PEOPLE OM THAT.”“I THK WHAT THEY’RE ACTUALLY DOG IS LIKE TRYG TO ALLAY THE NCERNS OF, LIKE, THE SUBURBAN MOM OF AN LGBTQ PERSON MICHIGAN WHO VOTED REPUBLIN EVERY SGLE ELECTN CYCLE FOR THE LAST WHILE, BUT BEE OF TMP’S POSN ON EQUALY IS NOW LIKE THKG, MAYBE THEY PIVOT AWAY,” ASTA SAID. “BY HIGHLIGHTG THIS LIKE IATIVE THAT DID NOTHG, THEY’RE JT TRYG TO PUT A MASK OVER THE TRASH HEAP THAT IS TMP’S RERD ON LGBTQ ISSU.” STT BIXBY

In Febary 2020, when Grenell took his job as actg director of natnal telligence, NBC suggted that the mpaign had ltle to show for , and the Human Rights Campaign said had seen “no meangful efforts by this admistratn to crimalize homosexualy around the world. Foreign policy, somethg that so outraged relig-right lears that they embraced Rsia’s anti-gay and anti-mocratic strongman Vladimir Put as the savr of Wtern civilizatn.

TMP’S PICK FOR INTELLIGENCE CHIEF REPRENTS A STEP FORWARD FOR GAY RIGHTS

In his vio, Grenell disgenuoly suggts that the Tmp admistratn’s foreign policy toward Iran had somethg to do wh that regime’s hostily toward gay people. Durg the 2016 Republin Natnal Conventn, Milo Yiannopoulos and anti-Mlim activist Pamela Geller hosted a “Gays for Tmp” party whose featured speaker was a Dutch polician who said Islam has “no place a ee society. The misleadg vio ends wh Grenell sayg, “Gay people don’t have to vote Democrat, ” a sign that Turng Pot USA’s Benny Johnson may be behd the vio.

Kelly Craft to the Uned Natns joed other diplomats and human rights activists to brg attentn to the crimalizg gay people by dozens of UN member stat. Grenell, a veteran Ameril official who is openly gay, has phed for greater protectns for people targeted bee of their sexual read aloud a list of natns that eher outlaw homosexualy or persecute gay people through discrimatn, throwg them jail or ath.

Earlier this year, the sultan of Bnei Asia announced plans to make gay sex punishable by ath through stong or whippg. ” Hadi Damien, a gay activist Lebanon, addrsed the panel as the Lebane Ambassador to the Uned Natns Amal Mudallali sat the dience listeng.