Tmp announc he has an "envoy ambassador" & of urse 's gay syphant Ric Grenell - LGBTQ Natn

Contents:

• GRENELL NGRATULAT BUTTIGIEG ON BEG SEND OPENLY GAY CABET MEMBER
• RICHARD GRENELL NOW HIGHT-RANKG OPENLY GAY OFFICIAL US ERNMENT HISTORY
• RICHARD GRENELL, FIRST OPENLY GAY BET MEMBER, SAYS TMP REJECTS ‘INTY POLICS’
• OPENLY GAY U.S. AMBASSADOR TO GERMANY MAK REPUBLIN HISTORY
• AS RICHARD GRENELL ADDRS RNC, GOP PLATFORM STILL OPPOS GAY MARRIAGE
• TMP NAM THE FIRST OPENLY GAY PERSON TO A BET-LEVEL POSN
• RICHARD GRENELL: TMP APPOTS FIRST OPENLY GAY BET MEMBER TO HEAD US TELLIGENCE
• TMP ANNOUNC HE HAS AN “ENVOY AMBASSADOR” & OF URSE ’S GAY SYPHANT RIC GRENELL
• 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

GRENELL NGRATULAT BUTTIGIEG ON BEG SEND OPENLY GAY CABET MEMBER

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. 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.

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

“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. ” 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. 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. “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, FIRST OPENLY GAY BET MEMBER, SAYS TMP REJECTS ‘INTY POLICS’

The announcement prompted a wave of news articl reportg that Buttigieg, who is a gay man, would bee the first openly LGBT Cabet member Uned Stat history if his appotment is nfirmed by the Senate. The tweet relatg to Grenell's appotment n be found here and clud a lk to a Queerty article that further scribed Grenell as "the first openly gay man to hold a bet posn.

The tweet relatg to Buttigieg's nomatn n be found here and clud a lk to an article on Queerty's sister se LGBTQ Natn that reported Buttigieg "will be the first out gay person to be a member of the printial Cabet.

Queerty, therefore, did ed report Febary 2020 that Grenell was the "first openly gay Cabet secretary history, " before later scribg Buttigieg as the "first out Cabet member. They argued that Richard Grennell [sic] 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.

OPENLY GAY U.S. AMBASSADOR TO GERMANY MAK REPUBLIN HISTORY

That Grenell only ever served as actg DNI, and his appotment was never nfirmed by the Senate (a requirement prcribed the law that created the posn of DNI), further weakens the claim that Grenell, particular, was a Cabet member and therefore the claim that he was the first-ever openly gay Cabet member. For the first time Amerin history, an openly LGBT person will lead the telligence muny, a remarkable velopment nsirg that, until relatively recently, not only nied employment to gay and lbian Amerins but thoroughly purged them om s ranks...

AS RICHARD GRENELL ADDRS RNC, GOP PLATFORM STILL OPPOS GAY MARRIAGE

While Tmp’s appotment of Grenell n be cricized on other grounds, the appotment of an openly gay man to head an stutn once closed to gays and lbians is a tone. 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.

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, a gay nservative who worked Donald Tmp's admistratn, is objectg to Print Joe Bin's choice of Ketanji Brown Jackson for the Supreme Court bee, Grenell tweeted, "Hispanics, Asians, Wh, gays and men were not even nsired. And wouldn't m to namg a gay jtice or an Asian or Hispanic one be the same type of "inty polics" that nservativ cried Bin's choice of a Black woman? 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.

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

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. "Dpe the termable lays of Democrats hell-bent on standg on the wrong si of history, today the Uned Stat Senate nfirmed a gay nomee not ‘ spe of’ Republins, or ‘wh Republin support, ’ but bee of Republin support. "Havg a Republin print appot an openly gay man as an ambassador to one of our important alli such as Germany speaks volum to the fluence that the LGBTQ [muny] has polics the Uned Stat, " Fowlk told NBC News via email.

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.

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.

RICHARD GRENELL: TMP APPOTS FIRST OPENLY GAY BET MEMBER TO HEAD US TELLIGENCE

"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.

TMP ANNOUNC HE HAS AN “ENVOY AMBASSADOR” & OF URSE ’S GAY SYPHANT RIC GRENELL

He ma history as the first openly gay Amerin to lead a Cabet-level LGBTQ people and advot almost never celebrate Grenell’s acplishments and only rarely speak favorably of him any sense. “Gay is not an iology” is a le nservative LGBTQ people (ually gay whe men) often flt to when announcg support for Donald Tmp or other anti-LGBTQ policians. ”Log Cab Republins often oppose LGBTQ equaly measurBoth phras have been popularized by the Log Cab Republins, an anizatn of gay Republins who oppose passage of the Equaly Act and other legislatn to ensure civil and human rights for LGBTQ people.

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

Edor's note:While Print Tmp’s appotment of Richard Grenell as actg director of natnal telligence n be cricized for other reasons, is a remarkable velopment given that the telligence muny nied employment to gay and lbian Amerins until relatively recently, argu Jam Kirchick. For the first time Amerin history, an openly LGBT person will lead the telligence muny, a remarkable velopment nsirg that, until relatively recently, not only nied employment to gay and lbian Amerins but thoroughly purged them om s ranks.

Begng 1953, when Print Dwight Eisenhower signed an executive orr nyg work to those spected of “sexual perversn, ” thoands of gay men and women were forced out of the feral burecracy. Many gay and lbian workers quietly rigned rather than face huiatg secury terrogatns, others mted suici whout leavg an explanatn, and untold numbers never even applied for jobs due to the prohibn on their employment. Bee homosexualy was legally proscribed most stat until the 1970s and socially anathema, gays were nsired more sceptible targets for recment by hostile foreign telligence servic than heterosexuals.