Tag Archives: Iowa

16 States Currently Pushing "Don't Say Gay" Laws

16 States Currently Pushing “Don’t Say Gay” Laws

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Conservative lawmakers in 16 mostly red states across America are considering new legislation that would bar teachers from “introducing concepts of sexual orientation or gender identity to young students”, imitating a new Florida law that opponents have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” Law.

Falling back on the Ron DeSantis’ and Anita Bryant’s “Save The Children Campaign” playbook of “gay panic” the following states all have anti-LGBT legislation in the works.: Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Alabama, Arizona, Iowa, New Jersey, Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, South Carolina, Illinois, Rhode Island, Ohio, and South Dakota.

“Battles over sex education in schools have been a constant front in the culture wars that have raged between liberals and conservatives for decades” aid Aaron Ridings, chief of staff and deputy executive director for public policy and research at GLSEN. ““There’s a chilling effect from all of these bills on people who are LGBT”

Gay History – August 1888: Lifelong Transman Discovered As Patient At Fort Madison, Iowa Prison Hospital

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In August of 1888. a column in the nineteenth-century journal The Medical Standard included a roundup of items submitted by doctors from the then 38 states, several territories and a number of Canadian provinces.

More of a “This and That” column without having much real basis in actual medicine. Many of the notices were nothing more than gossip: the practice of a “voodoo doctor” in Georgia,  a “magnetic healer” in Kentucky “who is is ‘curing’  hysterical females in great numbers at Bowling Green.” (Women were commonly diagnosed with “hysteria” in the nineteenth century for being sexually repressed and and frigid because of the “moral code” of its time.  Barbarically its cure was sometimes a hysterectomy.)

Among those notices was this case from Iowa:

A case of sexual perversion has been discovered in the Ft. Madison penitentiary. A woman from her early youth had dressed in male attire, was universally regarded as a man, married and lived with a woman as a husband. She was recently arrested for horse-stealing and sent to the penitentiary; in the hospital of which her sex was discovered.

No other information can be found about this person.

The Ft. Madison penitentiary was established in 1839, seven years before Iowa’s statehood. The old facility, expanded several times over the years, is still in use today as the Iowa State Penitentiary, making it the oldest operating prison west of the Mississippi.

Man Gets Sentenced To 16 Years In Prison For Destroying LGBT Rainbow Flag

HATE CRIME: Man Gets Sentenced To 16 Years In Prison For Destroying LGBT Rainbow Flag

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Adolfo Martinez, 30, of Ames, Iowa was found guilty last month of a hate crime — a class “D” felony after he stole a rainbow pride flag hanging at Ames United Church of Christ and set it on fire using lighter fluid about two blocks away outside the Dangerous Curves Gentleman’s Club, the Des Moines Register reported.

Martinez told police he had ripped the flag down and had set it ablaze with lighter fluid because he is against homosexuality. 

‘It is my honor, it is written, it is a judgement and it is written to execute vengeance on the heathen and punishments upon the people. It is my honor to do so, and it is an honor to that. It is a blessing from the Lord, plain and simple. It was an honor to do that, it’s a blessing from the Lord to be able to stand for his word firmly against all odds plain and simple “ Martinez said in November.

Story County Attorney Jessica Reynolds said hate crime charges were added because Martinez is suspected of criminal mischief against someone’s property because of “what it represents as far as sexual orientation.”

Martinez was sentenced to 15 years for the hate crime charge, one year for reckless use of fire and 30 days for harassment, all of which will be served consecutively.

Federal Highway Administration Tells Iowa City To Remove Rainbow Crosswalks, They Refuse

Federal Highway Administration Tells Iowa City To Remove Rainbow Crosswalks, They Refuse

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In a letter dated September 5, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), a division of the US Department of Transportation, told the city of Ames, Iowa that they would have to remove the rainbow-colored crosswalks at a downtown intersection,d because they didn’t comply with federal traffic control standards.

The city has so far ignored the directive.

Ames, Iowa actually has three PRIDE crosswalks one feature the colors of the Pride flag, designed by Gilbert Baker in the 1970s. Another features the gender-nonbinary colors of purple, black, yellow and white, while yet another features the transgender pride colors of blue, white and pink.

Federal rules state that crosswalks can only use white paint.”Crosswalk art has a potential to compromise pedestrian and motorist safety by interfering with, detracting from, or obscuring official traffic control devices. The art can also encourage road users, especially bicycles and pedestrians, to directly participate in the design, loiter in the street, or give reason to not vacate the street in an expedient or predictable manner,” the FHWA wrote in a letter to Ames City Manager Steve Schainker.

City Attorney Mark O. Lambert sent a memo addressed to the Ames mayor and city council, outlining his own interpretation of the situation.The FHWA doesn’t appear to have jurisdiction over the roads where the crosswalk is since the streets are not part of a federal highway and receive no federal funding.

Members of the Ames City Council discussed the issue at a meeting last Tuesday, and ultimately came to a decision. They would do nothing and leave the crosswalks alone.

Pete Buttigieg Unveils Sweeping Plan On Racial Inequality

Pete Buttigieg Accuses Donald Trump of ‘paying lip service’ to LGBT rights. Gives Advice on Bullying to 11 Year Old Girl

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Gay Democratic presidential hopeful “Mayor” Pete Buttigieg on Friday night accused President Trump of “paying lip service” to LGBT rights after Trump said he was “absolutely fine” with Buttigieg’s marriage while supporting the extremist “Christian” right who condemn it
while speaking in Iowa.

“Even though they’re paying lip service to the idea of — like the president was asked about my marriage, so he could have the opportunity to say he’s fine with it.”

Referencing a report this week that says adopted children of LGBT families may now be considered born “out of wedlock” and not guaranteed U.S. citizenship even if their parents are married U.S. citizens.

We find out this week that they changed the State Department guidance — I don’t know if you saw this. So if you are, for example, in an international adoption scenario, and you’re a same-sex couple, as far as the United States government is concerned, you have a child born out of wedlock. Think about what that means. It means you are not a citizen of the same country as your own child at the time that they are born. And that’s discrimination.”

Despite what anyone says it has been obvious from the start that Donald Trump has launched a war against the LGBT Americans..

Later in the evening, an 11-year-old girl identified only as Rebecca wanted to know: Did the Democratic presidential candidate have any advice about bullying?

“Part of the advice I’d give is to be willing to talk about it. So I think you’re leading the way on that,” Buttigieg said as he looked toward Rebecca’s direction.

“Everybody who’s different can be bullied, and the secret is everybody’s different in some way,” he said, later adding: “You have nothing to be ashamed of.”

“The person who’s bullying you probably has something a little broken in them,” he added. “… They want to kind of control a situation because something else in their life isn’t going well, and they don’t feel they have control in a bigger way.”

Someone in the audience yelled: “Sounds familiar!”

Buttigieg responded: “I think it really matters that we have a president who doesn’t show that kind of behavior. It’s one of the reasons I’m running for president.”

Democratic Candidates Respond To Pete Buttigieg Dropping Out of the Primary Race

“Christian” Activist Heckles Pete Buttigieg in Iowa: Screams “Remember Sodom And Gomorrah” at Rally (Video)

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Via: Politico Playbook 

South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg swept into Iowa on Tuesday, drawing some of the biggest crowds of the 2020 race so far in the first-in-the-nation caucus state. He faced anti-gay hecklers at two events, including in Des Moines where a man in the crowd shouted ‘remember Sodom and Gomorrah!’ just after Buttigieg talked about marrying his husband, Chasten, who attended the event.

The man kept shouting but the crowd chants of ‘Pete! Pete!’ drowned him out. Buttigieg calmly looked on as security escorted away the individual. “The good news is, the condition of my soul is in the hands of God, but the Iowa caucuses are up to you,” Buttigieg said to laughter and cheers.

In all, three hecklers over two Iowa events were taken away and each time Buttigieg unflinchingly carried on after cracking a joke or commenting on freedom of expression. A campaign aide said it was the first time the mayor faced such security incidents since touring nationally.

The “Christian” nutjob named Randall Terry is an anti-abortion, and anti-LGBT activist who’s own son is gay, much to his embarrassment and has been arrested more than 40 times. Two of Terry’s children by adoption became pregnant outside of wedlock. Both were thrown out of the house when they became pregnant, with no help from pro-life daddy to support them.

Terry is quoted as saying: ” I want you to just let a wave of intolerance wash over you. I want you to let a wave of hatred wash over you. Yes, hate is good… Our goal is a Christian nation. We have a biblical duty, we are called on by God to conquer this country. We don’t want equal time. We don’t want pluralism.” – —The News Sentinel, (Fort Wayne, Indiana), August 16, 1993

IOWA 4-H Director Fired Over LGBT Inclusive Policies

IOWA 4-H Director Fired Over LGBT Inclusion Policies

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John-Paul Chaisson-Cárdenas  the leader of Iowa’s 4-H Youth Development was fired Thursday because of his LGBT inclusive policies.

His termination comes months after he suggested a 4-H LGBT inclusion policy, which drew rebukes from conservative groups and resulted in hundreds of complaints submitted to Iowa 4-H.

“Through my life and through my career I have always tried to foster inclusive environments that welcome diversity for all youth and all people,” Chaisson-Cárdenas said. “That’s what I believe my career was built upon.” 

In the termination letter, John Lawrence, Chaisson-Cárdenas’ boss and Iowa State University’s vice president of extension and outreach, wrote that he “decided to make a change in the leadership of the 4-H Youth Development Program.”

“Your letter of intent states that your position serves at the pleasure of the administration,” Lawrence wrote. “At this time, I have decided to exercise that provision and terminate your employment … effective immediately.”

Chaisson-Cárdenas’ departure comes after Iowa 4-H’s decision not to adopt his proposed LGBT inclusion regulations that gay rights advocates saw as a step forward for all-inclusive student rights.

After the inclusion proposal in mid-April, the Liberty Counsel, a law and policy firm that promotes “Christian” values and a nationally recognized LGBT hate group, sent Iowa State a six-page letter requesting the rejection of Chaisson-Cárdenas suggested guidelines.

4-H employees, parents and students concerned the proposed policy didn’t align with their religious beliefs contacted the counsel, Mary McAlister, lead attorney on the case, said previously. 

“The guidance is discriminatory, unconstitutional and without legal authority,” McAlister wrote in the letter. “It misstates the law regarding protected classes, and falsely adds ‘sexual orientation’ and ‘gender identity or expression’ … (elevating) them above statutorily protected classes of biological ‘sex’ and ‘religion.’ ” 

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, administers the greater 4-H organization. However, local councils are supported more directly through the extension services of a network of public universities, in this case Iowa State and doesn’t fall neatly into one set of nondiscrimination policies.

Federally, being “gay and “gender identity” are not protected under the law..

GOP Rep. Steve King Compares Trans Military Members to Ottoman Empire Castrated Slaves

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Notoriously crazy and anti-LGBT Iowa Republican Rep. Steve King  is in hot water again for his comments comparing transgender troops to castrated slaves from the Ottoman Empire.

“And today, we’re here thinking somehow we’re going to make the military better by letting people line up at their recruitment center who have planned that they want to do sexual reassignment surgery, know that it’s expensive, and believe ‘if I can just get into any branch of the United States services — to the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marines; maybe become a Navy SEAL — and then submit to sexual reassignment surgery and then go from a man to a woman,'” King said.

King then brought up the Ottoman Empire, arguing that their castration of enslaved soldiers was akin to the proposed hormone therapy and reassignment surgeries.

“What they did in order to keep them from reproducing was that they did reassignment surgery on those slaves they had captured, that they had put into their janissary troops,” 

Daniel Hoffman-Zinnel, director of One Iowa, an LGBT advocacy group, condemned King’s House floor speech, saying in a statement: “Rep. Steve King’s speech is absolutely unacceptable. Not only does he compare transgender troops to castrated slaves, but he insinuates that transgender people going into the service only do so to get free surgery.

“People join the military for a multitude of reasons, and the same goes for transgender individuals. To group all transgender people together and claim they all intend to somehow game the system is not only false, but contributes to harmful and untrue stereotypes transgender people face that contribute to harassment and violence.”

Despite his bigotry and insanity  King is serving his eighth term as a congressman in the very conservative northwestern district of Iowa. He has repeatedly made brazen comments regarding immigrants, gays, minorities and Muslims. King is expected to win his ninth term in Congress in 2018 after Democratic challenger Kim Weaver dropped out of the race earlier this year and Democrats have not replaced her with another candidate.

*To put the numbers of trans-military members into perspective.  As of January 31, 2017,  1.4 million Americans are serving in the U.S. armed forces.  According to the Williams Institute 3.5 of America’s population identify as LGBT and out of that number only .03 people identify as transgender.  

 

Sen. Ted Cruz: Gays Are “Waging Jihad” Against Christian’s Religious Liberty – Video

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Right Wing Watch reports that speaking yesterday at a presidential candidate forum in Iowa, Ted Cruz pulled out some extreme rhetoric when he warned those in attendance  of a gay “jihad” against marriage and religious liberty.

 

Religious Rights Group Files Suit Defending Venue Against Religious Discrimination Charges

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Gortz Haus

As reported here a few months ago a gay male couple in Iowa were turned away from the Gortz Haus art gallery wedding venue that they wanted to use for their own wedding because the owners said that homosexuality violated their Mennonite religious sensibilities.

In Iowa according to the states’s Civil Rights Acts the refusal of venue was illegal and a lawsuit was brought against the bigoted couple.

Now the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty filed an 11-count lawsuit against the Iowa Civil Rights Commission and wants the Commission to rule that the owners of Gortz Haus’ refusal to host a same-sex wedding in their public art gallery wedding venue was not a violation of the Iowa Civil Rights Act because of religious freedom. *yaaaawn*

A spokesperson for the Becket Fund claimed that they didn’t want to eliminate homosexuality as a protected class, just to allow the Mennonite beliefs of the Osgaards to supersede the civil rights of Lee Stafford and his fiancee.

“To our knowledge, no Iowa or Federal court has ever forced anyone to participate in a religious activity against their will. Doing so now would abandon Iowa’s history of being the vanguard of protecting individual freedom, and out of line with state and federal law.”

All state and federal laws have ruled that public venues and public services cannot discriminate based on orientation, and every venue outside Iowa that have discriminated have lost those legal battles