Prez Distorts LGBTQ Record, Drawing Criticism
Congressmembers, advocates call out president’s assault on trans rights
BY MATT TRACY
President Donald Trump on August 20
ignored questions about his administration’s
transphobic actions and
instead claimed he has “done really
very well” with the LGBTQ community, drawing
immediate criticism from advocates and out gay
members of Congress who have watched him
chip away at queer rights.
Trump was asked during a press gaggle about
his administration’s recent actions aimed at
curbing the rights of LGBTQ workers. Within
one week, his administration proposed a rule
that would give federal contractors wide power
to use religion to justify discrimination in employment
and also fi led a Supreme Court brief
arguing that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of
1964 “does not bar discrimination because of
transgender status.” A week later, a similar brief
disavowing protections based on sexual orientation
was also fi led.
Trump initially responded by falsely stating
that the Log Cabin Republicans — a group
of LGBTQ Republicans — gave him an award.
TWITTER.COM/ SEAN PATRICK MALONEY
In a tough broadside against President Donald Trump’s policies
toward the LGBTQ community, out gay New York Congressmember
Sean Patrick Maloney said his “record speaks for itself.”
That group gave him no such award, but rather
controversially opted to endorse his re-election
campaign on August 15. The president then insisted
that gay folks as a whole have backed him,
but could only name one gay conservative supporter.
“I’ve done very well with that community and
some of my biggest supporters are of that community,
POLITICS
and I talk to them a lot about it,” Trump
said. “I think I’ve done really very well with that
community, as you know, Peter Thiel and so
many others, they’re — they’re with me all the
way, and they like the job I’m doing.”
Trump’s remarks came after his administration,
working behind the scenes to cater to
religious conservatives and mount assaults on
LGBTQ rights, banned transgender folks from
the military, revoked an Obama-era guidance
protecting trans students in schools, removed
Obamacare’s protections for trans and gender
nonconforming folks, and scaled back the State
Department’s role in global human rights advocacy.
Trump has also targeted families: His administration’s
Department of Health and Human
Services granted taxpayer-funded adoption
agencies in South Carolina the right to reject
same-sex prospective parents .
A pair of out gay members of Congress, David
Cicilline of Rhode Island and Sean Patrick Maloney
of New York, fi red back at Trump, telling
➤ FAKE TRUMP RECORD, continued on p.23
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Kathy Ioannou: Life begins at 50
Brooklyn, NY – It’s been said that life begins at
40, but for this Brooklyn mom it’s more accurate
to say that life truly began at 50. That’s because to
celebrate her 50th birthday in 2012, Kathy Ioannou
from Dyker Heights decided to run the New York
City Marathon. The punchline: she wasn’t a runner.
Ioannou, a mother of three, was determined to
celebrate that special milestone birthday in a way
that embodied her renewed health and passion for
living an active lifestyle. Five years later, in April
2019, after completing the London Marathon, she
became one of the elite group of runners who has
completed the six World Major Marathons: NYC,
Chicago, Boston, Berlin, Tokyo and London.
Like every journey of a thousand miles, Ioannou’s
journey started with one step: she quit smoking.
“In 2007, I quit smoking after an 18-year nicotine
addiction,” she says. “I started eating healthy and
became physically active by joining a gym. Those
decisions might have saved my life.”
Looking back, Ioannou admits that her family
history and unhealthy habits increased her risk
for heart disease and stroke but through running
and better nutrition, she began seeing her blood
pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar numbers
improve. According to the American Heart
Association, these are key indicators of ideal
cardiovascular health.
“I truly wanted to regain my health for my
children and to be around for them for as long
as I can,” Ioannou said. “I encountered obstacles
that could have kept me down but just like the
little engine that could, I believed in myself, stuck
to my training plan and my goals and kept my
commitment to myself.”
Thanks to Ioannou’s example, her family has
adopted much healthier habits as well.
“I have gotten my family involved in yoga and
have tried to help them with smoking cessation
techniques,” she said. “My family has also adopted
much healthier cooking methods and we have
incorporated a lot more vegetables, fruits and foods
high in antioxidants and healthy nutrients.”
Earlier this year, Ioannou was recognized by the
American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women
movement for her commitment to improving her
health and inspiring the people in her life, receiving
the New York Lifestyle Change Award.
“I want to encourage other women and my
community in Brooklyn to take control of their
health,” she says. “When I first started running in
2014, I couldn’t imagine ever running more than
a 5K. I now have more energy than many of the
30-year-olds I run with and I can keep up with all
age groups at the gym. I feel strong on the inside.”
Ioannou says her life is happier, more satisfying
and she is no longer a hostage to nicotine or a
sedentary lifestyle.
“If I could share one message, it would be this:
it’s never too late to make a lifestyle change.”
When Ioannou is not running marathons around
the world, she stays active by walking and hiking
with her daughter and sons. She is committed
to celebrating life the way it should be – with all
of her heart.
“If we all work together to help each other live
healthier lives, imagine what a difference we
can make in the fight against heart disease,”
Ioannou says.
Kathy Ioannou is now a volunteer with the
American Heart Association. She encourages
communities to get active and get healthy. You
can start your journey to improved health by joining
the Brooklyn Heart Walk on Sunday, September
15 in Coney Island. For more information visit
www.brooklynheartwalk.org
GayCityNews.com | August 29 - September 11, 2019 11
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