POLITICS
At Iowa Forum, Democrats Tackle LGBTQ Issues
As Biden stumbles and Booker comes on strong, a key focus is trans rights
BY MATT TRACY
Ten Democratic presidential candidates
on September 20 defended
their LGBTQ records and outlined
visions for the future during the fi rst
forum dedicated to queer issues.
Much of the discussion during the Friday
evening event, which was hosted by GLAAD
and The Advocate in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, focused
on the urgent plight of transgender
women of color and how the candidates plan
to clean up the mess left by the Trump administration’s
ongoing backlash against LGBTQ
community advances. Issues important to
some in the community, such as the decriminalization
of sex work, were omitted entirely,
while topics like healthcare — a crucial piece
of the discussion surrounding LGBTQ rights
— were only briefl y discussed.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, one of the
frontrunners in the race, spent much of his
time on the defensive — and he found himself
in hot water for making cringe-worthy comments
to Lyz Lenz, a journalist with The Gazette
in Cedar Rapids. When she confronted
him with his recent comment that Vice President
Mike Pence is “a decent guy,” Biden responded,
“You’re a lovely person.” Lenz later
tweeted that Biden also called her “sweetheart”
when the pair walked off the stage.
The former vice president nonetheless touted
his record on queer rights, reminding folks he
was “the fi rst person nationally to come out”
in support of marriage equality and that he is
demanding that the federal government outlaw
conversion therapy. He also spoke about
the importance of prisons respecting inmates’
gender identities, but he stumbled over the difference
between “sexual orientation” and “gender
identity” when conveying that point.
Other candidates appeared more fl uent in
talking about LGBTQ issues. Senator Cory
Booker of New Jersey made an immediate
splash when he stepped on stage and picked up
the Advocate’s editor-in-chief, Zach Stafford.
Stafford appeared fl attered, saying, “Wow, a
man picked me up on national television. That
is a fi rst.”
Apparently Stafford didn’t see that move as
cringe-worthy.
Booker fl ashed back to his time as mayor of
Newark, noting that he raised the Pride Flag
in 2006 when it was still politically inconvenient
and refused to offi ciate weddings until
marriage equality was achieved. Booker also
invoked the words of Martin Luther King, Jr.,
on multiple occasions as he made broader
points about the fi ght for civil rights. He said
he would surround himself with a diverse
team, hire a secretary of education and an attorney
general who would take LGBTQ rights
seriously, remove the trans military ban, and
give queer veterans the benefi ts they deserve.
He also called for science-based sex education
to combat HIV/ AIDS.
Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts,
another frontrunner, did not mince words
about the rising death toll of black trans women:
She took the time to name every single one
of the known transgender women, all of them
women of color, who have died a violent death
this year, yielding a standing ovation from the
mostly white crowd in attendance. Warren
notably included intersex individuals in her
discussion of LGBTQ issues and also urged
Congress to pass the Equality Act before the
Supreme Court rules on three looming cases
related to nondiscrimination protections based
on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Warren stressed the importance of fi ghting
for healthcare, but she continued to be short
on specifi cs regarding her healthcare platform.
While she has voiced support for Medicare for
All, she has been evasive about which plan she
supports and her website’s healthcare section
does not specify whether she backs singlepayer
coverage or if her plan would eliminate
premiums, copays, and deductibles. She has
also fl ip-fl opped on the role of private insurance
throughout the campaign.
Warren and her Senate colleague, Kamala
Harris of California, were asked about their
history of opposing trans-affi rming care for
prison inmates. They both drifted off topic in
their answers, with Warren segueing into broad
statements about healthcare and Harris blaming
policies of the California Department of
Correction at the time when she was the state’s
attorney general. While the two lawmakers’ opposition
to trans-affi rming surgery came under
different circumstances — Harris held an oversight
role as the state’s chief legal offi cer and
Warren had yet to be elected US senator — Lenz
strikingly posed the same question differently
to Harris. She asked the California senator how
trans people could “trust you,” while telling
Warren that it was “great” that she changed her
stance on the issue.
Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard also
avoided directly answering questions about
her problematic record on LGBTQ rights.
South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, the only
out gay candidate in the race and a military
veteran, pointed out that the forum was occurring
on the anniversary of the repeal of Don’t
GLAAD/ YOUTUBE
Former Vice President Joe Biden had some awkward moments
during the forum, but he also underscored the fact that his endorsement
of marriage equality pushed former President Barack Obama
to announce his support as well.
GLAAD/ YOUTUBE
pp
Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey spoke of a broad slate of actions
he would take to ensure that LGBTQ issues are addressed in
his administration.
➤ IOWA FORUM, continued on p.7
September 26 - October 9 6 , 2019 | GayCityNews.com
/GayCityNews.com