Rod 2.0:Beta

Uganda Law Would Execute HIV+ Gays, Will Obama Cut AIDS Funds?

The short answer: No.

Over the weekend, Rod 2.0 updated the growing international backlash against Uganda's latest and most extreme, anti-gay proposal: The proposed offense of "aggravated homosexuality" where an HIV-positive gay men has sex with another man. The penalty would be death. The prime ministers of Britain and Canada have formally protested the proposal.

Last year, the small East African nation received some $287 million in funding from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Several members of Congress, including Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), want the Obama Administration to withhold funding for AIDS programs in Uganda unless legislators abandon the extreme legislation. Sorry but we don't tell countries how to legislate, PEPFAR Chief Coordinator Eric Goosby tells Newsweek.

My role is to be supportive and helpful to the patients who need these services. It is not to tell a country how to put forward their legislation. But I will engage them in conversation around my concern and knowledge of what this is going to do to that population, and our ability to stop the movement of the virus into the general population.

The Anti Homosexuality Bill proposes a three-year prison sentence for anyone who knows of the existence of a gay man or lesbian and fails to inform authorities. The penalties for failing to inform authorities of HIV-positive gay men are even more severe and would "criminalize key aspects of comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention education and imprison health-care workers who refuse to report sexually active gay patients to the police," notes Truth Wins Out.

Will the Obama Administration's official policy on executing HIV positive gay men in Africa become "We don't tell countries how to legislate?" That's not much "change" from the Bush Administration which was also giving taxpayer money to fund violence and discrimination against gay men. Not much change at all.

Thanks MICHELANGELO SIGNORILE

Some Background ... 
Uganda's Museveni: European Gays "Recruiting" in Africa
Uganda: Death Penalty for "Aggravated Homosexuality"
Anti-Gay Activists March on Parliament
Uganda Anti-Gay Conference Day Two
UG Anti-Gay Conference
Rare Court Victory for Uganda Gays
Uganda Launches Major Anti-Gay Offensive
Uganda' Muslim Cleric: Exile Gays
Uganda Ethics Minister Advises Gays to Leave

Black Unemployment at 28 Yr High

While some economists have suggested the recession could be ending soon, that is certainly not the case in the inner cities. Via AMERICAblog: Latinos and African-Americans across the country are facing spiraling unemployment rates that "could spiral to levels not seen in decades", analysts and urban policy advocates tell the Boston Globe.

New data show the unemployment rate among black workers soared last month "to a 28-year high of 15.7 percent and the rate has risen to 13.2 percent for Latino workers". Both are well above the overall 10.2 percent national average.

Some big-city mayors and community activists complain that the $787 billion federal stimulus package that the Obama administration promised would preserve or create jobs has not put a significant dent in urban unemployment, threatening to leave blacks and Latinos behind when the economy finally turns around. The Congressional Black Caucus and civil rights organizations are calling for a targeted aid package to put minorities back to work and stepping up pressuring on the White House ahead of its jobs summit next month where corporate CEOs, academics, labor leaders, community activists, and others have been invited to suggest any and all ideas to spur hiring.

The national unemployment rate jumped to 10.2 percent in October—the highest overall unemployment rate in 26 years. Analysts and advocates believe the unemployment rate for black gay men and transgender women is much higher than the overall black unemployment rate.

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Will Lieberman Sink Health Care?

Joe Lieberman (I-Aetna/Prudential) now threatens to support a Republican filibuster of health care reform if the Democratic bill includes a public option as it currently does. Gail Collins at the New York Times rightly calls him on his bs. The Congressional Budget Office confirms the public option would be financed by premiums:

Connecticut is a state full of insurance companies, and maybe it should come as no surprise that he’s caving in to their concerns. But now he’s running around on the Sunday talk shows announcing that he’ll support a filibuster — keep the whole plan from coming up for a vote unless the public option goes. And he says he’s doing this as a matter of conscience. He wants the world to admire him for stopping the Senate from having an opportunity to vote on a health care plan the president campaigned for and a majority of the chamber supports.

If Lieberman had just said “look, this is bad for a big industry in my state and I’m going to use whatever tools I can get my hands on to stop it in its tracks” I would still be in despair, but not in my current state of door-pounding, head-banging rage. But he wants us to admire him! As if he was risking his career to save puppies or fight unemployment!

TIME also looks at the Lieberman conundrum and notes the Senator from Aetna is "technically not a Democrat anymore" but repeatedly refers to him as such: "Pressuring Lieberman, however, might prompt him to leave the party, a move that would deprive Democrats of their 60th vote, not just on health care but on other issue like global warming and financial regulatory reform."

What is the point in allegedly having 60 votes to prevent a filibuster if the 60th vote has repeatedly threatened to, umm, filibuster? So much for the White House's 11th dimensional strategy to placate Lieberman by letting him keep his committee chairmanship.

Watch Lieberman threaten to filibuster health care reform ON THE FLIP SIDE.

Did a Top Obama Advisor Indicate Support for Marriage Equality?

Following a Monday speech at Boston College's School of Law, President Obama's senior domestic policy aide implicitly acknowledged that she differed with Obama on the issue of gay marriage. Or did she?

Melody Barnes is the President’s Domestic Policy Adviser and the Director of the Domestic Policy Council, which coordinates the domestic policy-making process in the White House. Barnes reportedly told a gathering of students that she sympathized with a questioner who expressed support for marriage equality, attendees tell the Huffington Post.

"Paul Sousa, a co-founder of the GLBT rights organization Equal Rep, and the individual who asked Barnes the question, described the scene this way. "I ended with this, 'I know there isn't much you can say right now because it's your job to defend President Obama even if he is wrong on a domestic policy stance. What I would like to know is - whether or not you support equal civil marriage rights for gay and lesbian Americans and if so, are you speaking or will you speak with President Obama on this civil rights matter?' For her response, Ms. Barnes did state that she supports marriage equality and can appreciate the frustration that our community is feeling. She [said she] is trying to move the ball forward with other action items (DOMA, DADT, ENDA)."

An "anonymous" White House disagrees with Sousa's account and maintains Barnes stayed on message. Sousa, the Facebook-based activist who is one of the organizers behind the online LGBT donor boycott of the Democratic National Committee, now says there is "proof" the anonymous staffer "lied".

John Aravosis at AMERICABlog: "It's been 4 days. Why has the video of the event not been released publicly? You'd think it was a scandal that a White House official might have been support of the g-a-y-s."

Before working for the White House and the Obama campaign, Meldoy Barnes was an official at the Center for American Progress, the progressive think tank that publishes Think Progress. It's probably not a stretch to imagine Barnes is pro-marriage equality. But is she advising the White House to move quicker on gay rights such as ENDA and DADT? And why the big mystery about what she said Monday?

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Repeal in FY 2011 Defense Authorization?

The repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't tell" will most likely be an amendment to next year's Defense Authorization, Rep. Barney Frank tells the Washington Blade.

Frank said in an interview with the Blade that repealing the 1993 law barring gays from serving openly in the military would happen as part of the fiscal year 2011 defense authorization bill. 'The House will take up and the Senate will take up ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ repeal,' he said. 'That will again, like hate crimes, even more so, will have to be done, I believe, in the context of the defense authorization. You can’t do the standalone bill. It belongs in the defense authorization.' Frank said lawmakers would seek to amend the defense measure to include a provision repealing 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.' Such a move would mimic the way Congress recently enacted the hate crimes measure."

The openly gay congressman tells The Advocate's Kerry Eleveld this has been the "strategy" for overturning the policy all along. That may be news to Pennsylvania Democrat Patrick Murphy whose DADT repeal bill that has 177 co-sponsors. The White House and Senate leadership have not confirmed this strategy.

Frank criticized Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (IL), who recently re-suggested that Congress was "too busy" to repeal the "controversial" DADT: "Frank is among the supporters who have asserted Congress would take up repeal in 2010. 'I think that’s a terrible mistake for him to say that and I believe that it will be a great injustice to wait any longer,' Frank said. 'I don’t think he has that option.'"

Hmm. Wonder why Barney randomly dropped this tidbit ...

In related news: The RAND corporation and the University of Florida release a new study which shows support for "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" has declined within the military ranks. "The study surveyed military personnel who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan and found that having a gay or lesbian colleague in their unit had no significant impact on their unit's cohesion or readiness. Just 40 percent of the military members surveyed expressed support for the policy, while 28 percent opposed it and 33 percent were neutral—less support than seen in previous surveys."

Americablog Calls for LGBT Donor Boycott of DNC

Under the headline "Don't Ask, Don't Give", John Aravosis and Joe Sudbay at AMERICABlog call for an LGBT donor boycott of the Democratic National Committee over the lack of action on the Party's LGBT rights agenda.

"This campaign is temporary, and is only meant to help some friends—President Obama and the Democratic Party—who have lost their way. We are hopeful that via this campaign, our friends will keep their promises. We are asking voters to pledge to withhold contributions to the Democratic National Committee, Organizing for America, and the Obama campaign until the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) is passed, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) is repealed, and the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is repealed—all of which of which President Obama repeatedly promised to do if elected."

AMERICABlog and AMERICABlog Gay publish a comprehensive list of reasons and say donations should "pause" until promises are kept: "Democrats should not have promised to support gay civil rights rights in exchange for our votes if they never intended to keep the promise. If we're not controversial during the campaign, when politicians are happy to accept our votes and our money, we cannot accept being labeled controversial after our candidates win. We kept our part of the bargain, we voted for Barack Obama and a Democratic Congress. It’s entirely reasonable for us to ask our elected officials to keep their part of the bargain too."

The announcement comes only days after it was revealed openly gay DNC treasurer Andy Tobias misled Maine voters. Emails from the DNC's OFA revealed the DNC asked Maine contributors to support New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine and there was no corresponding request to support Maine's marriage equality effort.

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Health Care Bill Passes House 220-215, Key LGBT Provisions

The House of Representatives narrowly approved a sweeping overhaul of the nation’s health care system. The House passed the $1 trillion the Affordable Health Care for America Act, H.R. 3962, on a 220 to 215 vote late Saturday night. Thirty-nine Democrats voted no. Only one Republican, Louisiana's Joseph Cao, voted for the bill.

The bill requires individuals to have health insurance and for larger businesses to provide it to their employees. It also includes a public health insurance option not tied to Medicare.

While it is unlikely LGBT families will be included in definitions of "family" for health care coverage, the LGBT community will receive some key benefits, such as non-discrimination protections and some tax advantages. Most importantly: The bill incorporates the Early Treatment for HIV Act and allows states to cover early HIV treatment under Medicaid programs instead of withholding treatment for Medicaid recipients until they develop full-blown AIDS. That's important for black gay men, who often learn they are HIV positive in later stages. LGBT benefits are fully explained here. 

The bill now moves to the Senate where conservatives and Sen. Joe Lieberman threaten a filibuster.

Watch the final moments of the vote AFTER THE JUMP.

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Democrats Don't Want to Vote on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in 2010

Two months ago, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) said Senate Democrats were "too busy to deal with "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." In a new article in The Hill, Durbin and other House and Senate Democrats are worried about the upcoming midterm elections and want to delay voting on the Democrat's "controversial" legislative. They aren't sure that a DADT repeal will be on their agenda in 2010.

Vulnerable House and Senate Democrats want their leaders to skip the party’s controversial legislative agenda for next year to help save their seats in Congress. In the run-up to the 2010 midterm elections, they don’t want to be forced to vote on climate change, immigration reform and gays in the military, which they say should be set aside so Congress can focus on jobs and the economy.... Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, meanwhile, has pushed for the repeal of the military’s “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, which prohibits gays from serving openly in the military.

Gay-rights activists have put strong pressure on Obama and Democratic leaders to repeal the ban sooner rather than later. Reid sent a letter to Obama last month asking him to provide recommendations on gays serving in the military, noting that Congress is considering “future legislative action.” Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said he was not certain whether repealing “Don’t ask, don’t tell” would be on next year’s agenda. One Democratic senator facing reelection in a Republican-leaning state said he does not want to see the issue of gays in the military, immigration reform or even climate change on next year’s agenda.

Durbin, in addition to being the Majority Whip, represents Illinois and is a confidante of President Obama. It's safe to assume that when he speaks on this issue, he's telegraphing the White House's interests.

Would 2011 or 2012 be better times to pencil gays in the military on the Senate's "busy" agenda"? Nah, presidential primary and election. And if gays in the military is too "controversial" for midterm elections, do we really think the House and Senate will pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act next year?

WATCH: Obama on Signing Historic LGBT Rights Legislation

In a late afternoon ceremony in the historic East Room of the White House, the President made remarks on the Matthew Shepard & James Byrd, Jr. Hates Crimes Prevention Bill which he signed into law several hours earlier. President Obama was joined by Denis and Judy Shepard, as well as Betty Byrd Boatner and Louvon Harris, the sisters of James Byrd, Jr. More on why Byrd's name is on the law at the Dallas Voice.

Obama told the audience: "Over the past 10 years, there were more than 12,000 reported hate crimes based on sexual orientation alone. And we will never know how many incidents were never reported at all." He added: "We will finally add federal protections against crimes based on gender, disability, gender identity, or sexual orientation. (Applause.)... Because no one in America should ever be afraid to walk down the street holding the hands of the person they love. No one in America should be forced to look over their shoulder because of who they are."

Hate crime attacks disproportionately target black gay men and black transgender women, who often live in states without hate crime protections. Until now. Once again, it's a great day to be an American.

JUMP to watch the President's full remarks. 

 

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Obama Signs Historic Federal LGBT Hate Crime Prevention Act

President Barack Obama signed the first major piece of federal LGBT rights legislation: Extending  hate crimes protections to people based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act was part of the 2010 Department of Defense Authorization. At today's signing, the President made some remarks on the Defense authorization and recognized the Shepard and Byrd families––as well as the late Sen. Ted Kennedy––before signing the bill into law.

Said the President: "There is one more long-awaited change contained within this legislation that I'll be talking about a little more later today. After more than a decade of opposition and delay, we've passed inclusive hate crimes legislation to help protect our citizens from violence based on what they look like, who they love, how they pray, or who they are. I promised Judy Shepard, when she saw me in the Oval Office, that this day would come, and I'm glad that she and her husband Dennis could join us for this event. I'm also honored to have the family of the late Senator Ted Kennedy, who fought so hard for this legislation. And Vicki and Patrick, Kara, everybody who's here, I just want you all to know how proud we are of the work that Ted did to help this day––make this day possible. So––and thank you for joining us here today. (Applause.) So, with that, I'm going to sign this piece of legislation."

Watch the President sign the law AFTER THE JUMP.

The passage of the legislation comes after languishing for more than a decade on Capitol Hill. The law is named after a  pair of notorious 1998 hate crimes––one against a older black man in Texas, the other against a young gay man in Wyoming––that shocked our nation's collective consciousness. (More on why Byrd's name is on the law at the Dallas Voice.) The law was originally proposed by civil rights champions Rep. John Conyers and the late Sen. Ted Kennedy and is the first-ever federal LGBT rights legislation. 

Hate crime attacks disproportionately target black gay men and black transgender women, who often live in states without hate crime protections. Until now. It's a great day to be an American. Watch the President sign the law AFTER THE JUMP.