Friends of LGBT People: Here Are Trump's 8 Anti-LGBT Attacks in 6 Months

    We have some friends who support LGBT people like us, but voted for Trump for reasons of their own. They also believed he would keep his promise to "be the best LGBT supporter."  They've all told us their vote was NOT against us or LGBT people, and believed Trump wouldn't hurt LGBT People.Well, in 6 months' time, Trump's Administration has already done 8 things to hurt, offend, or deny rights and protections to LGBT people.   We are curious to know if our friends have any regrets. 

HERE'S THE LIST OF TRUMP'S OFFENSES AGAINST LGBT PEOPLE (links to articles below for proof)

1) All LGBT Civil Rights Content Removed from Whitehouse.Gov

2) Rescinded All Protections for Transgender Students on Use of Restrooms in Public Schools

3) Revoked Protections for LGBT Workers against Discrimination in Hiring and Employment

4) Dropped Federal Lawsuit over North Carolina's Statewide Prohibition on LGBT Equalty

5) Trump Refused To Declare June Was National Pride Month

6) Trump Says Transgender People No Longer Allowed To Serve In Military

7)  Justice Department Says Rights Laws Doesn't Protect Gays

8) Nominates Anti-Gay Marriage U.S. Ambassador & Offends Netherlands

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1) ALL LGBT CIVIL RIGHTS CONTENT REMOVED FROM WHITEHOUSE.GOV

The Trump administration removed all references to LGBT civil rights as soon as they got in the White House in January 2017. That was a good indication of what they had planned.

http://people.com/politics/trump-white-house-website-lgbt-climate-change-civil-rights-pages/

2) RESCINDED ALL PROTECTIONS FOR TRANSGENDER STUDENTS ON USE OF RESTROOMS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS - This happened in February 2017

The move by the Justice and Education departments reverses guidance the Obama administration publicized in May 2016, which said a federal law known as Title IX protects the right of transgender students to use restrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identities.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/02/22/516664633/trump-administration-rescinds-obama-rule-on-transgender-students-bathroom-use

3) REVOKED PROTECTIONS FOR LBGT WORKERS AGAINST DISCRIMINIATION IN HIRING AND EMPLOYMENT - White House announced this in March 2017

With little fanfare on Monday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that LGBTQ advocates say rolls back lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights and breaks a promise to that community not to make such changes to existing policy.The executive order revokes key components of the Obama administration's previous executive order banning federal contractors from discriminating against employees on the basis of sexual orientation or identity, gay rights advocates say. http://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/lgbtq-advocates-say-trump-s-news-executive-order-makes-them-n740301

4) DROPPED FEDERAL LAWSUIT OVER NORTH CAROLINA's STATEWIDE PROHIBITION ON LGBT EQUALTY. He ordered this lawsuit dropped in April, 2017.

The Justice Department on Friday said it was dropping a federal lawsuit filed last year against North Carolina over the state’s “bathroom bill,” which restricted the public bathrooms transgender people were allowed to use.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/04/14/justice-dept-drops-federal-lawsuit-over-north-carolinas-bathroom-bill/?utm_term=.9f961189ef4d

5) TRUMP REFUSED TO DECLARE JUNE WAS NATIONAL PRIDE MONTH to honor all of the LGBT community. For every year of his presidency, Obama issued a pride month proclamation and hosted annual LGBT pride receptions. President Trump did not declare June as LGBT Pride Month. No Republican president has ever recognized June as pride month.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2017/06/01/president-trump-hasnt-declared-june-pride-month-least-not-yet/102393004/

6) TRUMP SAYS TRANSGENDER PEOPLE NO LONGER ALLOWED TO SERVE IN MILITARY

President Donald Trump tweeted July 26, 2017 that transgender people will no longer be allowed to serve in the U.S. military “in any capacity” ― a stunning reversal of an Obama-era policy that affects thousands of service members. He cites “tremendous medical costs and disruption” as his reason. Data show he’s wrong. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-transgender-military_us_597893a9e4b0c95f37605a35?ncid=engmodushpmg00000003

7)  JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SAYS RIGHTS LAWS DOESN'T PROTECT GAYS
July 27, 2017:  On the same day President Donald Trump banned transgender people from serving in the military, citing costs. "The Department of Justice argued in a legal brief on Wednesday that the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 offers no protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation, a position advocacy groups condemned as 'shameful' and 'politically driven.'" As for the transgender ban, current service members are saying it's a "shot in the face" and to "try and kick me out of the military." These Republicans are breaking with Trump on the issue, along with these world leaders. And then there's the question of whether it's legal.  

NY Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/27/nyregion/justice-department-gays-workplace.html?mcubz=2

8) NOMINATES ANTI-GAY MARRIAGE U.S. AMBASSADOR & OFFENDS NETHERLANDS
A Dutch LGBT advocacy group has expressed concern over President Trump’s nominee to become the next U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands. Philip Tijsma of COC Nederland noted to the Washington Blade on July 28 that former Michigan Congressman Pete Hoekstra opposes marriage rights for same-sex couples.Hoekstraco-sponsored the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996. The Washington Post noted he also sponsored eight other anti-LGBT bills and opposed efforts to extend adoption rights to same-sex couples. “The position of Mr. Hoekstra on these issues goes against the Dutch policy of promoting acceptance and equal rights for LGBTI people,” Tijsma said. The Netherlands in 2001 became the first country in the world to extend full marriage rights to same-sex couples.
SOURCE: Washington Blade

Idiots in Politics: Tennessee "Don't say gay" lawmaker’s torrid affair with his cousin revealed

Welcome to another blog edition of "Idiots in Politics" - this one is about a Tennessee anti-LGBTQ
lawmaker’s torrid affair with his cousin!

In a Divorce Trial, Serious Allegations About Sen. Joey Hensley

Hohenwald Republican is alleged to have had an affair with his nurse and prescribed her opioids

Cari Wade Gervin Nashville Scene 

Mar 8, 2017 2 PM

 

The details sound straight out of a soap opera.

A doctor and his younger nurse fall in love. They continue their torrid affair even after his ex-wife tips off the nurse’s husband, a local politician, to the salacious goings-on. As the divorce moves forward, discovery turns up that the nurse is not just the doctor’s employee and his lover, but his patient, with a predilection for pain pills. And, oh, she’s his second cousin, too.

    But this is not General Hospital, not Grey’s Anatomy. This is the town of Hohenwald (pop. 3,703) in Lewis County, where bitter divorce proceedings have brought to light possibly unethical behavior by Dr. Joey Hensley, a Republican state senator who also happens to be a family physician — and one who has run for office since 2002 on a platform of conservative Christian values.

Hensley, 61, was subpoenaed to appear last week in Williamson County Circuit Court to testify in the divorce proceedings of Hohenwald Vice Mayor Don Barber and his wife Lori. He refused to show up, citing legislative and medical privilege.

   “I didn’t have time to do it,” Hensley said when contacted on Friday afternoon. “I had nothing to do with the court case, and any testimony I would have given wouldn’t have made any difference.”

But according to the sworn testimony of both Barbers, Hensley has been having an affair with Lori since 2014. Lori, 48, is a part-time nurse in Hensley’s medical practice in Lewis County; she is also his second cousin.

   Hensley gained national notoriety in 2012 as a sponsor of the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which would have banned public school teachers from even mentioning that homosexuality exists. During one hearing that year, Hensley commented, “I don’t think Modern Family is appropriate for children to watch” — because it features a married gay couple raising children. This session, Hensley is sponsoring a bill from the Tennessee Family Action Council that would make children created using donor sperm illegitimate — an attempt to make it harder for gay and lesbian parents to establish paternity. He is also a sponsor of the so-called “Milo Bill,” aimed at liberal practices on college campuses.

The subpoena ordered Hensley to bring evidence of any gifts or monies spent by him on Lori Barber or by her on him. Hensley declined to testify under a statute of Tennessee law that exempts “a member of the general assembly while in session” and also “a practicing physician” from subpoena to trial. But he will still be deposed about the affair, and that deposition will then be entered into the court record. The deposition has not been scheduled but is expected to occur in the next week or two.

According to testimony during the trial, Lori Barber started working for Hensley in 2013 part time as a licensed practical nurse in his practice, at a salary of $15 an hour. She still makes that same salary and currently works one day a week in his office. She had previously worked for Hensley from 1987 to 1988, prior to both her marriage and the completion of her nursing degree.

   Barber testified she and Hensley began confiding in each other about problems in their marriages shortly after she took the job, but she said the relationship did not become sexual until December 2014, after the divorce became final between Hensley and his fourth wife, Gina, who is also a nurse. Their first sexual encounter was at Hensley’s practice, and soon, Barber said, the pair were discussing marriage.

    This timeline is disputed by Don Barber. He found out about the affair in the spring of 2015, when Gina Hensley gave him a flash drive with evidence of her ex-husband’s affair, including recordings of phone calls and screenshots of sexually explicit text messages between Gina and Lori discussing Hensley’s sexual proclivities and detailing instances when he and Lori had sex. Court documents claim the files show that the affair began much earlier in 2014; proof of this was not shown in open court. 

    Around the same time that spring, Gina Hensley took out an order of protection from the senator, alleging he hit her with his car, twice. He denied it, and she eventually withdrew the claim. Sen. Hensley told Columbia’s Daily Herald at the time that Gina left him for another man, and he had “tried with all my heart to keep our family together.” He told the Scene something similar this week, saying, “I was devastated by my divorce.”

Lori Barber moved out in August 2015 and filed for divorce later that fall. She testified that she ended her affair with Hensley in April 2016, but that things started up again in June. She said the couple continue to discuss marriage as a future possibility. (It is legal in Tennessee for second cousins of any age to marry.)

   Barber also testified that she spent the nights of Feb. 8 and and Feb. 14 this year with Hensley at a hotel in downtown Nashville while he was in town for legislative duties. Although those nights were presumably paid with a legislative per diem — i.e., state dollars — Legislative Administration director Connie Ridley said whether or not someone else stays with a legislator if he or she is in town on legitimate business “is not pertinent to the payment,” per state law.

Hensley denied that he is still romantically involved with Barber.

   “No, I’m divorced, I don’t know what she’s talking about,” Hensley said when asked if they were still discussing marriage. He also denied that Barber had spent either night in February in his hotel room. When asked if this is what he would testify to under oath during his deposition, Hensley said he had no further comment.

   In a second conversation three days later, Hensley said the affair lasted only “a few months.”

“It’s not still ongoing,” Hensley said Monday night. “That was several months ago, years ago. I didn’t break any laws. I’m not married, I’m divorced. … And nothing happened while I was married. … She didn’t leave because of me, it wasn’t because of me. We’ve been friends for 30 years or more. She’s related to me, but she’s been a friend too.”

   But Lori Barber is not just a friend or a cousin or a lover — she is also Hensley’s patient. Barber testified in court that Hensley is her only doctor other than a cardiologist, and that she relies on him for recurrent Botox injections. She also said he has regularly prescribed her the hydrocodone-acetaminophen pill Lortab — a Schedule II controlled substance — for “chronic back pain,” which she said Hensley first diagnosed after she hurt her neck. 

    Court testimony and documents filed imply that Barber has possibly abused both alcohol and opioids; she testified that she has no problem with either and any uptick in consumption was due to the stress of the divorce. But in her deposition, Barber was asked by her husband’s lawyer, Rose Palermo, “And didn’t your parents come to you and say that this situation with the Lortab had to be reined in, because you were taking too many Lortabs?” Barber replied, “I was taking too many according to them, but I was taking exactly what I was prescribed.” Palermo followed up, “By Dr. Hensley?” Barber answered, “Yes.”

   When asked last week if he often provides his nurses with opioid prescriptions, Hensley said he treats all his patients “the same” and declined further comment. On Monday, when asked if it concerned him that a nurse in his employ had been somewhat frequently taking hydrocodone, Hensley replied, “She’s a patient of mine, and anything I treat a patient with is [protected by] HIPAA.” She’s a patient, but she’s also an employee, the Scene said. “Well, it’s a small town. People don’t have an option for some things,” Hensley said.

   It is a clear violation of the American Medical Association’s code of ethics — to which the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners subscribes — for a doctor to become romantically involved with a patient. It is also in violation of the state board’s guidelines to regularly treat immediate family members or prescribe them drugs. The policy states, in part, “Treatment of immediate family members should be reserved only for minor illnesses or emergency situations. … No schedule II, III or IV controlled substances should be dispensed or prescribed except in emergency situations.” But there are no AMA or state guidelines that specifically prohibit doctors from treating employees.

Yet an examination of recent disciplinary actions by the Board of Medical Examiners suggests Hensley’s actions with Barber could certainly border on the unethical. In the past year, from January 2016 to January 2017 (the latest month for which data was available), the board has taken action against at least 13 doctors for, in part, prescribing controlled substances to an employee, a family member or a patient with whom the doctor was in a romantic relationship. The actions ranged from a reprimand to license revocation or forced retirement, with an additional wide range of fines.

It’s important to note that no action was taken solely based on one instance of prescribing drugs to a family member or employee alone — all of the instances above include multiple and varied violations of state rules and regulations. And Hensley said his treatment of Barber is in no way a violation of the code of ethics, because he regularly treats a lot of family members.

“I’ve been practicing 30 years,” says Hensley. “I have thousands of patients. It’s a small town, and I have a lot of family. A lot of family. Cousins, uncles, aunts. … And I don’t treat anyone any different.”

Lt. Gov. Randy McNally says it is unlikely the state Senate will address the situation unless the Board of Medical Examiners does go forward with an investigation.

“If it were a violation of the Board of Medical Examiners’ ethics, and certainly if it rose to the level of anything more serious, then I think the Senate Ethics Committee could look at it,” McNally says. “But if it’s just a simple disciplinary-type issue that is not serious, then I don’t think the Ethics Committee … they probably wouldn’t take it up.”

A Lesson in Hypocrisy: Mitch McConnell

As a former resident of Kentucky (in the mid-1990s) I (Rob) have to say that Mitch McConnell is truly the most despicable politician out of that state, yet the people there keep re-electing him. Over the last 8 years he worked to block everything President Obama attempted.  McConnell said he "make Obama a One term president" and would not work with Democrats. Now he's bitching that Democrats don't want to give McConnell everything he wants. LESSON TO EVERYONE - You act like a bastard and it comes back to you. Maybe he should have tried working with people instead of against them.

The following is from SNOPES.COM: 
    FACT:  Mitch McConnell Say One of His Proudest Moments Was Telling Obama 'You Will Not Fill This Supreme Court Vacancy' and NOW he is angry with Democrats for wanting to completely vet the GOP's right-wing, religious conservative, gun-supporting, anti-women's-gay-and- minority rights Supreme Court nominee.

In March 2016, following the death of Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, a Reagan appointee and one of the more conservative voices on the court, President Obama nominated federal appellate judge Merrick Garland, who was described as “centrist” by the mainstream media and “left-leaning” by those on the right, to fill the vacancy. He did this despite the fact that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky had already announced — on the day Scalia died — that the Republican-controlled Senate had no intention of confirming any nominee chosen by Obama:

The American people‎ should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new President.

In an interview with CNN, McConnell stated that he did not expect the Senate to confirm an Obama nominee even if Democrat Hillary Clinton was elected president or Democrats won a Senate majority:  I can’t imagine that a Republican majority Congress in a lame duck session after the American people have spoken would want to confirm a nominee opposed by the NRA, the NFIB, and the New York Times says would move the court dramatically to the left. This nomination ought to be made by the next president.

Six months later, as reported by the Washington Post, McConnell boasted to constituents at a 6 August 2016 political event in his home state of Kentucky about successfully blocking the nomination of Merrick Garland : “One of my proudest moments was when I looked at Barack Obama in the eye and I said, ‘Mr. President, you will not fill this Supreme Court vacancy,’” he said to cheers at the annual Fancy Farm Picnic.

Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland expired when the 114th Congress ended its session on 3 January 2017. It was the longest period of time a Supreme Court appointment remained before the Senate in U.S. history.

Discrimination Now the Law in Southern U.S. States who passed "Religious Freedom" Bills

Seems like the Bible Belt states are preaching hatred and intolerance of gay people and now their legislators are making it the LAW. Southern Lawmakers have declared an all out hate-fest against gay people through laws legalizing discrimination. It's TRUE.   North Carolina has now made it LEGAL to discriminate against gay people. AND Mississippi is about to sign an even WORSE bill that would even prevent gay people from even eating at a restaurant, getting a hotel, or any other service. Georgia's law was just vetoed (under a LOT of Financial pressure by companies).
    As someone who believes that everyone has the same rights, and has the freedom (that's what the U.S. is founded on) to practice or not practice a religion, we're disgusted and outraged that Republican state legislators who represent Conservative Christians (NOT all Christians) who have a majority in ALL of these Southern state legislatures - continue to create and pass "Religious Freedom" legislation. BTW- no Democrat has ever supported this legislative bigotry.

THE PURPOSE OF THESE "RELIGIONS FREEDOM" BILLS?

Here's a priest who KNOWS what Jesus taught

   These bills serve no purpose other than to promote discrimination against all people who are not of the christian faith (like muslims, buddists, jews, Hindus, etc.) and gay people, but incite violence like the Christian man in Atlanta who just burned 2 gay men earlier this month. 

THE BIGOTRY CONTINUES - 
   Another man in Atlanta who was interviewed on CBS news said that he and his wife want to open and adoption agency that only caters to Christians. Totally not understanding how it is discriminatory against everyone else. If he wants to promote his religion he can open a church, not a business that provides services to the general public. 

NORTH CAROLINA SIGNS BILL THAT BLOCKS THE PROTECTION OF LGBT COMMUNITY "North Carolina’s General Assembly voted Wednesday, March 23, 2016 to block cities and counties from passing protections against LGBT discrimination in a wide-ranging bill." STORY: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/north-carolina-lgbt-discrimination_us_56f2b7dbe4b0c3ef5217676c?

Christians have freedom to practice their religion in their church and in their home. No one else should be subjected to it. Once their beliefs affect those of others, they are violating other's rights. 

THE BACKLASH AS OF MARCH 30TH: It's great to see people FINALLY standing up against Right-Wing religious bullies and bigots. Here's how people have been taking a stand against North Carolina:
MAYORS, CITIES STAND UP TO ANTI-LGBT LAW IN NORTH CAROLINA "The governor of New York, and the mayors of New York City and Seattle, announced on Monday that their state and cities would be joining San Francisco in adopting a ban on publicly-funded employee travel to North Carolina in protest of the state’s new law barring localities for passing laws to protect LGBT rights." And 80 prominent business leaders have also joined the fight


MISSISSIPPI JOINS THE HATE STATES -  BREAKING: By 31-17 Vote Mississippi Senate Approves Sweeping Anti-LGBT License To Discriminate Bill

March 30, 2016  

The Mississippi Senate voted 31-17 along party lines to approve a sweeping bill that legalizes anti-LGBT discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations. The bill’s chief Senate sponsor, Sen. Jenifer Branning, faced some tough questioning, most of all from black Democrats, but the haters once again simply outnumbered the good guys.  The bill now goes back to the state House for concurrence on a Senate change which grants the state immunity on lawsuits related to the bill. If reapproved in the House, it then goes to the desk of anti-LGBT Republican Gov. Phil Bryant.





HOW TO TEACH A LESSON OF ACCEPTANCE OF OTHERS
   We were pleased to see that big companies and even sport franchises are standing up against legislated bigotry. This kind of bill failed in Arizona when the Superbowl threatened to pull out. Another is currently stalled in Tennessee because companies are outraged and are threatening to financially affect the state.  
BOTTOM LINE: Companies have to hit these conservative bigots where it hurts: In their Wallet. That's the only way to teach them acceptance. How sad.
   Its appalling that that these conservative Christians can't do the right thing and love everyojne and accept everyone as Jesus instructed them to do, so they have to get the message that discrimination is wrong through financial penalities. WHY do we have to keep teaching conservative Christians how to welcome everyone?
  
Fortunately, the Republican Governor of Georgia didn't sign it. But, WHY did he have to be threatened financially to do the right thing and fight bigotry?  It's SAD. 
Example of companies teaching Georgian Republicans and Conservative Christians how to be more accepting of others: Disney, Marvel to Boycott Georgia if Religious Liberty Bill Is Passed

The Walt Disney Co. and Marvel Studios indicated opposition to a Georgia religious liberty bill pending before Gov. Nathan Deal, saying that they will take their business elsewhere “should any legislation allowing discriminatory practices be signed into state law.”STORY  http://variety.com/2016/biz/news/disney-marvel-boycott-georgia-anti-gay-bill-1201737405/

IN NORTH CAROLINA- Businesses are Also Furious at the GOP Governor and Legislature for Passing the Hate Bill:

• PayPal, Dow Chemical, the NBA, the NCAA, Google and other businesses oppose North Carolina’s new anti-LGBT law.
• The law effectively legalizes discrimination against lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual people.
• Some of the state’s biggest businesses have yet to speak up.

Companies are taking a stand against North Carolina’s new anti-LGBT law, which Gov. Pat McCrory (R) signed on Wednesday. STORY: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/businesses-nc-anti-lgbt-law_us_56f42b8ee4b0c3ef52184903?ncid=newsltushpmg00000003