Jeff Sessions. Jeff f-ing Sessions. That is who Donald Trump has tapped to be our nation’s next Attorney General.
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A lot has been written about this 69-year-old reported Klan-sympathizer and junior Senator from Alabama who is set to replace our nation’s first African American woman ever to serve as AG.
Related: Is The GOP Really Open to a Gay Supreme Court Justice? Or Merely Pretending?
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And, as is often the case with racists, he’s also a total homophobe. Sessions scores an impressive zero percent by the HRC. He has consistently voted against advancements in LGBTQ rights for nearly 20 years, and has made a number of off-color comments about gay people, as well.
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Let’s take a quick look a this voting record when it comes to the most important LGBTQ issues:
- In 2000, Sessions voted against an amendment that would expand the definition of hate crimes to include sexual orientation. He voted against it a second time in 2002.
- In 2004 and again in 2006, Sessions voted in favor of advancing the Federal Marriage Amendment, which would defined marriage across the entire United States as a union of one man and one woman.
- In 2010, Sessions voted against repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
- In 2011, Sessions spoke out against President Obama and in defense of DOMA.
But it’s not just Sessions’ voting record that is, frankly, deplorable. He’s also made a number of homophobic comments over the years, for instance:
- When asked about the appointment of an openly gay Supreme Court justice in 2010, Sessions relied: “I do not think that a person who acknowledges that they have gay tendencies is disqualified, per se, for the job [but] that would be a big concern that the American people might feel uneasy about that.”
- Also in 2010, Sessions said allowing gay soldiers to serve openly in the military would “add additional burden” on straight soldiers who are already under a lot of stress fighting in war zones.
- In 2011, when speaking in favor of DOMA, Sessions called same-sex marriage “very troubling” and “unacceptable.”
- In 2015, Sessions called the Supreme Court’s ruling on marriage equality “problematic,” adding that “anybody that denies that doesn’t understand law.”
DDstar1me
As I said, I hope Trump does well. I hope he demolishes our government. I voted for Ms. Clinton. But, all those gays who voted for Trump will reap what they sow. Jeff will destroy everything Obama tried to do for our rights. I wish him all the best.
dwes09
@DDstar1me: WTF? You look forward to the increase in violence against lgbt folks already being noted? You look forward to the erosion of our rights and legal protections? I think you (like the Log Cabin folks) need professional help.
carlos_albuquerque
I do admit seeing traitors getting punished would be very amusing, but it’s not worth everyone else’s lives.
Hopefully the vermin can be ratted out by vigilantes and other third parties.
dwes09
I think I will derail all the Log Cabin folks who will certainly come here in support of Sessions. Their argument will be the ludicrous “because as Trump has correctly said, the greatest and most imminent danger for gay folk is the certain violence women and children seeking asylum from Syria will cause (though all of the violence against us from Muslims has come from people born here, and the greatest amount of violence and abuse we have taken has been at the hands of Christian citizens), and because both Sessions and Trump want to register and perhaps impound Muslims, they are in essence pro-gay”.
Were either of them remotely pro-gay rather than pandering, they would not have issued the dog-whistled calls to violence against us that considering us less than others and damaged goods are. What we can look forward to is an erosion of rights and a justice system that looks away when we are attacked, or assumes our actions indicate we were “asking for it”.
dwes09
@carlos_albuquerque: “Hopefully the vermin can be ratted out by vigilantes and other third parties.”
Huh!? Under this administration you can bet that the vigilantes and third parties will come from the alt-right thugs, and the legal forces of this country will shrug and look away. “That’s what you get for shoving your perversion down our throats” will be the response we get, if we gat any response at all.
Clark
Your choices for identity politics is too funny.
You never described Hillary as a ‘Klan-sympathizer’ even after her nearly open-mouthed kiss with Robert Byrd. “Replacing the first African American AG” – yet failing to mention that she has been an absolute failure at upholding the laws of our land, a disaster by politicizing her position, colluding and consulting with those under investigation, ignoring her oath and duties…and her skin color doesn’t matter a hill of beans. She’s been a failure.
If everyone had such a small overall view as you and your little editorial board(assuming there is one- it’s hard to tell) we’d be as bad off as Europe. It’s too bad that people choose single issues over the big picture. That serves no one well.
Now, go ahead and get your panties in a bunch and start whining because someone dares to differ from your ‘open-minded and tolerant’ opinions. It seems to be all you’re capable of doing.
Maude
Single issue voters are well, single-minded.
If We The Gay People don’t get off of the ‘gay victim’ soap box, I fear we will very likely move back to the days before StoneWall…as it is Sessions will have a hard time convincing the American people to agree with his single-mindedness…We shouldn’t help him by openly displaying ours.
Our country has become enlightened. Sessions won’t be able to turn back the calendar unless…. UNLESS WE THE GAY PEOPLE HELP HIM.
DDstar1me
@All…I stand by my statements. I really hope Trump is a good president to those who voted him into office. I sincerely do. And to your point-dwes09, I truly do wish I could afford professional help. I wish I could have someone pay all my bills and house me while I get full time help. Trust me, I welcome the idea.
Furthermore, as an American-American male, this country has told me time and time again how it feels about my kind. Why should I be afraid? over 200 years of oppression. My soul is content with the fact that I will never be seen for anything more than the color of my skin. The hate in this country is only evolving. And yet, I love my America. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.
God bless us all.
Tommy64
I am sorry to say, Mr. Session look like a Major closet case. Looks like he has done something’s he not proud of. He’s has been wrong by one of us gays. So we all have to pay… Thought…
Bob LaBlah
Guess what else is on the rise? I am trying to be optimistic about this guy (Trump) but as I have said to a few of you (and you know who you are) be careful of what YOU are cheering on. You would not believe what these radio talk show host on the AM dial are preaching because they know only the lunatics and ignorant are listening to them. And by the way, those lunatics and ignorant are who organized car pools this past election to get Trump elected. This is getting a bit disturbing.
http://www.stltoday.com/news/national/govt-and-politics/us-jews-grapple-with-election-year-eruption-of-anti-semitism/article_a56ed75a-2a83-565e-9532-e5736180829d.html
Daniel-Reader
You can stop any politician or government official on the planet from violating human rights by simply talking about the one thing they never want you to talk about.
OzJosh
Come on Trump supporters! Tell us again how your man will be good for the gays!
Doughosier
In other words, he’s a Republican.
Brian
Is Sessions bisexual?
Bob LaBlah
@Brian………………did you know both senators from South Carolina are republican, unmarried as well as no apparent significant other as in a girlfriend and look as though they have a neon sign in the middle of their foreheads blaring closet case when they speak of gay issues? One, yeah. But TWO? Talk about things that make you go hmmmmmmmm.
jckfmsincty
“Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.” – HL Mencken
Billysees
@Maude:
” Our country has become enlightened. Sessions won’t be able to turn back the calendar unless…. UNLESS WE THE GAY PEOPLE HELP HIM. ”
Good overall comment, especially the above.
Harley
Let’s just hope tRump is a one term president. Kanye 2020 anyone?
Chris
Is this the same Kanye who said he would have voted for Trump, had he voted?
takingliberties
Jess Sessions is anti gay because he was sexually abused as a child by his uncle.
Baba Booey Fafa Fooey
@takingliberties: What does that have to do with his anti-gay beliefs?
Franklin
@Clark: Can people find a new talking point?
http://www.snopes.com/clinton-byrd-photo-klan/
GayEGO
@dwes09: I think DDstartime was just being sarcastic, I doubt that he/she likes Trump as he/she voted for Hillary.
GayEGO
@takingliberties: I did not see any TV sessions on this! :>)
GayEGO
No surprise here, Trump is picking anyone who is different so he can verify his statement – “Only I and I alone can fix this!”.
He BGB
Many democrats have changed their minds about gay people and gay marriage (both Obama and the Clintons) over the years so I’m hoping many of trump’s picks have also grown mentally too. Some of the horrible things they said years ago are just that, years ago. Am I being naive? Sessions is from Alabama and that state isn’t known for being, shall I say, open minded.
Herman75
@He BGB: We are a small minority. Will Dems and Americans grow weary of our plight now that the power has swung away from just minded folks?
Billysees
Every 4 or 8 years there is a political change in government. That’s an unchangeable fact of life. Whatever they do to diminish our importance and value in the community can be undone in 4 or 8 years. That’s another unchangeable fact of life.
PrinceofReason
The man’s a turd.
Cajaquarius
@DDstar1me: Part of me agrees with you on some level. I want this country to burn and it’s people to suffer and die for the decisions they have made. Our persecution is inevitable but I can at least smile at the thought of this country disintegrating and the world falling into another World War if only to watch the Christians and Muslims cry out to a god that was never and will never be there, only to die in the agony they richly deserve.
drsmithnj
Jealous much? Straight men are.