Anytime we accurately say that Trump is the most anti-LGBTQ president of all time, some commenter will claim that he can’t possibly be because he appointed Richard Grenell, a 52-year-old conservative and gay man, as the U.S. ambassador to Germany. (Because when you hire a gay person, it cancels out all your homophobia, apparently.)
But now those Trump-defenders will have a new person to point to: lesbian judicial nominee Mary Rowland. The U.S. Senate just approved the Trump judicial nominee for a seat on Illinois’ federal court.
Related: Germans think Trump’s gay ambassador is an ignorant, thin-skinned, far-right tool
To our relief, Rowland — who was rated as “highly qualified” for the job by The American Bar Association — isn’t likely to be an anti-LGBTQ homocon eager to do Trump’s bidding. The Washington Blade reports:
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Although Rowland, 57, is a Trump nominee, her record contradicts the trend of his anti-LGBT appointments and includes work in LGBT advocacy. Rowland’s affiliation with LGBT legal groups includes being a member of the Lesbian & Gay Bar Association of Chicago and pro bono work for Lambda Legal.
During her confirmation hearing, Rowland wasn’t shy about referencing her spouse, Julie Justicz, and their two adult children.
Rowland’s appointment was approved by Illinois’ two Democratic Senators, Tammy Duckworth and Richard Durbin.
But before you go and praise Trump for appointing a progressive lesbian, please remember that Trump has also packed the federal courts with 146 appointees who will interpret the law for decades to come. And some of these, like U.S. Circuit Judge Kyle Duncan of the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk think allowing trans kids to pee in public and forcing religious business owners to serve same sex couples should be against the law.
So while we’re happy to have Rowland, that doesn’t change all of Trump’s other anti-LGBTQ policies.
Cam
This is the only thing the Republicans have left. They put in policies that harm minorities, then try to put a minority in the front row of a Trump rally.
They have as a plan in their platform, harming LGBTQ people, but then say if they give one gay person a job, none of that other stuff matters.
It’s all appearances with no substance with the GOP.
JaredMacBride
Let’s keep some perspective. Ronald Reagan, who ignored the AIDS crisis, was a good bit more anti-gay than Trump.
justsimple
I am gay and a Republican. There is more to me than just my sexuality and just because I am gay doesn’t mean I should support a Democratic because they support gay rights. The fact is most didn’t until recently. Their point of view change as time went forward.
Do I support everything he says and does….No
But I have to look at the big picture for our country.
I understand I am in the minority. But let’s face reality Hollywood doesn’t fully support the gay community. How many of them are in the closet. It took a years for them to acknowledge the gay community.
We shouldn’t put me throwing rocks at glass houses.
Kangol2
Actually, you’re wrong about Democrats. Most Democratic politicians have supported gay rights for decades, particularly if you look at social and political advances year by year. In fact nearly every gay legislative advance at the local, state and federal level has happened under a Democrat or in concert with Democrats, and has often been challenged by Republicans.
Now, you may support Trump and the GOP for other reasons, but I ask, do you speak out about their homophobia and anti-gay legislation? Do you call them to the carpet for their support of religious fanatics pushing anti-gay legislation? Do you realize that the “big picture” includes ending oppression against gay people? Do you actively support gay organizations that advance the rights and equality of LGBTQIA people?
If not, you are benefitting from the battles that LGBTQIA are fighting on your behalf, and aiding homophobes.
Goforit
Justsimple. I do wish that you Russian trolls would get a better translation program. Picking you out is way to easy.
UlfRaynor
Seriously?
Please do explain what could possibly be more important than yours and the communities civil rights?
WillParkinson
Seriously? Girl, you need help.
truthseeker
@Kangol2
False. Democrats only come around when they see that they can benefit from a particular voting block. Then they pander to them just for their votes and money.
Democrats have been against blacks since the Civil War. They’ve supported slavery, they’ve supported segregation, they started the Klan, and they’ve been against gays.
Suddenly after 2008, Dems support gays because there is big money through donations there. Just read the leaked DNC emails where they mock gays and mock Latinos. They said in the emails to pander to these groups because they are known to be “loyal voters” once you win them over.
Lastly, the current policies being proposed by Democrats are destructive to the US as a nation
Kangol2
@truthseeker, girl, don’t come for me. Nearly every major gay-rights advance has occurred under the Democratic Party or in conjunction with it. The Democratic Party is not perfect, but it has a far better record, by light years, than the GOP. Name me one advance in gay rights that the GOP has championed before it happened? Name one!
Moreover, your FoxNews version of history won’t work here. The modern Democratic Party is not the anti-Black party of Dixie. That is now the Republican Party. You may never have studied history, but you would benefit from doing so. You do realize the parties began to switch in the 30s under Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the switchover was nearly complete when Lyndon Johnson (1963-1968) championed Civil Rights, in the wake of JFK’s assassination, right? Or don’t you? Today’s GOP is what the Democratic Party (which began under Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, and split into two during the US Civil War) was back in the 19th and early 20th centuries in terms of race and progress, with elements of the Gilded Age, pre-Progressive GOP. It’s the party of Andrew Jackson fused with that of William McKinley. And to top it off, it’s still homophobic and anti-gay. Which is why you support it, naturally.
As for Lawrence v. Texas it was the liberal judges, plus Anthony Kennedy, who voted in favor of it; your right-wingers on the court were mostly as anti-gay then as they are now.
truthseeker
@Kangol2
I’m not your girl. It’s funny that liberals now try to say, “oh we must forget the past of slavery and the role of the Democratic party’s involvement in it” while also saying “we cannot forget slavery and must pay reparations!”. All of the laws against gays were signed into law by a Democrat President, with one of them being overturned ultimately by a Republican Supreme Court Justice.
LBJ only “championed” the civil rights of blacks because it has been reported through history that he told Democrats that it would be a way to capture this popular voting block at the time, that’s why he wanted expansion of welfare programs. It has been reported that behind closed doors, LBJ said, “I’ll have those n____s voting Democrat for the next 200 years”
Aires the Ram
Most have a short memory and forget that Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama were against same-sex marriage, until they (a-hem) “evolved” on the issue. They conveniently fail to mention all of that, perhaps it’s because they’re so very busy this week demonizing all white people, especially those who are conservatives, and of course demonizing the President of the United States who beat their candidate in the 2016 Presidential Election. Many have ‘evolved’ on this issue, especially now, since the Supreme Court decision in 2015. Time has worn on, a whole lot of water has gone under the bridge, and the sky has not fallen. It takes time. But if you’re going to demonize those who either currently, or in the past were against same-sex marriage, include ALL OF THEM on your list.
ClarkAlan
So the Democratic party hasn’t been perfect on LGBT issues…is that a sufficient reason to join the side that is consistently against LGBT?
Or could it be you’re a big racist?
p.s. I purposely don’t add the “Q” to LGBT because “Questioning” doesn’t mean anything and “Queer” will always be an offensive term to me no matter who adopts it.
funpitt412
ClarkAlan, really you are going to call someone a racist because they have decided that the Democrats are all talk and no longer wants to support them? I am sick of the fake support from Democrats for the LGBTQ community. When Obama was running to be President of the US, he said, “A marriage is between a man and a woman.”
Kangol2
@funpitt, and yet under Obama we had DADT repealed; we had DOMA repealed; we had gay marriage legalized. Obama also nominated and supported more openly gay legislators and judges than any other president; he affirmed LGBTQIA adults and children, and supported programs that supported us, in the US and across the globe, including holding leaders in AFrica and elsewhere accountable for their mistreatment of LGBTQIA people, something Drumpf doesn’t give a damn about, since he cannot even stand up to Putin, where LGBTQIA people are being murdered and attacked as we speak. Barack Obama will go down as the most pro-gay president in US history. So one statement, which was political–because he supported same-sex marriage as a state senator, look it up–does not hold ground against the totality of his record, which was excellent on gay rights, but you hold fast to it, OK?
truthseeker
@Kangol2
So we should applaud a Democrat President who repealed something signed into law by another Democrat President. You set the bar low on that one.
DOMA was repealed thanks to a Republican Supreme Court Justice.