Monday, November 10, 2014

I Don’t Know About That

This article I hope is right, but I really doubt it.
Op-ed: Yes, We Can Still Make LGBT Allies With a Republican MajorityThe election results may sting for some, but HRC president Chad Griffin says it's more important than ever to keep fighting on.Advocate
By Chad Griffin
November 06 2014

Yes, we’re certainly nursing some wounds this week. Seeing Senators Mark Udall, Kay Hagan, and others go down to defeat really hurts, especially after they cast such critical votes for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act last year. We lost pro-equality House members and pro-equality governors — and we gained a few true radicals on Capitol Hill (Glenn Grothman of Wisconsin and Jody Hice of Georgia will make Rep. Michele Bachmann look even-handed by comparison when they join Sen. Ted Cruz on Capitol Hill come January). What’s more, we lost key seats in state houses around the country — at a moment when our adversaries want to push forward new anti-LGBT legislation in these chambers.
[…]
Time and time again, committed and loving gay and lesbian couples were used as a wedge issue to drive voters to the polls. Not this year. This time, Americans focused on what mattered most to them — the economy and jobs. It’s a funny thing to say, but in this election, silence on LGBT issues counts as a measure of progress.
Umm… I don’t think so. I think the silence is an indication that the Republicans have learned to shut-up about LGBT issues because it doesn’t get them many votes. But they know that their core constituents know they will still oppose LGBT human rights.

I expect here in Connecticut the right has been energized because they won a couple of seats. Somewhere around the 2009/2010 politics here in Connecticut became polarized, I don’t know if it was because the lost the governorship or what but whatever the case the Republicans are against anything that the Democrats propose and the votes were right down party lines. In 2007 the Senate voted 30 – 4 for the non-discrimination bill, but in 2011 the vote was 20 – 16 right down party lines, most of the senators voting 2011 were the same as those voting in 2007. I heard from many Republicans that they were in favor of the bill but voted against because they didn’t want to go against their party.

I see little or no hope in being able to pass any LGBT human rights legislation on a federal level and slim to fair here in Connecticut.

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