31. THE PRIDE LA NOVEMBER 18, 2016

the pride ISSUE NUMBER 3, VOLUME 3 11.18 — 12.01.2016

WWW.THEPRIDELA.COM

| NOV. 18 — DEC. 1, 2016

Hillary’s crushing defeat heralds an almost certain backlash on LGBT rights

TRUMPIAN ⚫ 6

Steve ‘Turn On the Hate’ Bannon, in the Alt-Right’s White House My own mother and sister voted Trump and I’m so angry NEWS ANALYSIS ⚫ 17

Karen Ocamb minces no words, in her essay ‘The New Civil War’

NEWSMAKER ⚫ 18

Robby Mook, Hillary Clinton’s out gay campaign manager, criticized

GET OUT ⚫ 26

The movie ‘Loving” and the pioneers before us

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THE LOS ANGELES LGBT NEWSPAPER

ELECTION 2016 ⚫ 3

ELECTION 2016 ⚫ 12

LOS ANGELES

OUR FIGHT BEGINS ANEW

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11.18 — 12.01.2016

LOS ANGELES

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YOU MATTER AND SO DOES YOUR HEALTH

That’s why starting and staying on HIV-1 treatment is so important.

What is DESCOVY ?

What are the other possible side effects of DESCOVY?

DESCOVY is a prescription medicine that is used together with other HIV-1 medicines to treat HIV-1 in people 12 years and older.

DESCOVY is not for use to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection. DESCOVY combines 2 medicines into 1 pill taken once a day. Because DESCOVY by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1, it must be used together with other HIV-1 medicines.

Serious side effects of DESCOVY may also include:

®

DESCOVY does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS. To control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses, you must keep taking DESCOVY. Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to reduce the risk of passing HIV-1 to others.

Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information I should know about DESCOVY? DESCOVY may cause serious side effects: •

•

•

•

Buildup of an acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency. Symptoms of lactic acidosis include feeling very weak or tired, unusual muscle pain, trouble breathing, stomach pain with nausea or vomiting, feeling cold (especially in your arms and legs), feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or a fast or irregular heartbeat.

•

•

•

•

Changes in body fat, which can happen in people taking HIV-1 medicines.

Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking DESCOVY. Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys.

Your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking DESCOVY if you develop new or worse kidney problems.

Bone problems, such as bone pain, softening, or thinning, which may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones.

The most common side effect of DESCOVY is nausea. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or don’t go away.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking DESCOVY? •

•

Serious liver problems. The liver may become large and fatty.

Symptoms of liver problems include your skin or the white part of your eyes turning yellow (jaundice); dark “tea-colored” urine; lightcolored bowel movements (stools); loss of appetite; nausea; and/or pain, aching, or tenderness on the right side of your stomach area.

All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection.

All the medicines you take, including prescription and overthe-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Other medicines may affect how DESCOVY works. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.

Ask your healthcare provider if it is safe to take DESCOVY with all of your other medicines.

If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if DESCOVY can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking DESCOVY.

You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or serious liver problems if you are female, very overweight, or have been taking DESCOVY for a long time. In some cases, lactic acidosis and serious liver problems have led to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any symptoms of these conditions.

•

Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. DESCOVY is not approved to treat HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV and stop taking DESCOVY, your HBV may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking DESCOVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

•

If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk.

Please see Important Facts about DESCOVY, including important warnings, on the following page.

Ask your healthcare provider if an HIV-1 treatment that contains DESCOVY® is right for you.

11.18 — 12.01.2016

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LOS ANGELES

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11.18 — 12.01.2016

LOS ANGELES

IMPORTANT FACTS (des-KOH-vee)

This is only a brief summary of important information about DESCOVY® and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and your treatment.

MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT DESCOVY

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF DESCOVY

DESCOVY may cause serious side effects, including:

DESCOVY can cause serious side effects, including:

• Buildup of lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms: feeling very weak or tired, unusual muscle pain, trouble breathing, stomach pain with nausea or vomiting, feeling cold (especially in your arms and legs), feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or a fast or irregular heartbeat.

• Those in the “Most Important Information About DESCOVY” section.

• Changes in body fat.

• Changes in your immune system.

• New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure.

• Bone problems.

• Severe liver problems, which in some cases can lead to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms: your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice); dark “tea-colored” urine; loss of appetite; light-colored bowel movements (stools); nausea; and/or pain, aching, or tenderness on the right side of your stomach area.

• Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. DESCOVY is not approved to treat HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking DESCOVY. Do not stop taking DESCOVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.

You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female, very overweight, or have been taking DESCOVY or a similar medicine for a long time.

ABOUT DESCOVY • DESCOVY is a prescription medicine that is used together with other HIV-1 medicines to treat HIV-1 in people 12 years of age and older. DESCOVY is not for use to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection.

• DESCOVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. Ask your healthcare provider about how to prevent passing HIV-1 to others.

The most common side effect of DESCOVY is nausea.

These are not all the possible side effects of DESCOVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking DESCOVY. Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with DESCOVY.

BEFORE TAKING DESCOVY Tell your healthcare provider if you: • Have or had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis infection.

• Have any other medical condition.

• Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

• Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed.

Do not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take: • Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-thecounter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.

• Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with DESCOVY.

GET MORE INFORMATION HOW TO TAKE DESCOVY • DESCOVY is a one pill, once a day HIV-1 medicine that is taken with other HIV-1 medicines.

• Take DESCOVY with or without food.

• This is only a brief summary of important information about DESCOVY. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more.

• Go to DESCOVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5 • If you need help paying for your medicine, visit DESCOVY.com for program information.

DESCOVY, the DESCOVY Logo, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, and LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. © 2016 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. DVYC0019 11/16

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11.18 — 12.01.2016 NEWS

DONALD TRUMP

LOS ANGELES

HISTORIC PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

⚫ 5

⚫ BY TROY MASTERS

Trump’s election heralds a backlash on LGBT rights Y

es, we are all freaked out by the election of Donald J. Trump to the presidency. It sent a panic through many communities and has sent millions of people across the country into the streets.

But for the LGBT community, this election seems downright devastating; the sense that we have suffered a set back would be an understatement.

The backlash against LGBT rights has begun.

After enjoying seeming meteoric progress over the past 8 years, we now face an administration that is overtly hostile to LGBT civil rights goals.

Donald Trump’s election super-empowers our worst enemies. His selection of Mike Pence, the most anti-LGBT politician in America as Vice President, coupled with his repeated angry expressions of a desire to reverse many of the political gains we thought were secure.

He pledges that on his first day in office he will “cancel every unconstitutional executive action, memorandum, and order issued by President Obama.”

That act will repeal Federal protections for some LGBT workers and will be a major setback for the safety of LGBT families, students and transgender people.

In 2014, President Obama signed Executive Order 13672, holding that federal contractors cannot be fired on the basis of their gender identity or sexual orientation. The order was intended to expand workplace protections to the 41 states in which LGBT people can be fired for simply being gay. It is a “placeholder” Executive Order that was to stand until congress passed something more permanent.

Trump supports the First Amendment Defense Act, a bill that will legally allow businesses, landlords, doctors and insurance companies to deny services to LGBT people based on their religious beliefs. The bill would take due-process rights away from LGBT people by making it illegal to sue them for denial of even life-saving services.

Jay Brown, a spokesman for the

WHOEVER WINS FLORIDA WINS THE ELECTION AND CLINTON HAS TAKEN THE LGBT VOTE OF SOUTH FLORIDA VERY SERIOUSLY, HOLDING A RALLY IN WILTON MANORS, THE GAY TOWN JUST WEST OF FORT LAUDERDALE.

Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest gay rights organization, told the New York Times his office has been deluged by calls from frightened people who wanted to know what the election results might mean for LGBT rights.

Concerns ranged from the timing of future wedding plans and whether they should be married before Trump’s inauguration, fears that he will try to overturn gay marriage.

Out gay military members expressed alarm that Jeff Session’s likely leadership of the Defense Department would result in repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” the ban on openly gay and lesbian service members that ended in 2011. Transgender people who have enjoyed Equal Employment Opportunity Commission protections asked whether they might now be in jeopardy. But those issues are just the tip of the iceberg.

In fact, a whole generation of civ-

il rights advances — except for Marriage Equality — rests on President Obama’s Executive Orders; Trump promised at nearly every campaign rally and at all three debates that he would rescind those when he takes office.

Everything pro-LGBT is at risk.

“This is a devastating loss for our community,” Mr. Brown told The New York Times. “It is something a lot of folks are still trying to wrap their heads around.”

Trump’s public statements on gay and transgender issues have been called “confusing and conflicting.”

As a candidate, Trump repeatedly said he would “strongly consider” appointing Supreme Court justices who would overturn same-sex marriage. At one point in the campaign he held an upside down rainbow flag onstage, a sign of distress that most people took as a friendly gesture to LGBT people.

Donald Trump has no detectable record of personal animosity toward gay people, his homophobic rhetoric on the campaign trail has been dangerously heated on the topic. Without singling out which Obama executive orders he always mentioned them in the same paragraph as promise to appoint Supreme Court justices who would consider overturning marriage-equality. He told Leslie Stahl in a recent interview with 60 Minutes that he was personally fine with gay marriage, but he did not revoke his campaign promise.

“Even if people believe that about Trump, what is true is he will now be held to the G.O.P. platform,” Rea Carey, the executive director of the National LGBTQ Task Force, told The New York Times.

Among the GOP platforms provisions is an opposition to same-sex TRUMP AND PENCE continued on p. 23

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ELECTION TRANSITION

>

11.18 — 12.01.2016

LOS ANGELES

PARADIGM SHIFT

⚫ BY MATTHEW BAJKO

Steve ‘Turn On the Hate’ Bannon, in the White House Despite a pledge to unite the country after his victory in the presidential election, Donald Trump has invoked the ire of progressives for selecting an “alt-right” conservative with a reputation for anti-Semitic, misogynistic and anti-LGBT views as a top adviser.

Trump named Steve Bannon, executive chair of the conservative website Breitbart News, to the role of chief strategist in the White House at the same time the president-elect designated Republican National Committee Chair Reince Priebus as chief of staff.

Labeled a white nationalist, Bannon has a history of hostile comments against minority groups and led a news website that published controversial material and promulgated conspiracy theories. Among Breitbart posts are pieces referring to Bill Kristol, a Republican, as a “Renegade Jew,” suggesting “Young Muslims in the West are a ticking time bomb,” calling the Confederate flag a symbol of “a glorious heritage” and extolling the alt-right movement as a “smarter” version of “old-school racist skinheads.”

Media outlets this week called attention to Bannon’s racist and anti-Semitic views, but LGBT people have also been in his crosshairs.

During a radio interview in 2011 in which he defended Sarah Palin against criticism, Bannon used an anti-gay slur to describe women with progressive views.

“These women cut to the heart of the progressive narrative,” he explained.

“That’s one of the unintended consequences of the women’s liberation movement — that, in fact, the women that would lead this country would be feminine, they would be pro-family, they would have husbands, they would love their children. They wouldn’t be a bunch of dykes that came from the Seven Sisters schools up in New England.”

Amid objections from anti-LGBT advocates over Target stores allowing transgender people to use the bathroom consistent with their gender identity, Bannon during a radio interview in May stoked fears with anti-transgender comments.

Bannon contended that rather than being inclusive, Target was “trying to exclude people who are decent, hard-working people who don’t want

their four-year-old daughter to have to go into a bathroom with a guy with a beard in a dress.”

Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, said in a statement Bannon’s appointment is “a betrayal of the American people and of our democracy.”

“No one associated with the toxic views Mr. Bannon has espoused and purveyed through his news agency should be given a platform, much less elevated to a position of such prominence in our national government,” Kendell said. “We applaud those who have spoken out in opposition to Mr. Bannon’s appointment and we urge others to speak out now. We cannot look the other way as individuals who have spread messages of racism, anti-Semitism and the disparagement of women are put into positions of power and influence.”

“Since the election there have been a number of incidents across the country in which minorities, including Muslim Americans, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Jewish Americans, have been the targets of violence, harassment and intimidation,” the letter says. “Mr. Bannon’s appointment sends the wrong message to people who have engaged in those types of activities, indicating that they will not only be tolerated, but endorsed by your Administration. Millions of Americans have expressed fear and concern about how they will be treated by the Trump Administration and your appointment of Mr. Bannon only exacerbates and validates their concerns.”

Breitbart hasn’t attacked gay people as much as other minority groups. One of the website’s star writers is Milo Yiannopoulos, who’s gay. A Trump support-

ANYONE HOLDING OUT HOPE THAT DONALD TRUMP WOULD GOVERN AS A UNITER — THAT THE RACISM, SEXISM, ANTI-SEMITISM AND NATIVISM OF HIS CAMPAIGN WERE JUST POSES TO PICK UP VOTES — SHOULD THINK AGAIN.

Among those who’ve praised Bannon’s appointment are former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke, who called the choice “excellent,” and American Nazi Party Chair Rocky Shady. Meanwhile, civil rights groups, including the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center, have called on Trump to rescind the appointment.

Cathy Renna, a lesbian New Yorkbased public affairs specialist, said Trump’s selection of Bannon means “he’s gone from wearing a white hood to going into the White House, and I think that’s incredibly troubling for so many people.”

“I honestly think that this is a time where if you’re looking at someone like Bannon, we’re looking at someone who really targets so many different marginalized communities and minority populations and folks who have served as a target of discrimination and hate in this country, and what he does is he simply throws gasoline on the fire,” Renna said.

Led by gay Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), a group of 169 U.S. House Democrats sent a letter to Trump on Wednesday calling on him to remove Bannon as chief strategist on the basis the selection undermines national unity.

er, Yiannopoulos has called Trump the most pro-gay candidate ever for raising the alarm about the danger Islamic extremists pose to LGBT people.

But Yiannopoulos himself has taken far-right views such as claiming all Muslims are Islamic extremists and has attacked transgender people as mentally ill. Yiannopoulos has written controversial pieces that have denigrated minorities, including articles with headlines such as “Birth Control Makes Women Crazy and Unattractive,” “Would You Rather Your Child Have Feminism or Cancer?” and “Gay Rights Have Made Us Dumber.”

A representative for Bannon and Breitbart didn’t respond to repeated requests for comment for this article.

Kellyanne Conway, senior adviser to Trump, defended Bannon on Tuesday during an interview on the Today show by touting his education and military service. Conway is a former pollster for the anti-LGBT National Organization for Marriage.

“I promise you he’s not scary, and he is as brilliant a tactician—and our campaign general, frankly, on the field—as everyone is also saying,” Conway said.

“I know him well, I worked hand-inglove with him. I feel that these charges are very unfair.”

Bannon isn’t the only one on Trump’s team that may spell trouble for LGBT people.

Trump’s selection of Reince Priebus as chief of staff could compel the president-elect to uphold the principles of the 2016 Republican Party platform, which seeks to undermine the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in favor of samesex marriage, deny LGBT protection from discrimination under the law and hints at support for widely discredited “ex-gay” conversion therapy.

Tony Perkins, president of the anti-LGBT Family Research Council, hailed the selection of both Priebus and Bannon to the White House, but had special praise for the RNC chief.

“I have worked closely with Reince over the last five years as he revitalized the GOP by returning the party to its true conservative principles as is evidenced by the GOP’s solidly conservative platform,” Perkins said. “He has made the GOP more effective through the implementation of a solid infrastructure that facilitated an outstanding ground game for Republicans. His leadership in rebuilding the party and promoting conservative principles helped set the stage for driving evangelical turnout to its highest level in recent memory.”

The views expressed by Bannon aren’t far from those expressed by Trump, who proposed a ban on all Muslims from entering the United States, raised fears about Islamic extremism and was accused of veiled anti-Semitism.

Renna said the selection of Bannon demonstrates Trump will advance “the backlash to the progress we’ve made having an African-American president for eight years, making so much progress on LGBT rights, women’s rights.”

“I think it’s been shocking in its impact in terms of really changing the election and I think it’s going to be a real time for some soul-searching by all of us who have been doing this work for so long, how do we reach people, how do we talk to people, how do we turn this tide a bit in a way that we can make some progress on,” Renna said. “I don’t think we can change Bannon’s mind anytime, but I think that there are millions of people in this country who are misplacing their anger, and it’s being directed at women and it’s very much obviously directed at Hillary Clinton.”

5.75 in.

⚫ Anti-LGBT agenda emerges as Trump transition team forms 11.18 — 12.01.2016

A prominent anti-LGBT organization is readying its agenda to undo LGBT rights as President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team begins to take shape and includes some notoriously hostile figures.

The National Organization for Marriage in a blog post Wednesday unveiled a four-point plan aimed at undoing LGBT rights advanced under the Obama administration, including marriage equality and writing discrimination into the law in the form of the First Amendment Defense Act. Here is our plan: We will work with President Trump to nominate conservative justices to the U.S. Supreme Court, individuals who will adhere to the words and meaning of the constitution. Such justices will inevitably reverse the anti-constitutional ruling of the Supreme Court imposing same-sex ‘marriage’ on the nation in the Obergefell decision, because that decision lacked any basis in the constitution.

We will work with President Trump

LOS ANGELES

FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL’S STARKLY ANTI-GAY KEN BLACKWELL LEADING TRUMP’S DOMESTIC TRANSITION TEAM

to rescind the illegal, over-reaching executive orders and directives issued by President Obama, including his danin. gerous10.0 “gender identity” directives, attempting to redefine gender just as he

sought to redefine marriage.

We will work with President Trump to reverse policies of the Obama administration that seek to coerce other countries into accepting same-sex

‘marriage’ as a condition of receiving US assistance and aid. It is fundamentally wrong for a president to become a lobbyist for the LGBT agenda, and we are confident that will end in the Trump administration.

We will work with President Trump and Congress to pass the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA), which Mr. Trump supports. FADA is critical legislation to protect people who believe in marriage from being targeted by the government for persecution.

It’s unknown whether Trump would follow through with any of these actions. Although Trump had a reputation for being a relatively pro-LGBT candidate among other Republicans, he said he opposes marriage equality, would rescind the Obama administration actions he thinks are unconstitutional and would sign the First Amendment Defense Act into law.

The newly unveiled Trump transition team website under the banner of AGENDA continued on p. 11

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11.18 — 12.01.2016

LOS ANGELES

8

ELECTION 2016

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Trump says gay marriage is settled law Malaga, Spain

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1

MARRIAGE

Amid fears the next administration would undermine LGBT rights, President-elect Donald Trump said he’s “fine” with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of same-sex marriage and believes it’s settled law.

Calling himself a “supporter” of LGBT people, Trump made the remarks during an interview on CBS “60 Minutes” set to air Sunday night after reporter Leslie Stahl asked the president-elect about fears among LGBT people — as well as black people and Muslims — they’d face persecution with him as president.

Asked whether Trump supports marriage equality, Trump said his views are “irrelevant” because the Supreme Court has already rendered a decision on the issue. “it’s irrelevant because it was already settled,” Trump said. “It’s law. It was settled in the Supreme Court. I mean it’s done.”

Pressed by Stahl on whether his judicial appointments would reverse the decision, Trump, who previously said he opposes samesex marriage, said he’s now “fine” with the ruling.

“It’s done,” Trump said. “These cases have gone to the Supreme Court. They’ve been settled. And I’m fine with that.”

On the campaign trail, Trump said he doesn’t favor same-sex marriage and urged social conservatives to “trust” him on the issue.

Trump also said he’d “strongly consider” appointing justices to U.S. Supreme Court who reverse the decision for marriage equality.

However, he said he doesn’t support the idea of U.S. constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

In the same interview, Trump took a different approach to his

view on Roe v. Wade, saying he’d appoint justices who are pro-life and “if it ever were overturned, it would go back to the states.”

Asked by Stahl if women wouldn’t be able to obtain an abortion in the event, Trump said “they’ll perhaps have to go, they’ll have to go to another state.”

“We’ll see what happens,” Trump said. “It’s got a long way to go, just so you understand. That has a long, long way to go.”

If Trump, as he has pledged, appoints conservatives in the mold of the late U.S. Associate Justice Antonin Scalia to the Supreme Court, he would have little capacity to convince the Supreme Court to abstain from reversing its decision on marriage equality. However, the confluence of events would be needed for the Supreme Court to revisit the issue and undo the ruling are unlikely to happen.

Stahl raised the issue of marriage equality with Trump in the context of questioning about the fears LGBT people feel about his administration. In response, Trump recalled he “mentioned them at the Republican National Convention.”

“Everybody said, ‘That was so great,’” Trump said. “I have been — you know, I’ve been — a supporter.”

During his speech at the Republican National Convention to protect LGBT people from a foreign ideology, which marked the firsttime ever a Republican presidential nominee mentioned LGBT people in a positive way during an acceptance speech. Critics pounced on Trump for making the remarks without supporting LGBT rights and not mentioning anything supporting LGBT people from a domestic ideology.

thepridela.com

11.18 — 12.01.2016 ELECTION 2016

LOS ANGELES

TRANSITION

⚫ BY TROY MASTERS

Sec. of Labor choice key pick for LGBT future

Donald Trump is reportedly considering Victoria Lipnic for Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor. Lipnic currently serves as a commissioner on the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a 2010 Obama appointment which required a Republican appointee.

As commissioner, her record on LGBT issues is instructive and may shed some light on how Trump’s administration might handle workplace rules (and by extension, education) regarding LGBT individuals. It may also be illuminating on transgender rights, both in the workplace and in the military.

The EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate in employment against a job applicant, employee, or former employee because of the person’s race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.

While Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not explicitly include sexual orientation or gender identity in its list of protected workplace statuses, the Commission, consistent with Supreme Court case law holding that employment actions motivated by gender stereotyping are unlawful sex discrimination and other court decisions, interprets the statute’s sex discrimination provision as prohibiting discrimination against employees on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Over the past several years the Commission has set forth that position in several published decisions involving federal employment and LGBT rights.

The decisions explain the legal basis for concluding that LGBT -related discrimination constitutes sex discrimination under Title VII, and give examples of what would be considered unlawful.

In so ruling, the Commission is careful to point out that it “has not recognized any new protected characteristics under Title VII.” Rather, the agency states, it has applied existing Title VII precedents to sex discrimination claims raised by LGBT individuals.

The Commission has reiterated these positions through recent amicus curiae briefs and litigation against private companies.

Lipnic has shown some progressive thinking in viewing discrimination against transgender people as gender discrimination, but has demurred in viewing discrimination against gay, lesbian and bisexual people as gender discrimination.

In a transgender rights case, Lipnic joined a unanimous opinion in Macy v.

Holder, agreeing that intentional discrimination due to a person’s transgender identity falls under Title VII’s prohibition on sex discrimination.

However, that should not be seen as a sign that transgender issues are safe.

In an important transgender workplace case. Lusardi v. Dep’t of the Army held that prohibiting a transgender person from using the restroom of his or her identified gender also constitutes sex discrimination.

In that case, the majority (EEOC) determined the Department of the Army had discriminated against Tamara Lusardi, an Alabama transgender woman and civilian worker, by denying her access to women’s restroom and allowing supervisors to refer to her by male pronouns. The commission found the Army violated the gender protections under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

However, Lipnic dissented in the EEOC’s most important LGBT employment decision.

In Baldwin v. Foxx, a case in which the commission’s core finding was that discrimination based on sexual orientation is a form of sex discrimination, and as such violates Title VII. She disagreed, to be clear, that Title VII provides any workplace protection to LGBT people on the basis of gender discrimination.

If chosen, her appointment may signal the Trump administration intention to revisit these decisions and may further inform us on his approach to important Title IX theory, Title IX being an important enforcement tool in TRUMP LABOR SEC. continued on p. 9

⚫ 9

⚫ 10

HUMAN RIGHTS TRUMP

>

11.18 — 12.01.2016

LOS ANGELES

INTERNATIONAL

⚫ BY KEVIN SCHUMACHER

Iran offers acceptance of trans people but it’s not equality Iran – an Islamic theocracy that criminalizes consensual same-sex relations, forces women to adhere to a strict and modest dress code in public, and has zero-tolerance for dissident’s freedom of expression – presents a surprisingly lenient attitude on trans issues.

On the surface, the Iranian government seems supportive of the trans community.

Official reports reveal that gender confirmation surgery for trans individuals is subsidized by the state.

Trans activists are also legally allowed to organize and register an advocacy group (GID.org) and benefit from public assistance, such as access to free office space provided by Tehran’s Municipality.

In reality however, while the trans community in Iran enjoys more rights than in any other Muslim country in the region, pervasive social discrimination and legal abuse against trans individuals remains a consistent fact of life.

Over the past decade, the Iranian State Welfare Organization has provided consistent -though limitedsupport to trans individuals in need of medical, psychological, or financial assistance.

Iranian universities – notoriously monitored and controlled by the government- organize conferences and research projects on the social status

IN IRAN, BEING TRANSGENDER IS NOT A CRIME BUT YOU ARE EXPECTED TO TRANSITION IF YOU WANT ACCEPTANCE. DISCRIMINATION WITHIN IRANIAN SOCIETY REMAINS HARSH AND SOMETIMES DEADLY.

and medical needs of the trans community.

Even pro-government Shiite religious leaders speak in defense of the trans community in sermons, books and articles, and media appearances.

Iranian government policies on trans issues have provided opportunity for artists to show solidarity with the country’s nascent trans move-

SCENE FROM “BE LIKE OTHERS” DOCUMENTARY ABOUT SEX-CHANGE SURGERY IN IRAN

ment. In 2011, the government allowed the screening of Facing Mirror, a highly acclaimed feature film chronicling the life of a trans man who is disowned by his family and ridiculed by society. The film was highly praised by the Iranian media, including by the ultra-conservative Kayhan newspaper. In recent years, an Iranian movie super-star, Behnoosh Bakhtiari, with over 5 million followers on Instagram, has become the honorary ambassador of the trans community, educating the public about gender identity and advocating for society to embrace trans individuals and treat them with respect.

While positive steps towards trans rights recognition have been made, the reality of daily life in Iran is still plagued by discrimination, abuse, and arbitrary arrest. Trans individuals are both grossly misunderstood and horrendously mistreated in Iran.

As documented in OutRight Action International’s most recent human rights report, “Being Transgender in Iran”, Hasti, a 30-year-old trans woman was detained and harassed by the Iranian police for wearing makeup and presenting as a woman at a private function. She said:

“…The [police] would lift up my dress, looked at my ID card and ask me if I was a man or a woman. In the end they forced me to sign a pledge letter [to promise that I would no longer dress as a woman] and then released me.”

Iranian authorities firmly root trans experiences in pathological explanations, believing that it is a psychosexual disease. In Iran, trans individuals are officially referred to as people with a “gender identity disorder” (GID).

This goes against global trends of declassifying trans identity as a disorder.

In 2012, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders reclassified GID as Gender Dysphoria, and currently the World Health Organization is moving towards declassifying trans identity as a mental disorder altogether. In line with such a narrow medicalized understanding of trans experiences, the Iranian government only recognizes the preferred gender of trans people who have successfully undergone complete gender confirmation surgery.

These strict requirements are proIRAN TRANS continued on p. 21

>

11.18 — 12.01.2016 HUMAN RIGHTS TRUMP

LOS ANGELES

LGBT ISSUES ABROAD

⚫ 11

⚫ BY MICHAEL K. LAVERS

Will Trump promote LGBT human rights abroad?

Advocacy groups in the wake of Donald Trump’s election have urged him to continue U.S. efforts to promote LGBT rights abroad.

“The U.S. must continue to recognize that LGBTIQ rights are human rights,” said Jessica Stern, executive director of OutRight Action International, in a statement her organization released after Trump defeated Hillary Clinton.

Stern noted the appointment of Special U.S. Envoy for the Promotion of LGBTI Human Rights Randy Berry is among the accomplishments of the Obama administration since it directed U.S. agencies that implement foreign policy to promote LGBT rights abroad in 2011. She also highlighted the U.S. Agency for International Development’s new policy that bans contractors from discriminating against their LGBT employees and the Global Equality Fund, a public-private partnership the State Department and USAID operates in order to promote LGBT rights abroad.

“We cannot allow this progress to be reversed during the Trump administration,” said Stern.

Ty Cobb, director of Human Rights Campaign Global, echoed Stern.

“The United States’ commitment

AGENDA continued from p. 7

“Protecting American’s Constitutional Rights” reiterates Trump’s support for “religious freedom,” which is considered code among conservatives to mean anti-LGBT discrimination.

“This includes the Tenth Amendment guarantee that many areas of governance are left to the people and the States, and are not the role of the federal government to fulfill,” the website says. “The Constitution declares that as Americans we have the right to speak freely, share and live out our beliefs, raise and protect our families, be free from undue governmental abuse, and participate in the public square.”

According to schematics widely circulated in the media, the president-elect has selected for his transition team supporters who have anti-LGBT histories.

to protecting the human rights of LGBTQ people has become a central pillar of our nation’s international human rights efforts over the last several years,” Cobb told The Pride on Tuesday.

“Our foreign assistance and diplomatic efforts must not stop engaging, strengthening, and supporting LGBTQ people because foreign nations are more stable and stronger allies when their citizens are guaranteed freedom and equality,” he added.

“More than anything else, this work must continue because lives depend on it.”

Log Cabin Republicans President Gregory T. Angelo told The Pride his organization has had a “long and positive relationship” with Berry.

“The preservation of that post or its incorporation into another office at the State Department is something Log Cabin Republicans would support,” said Angelo. “Promoting LGBT dignity and safety abroad should be part of foreign policy in a Trump administration.”

Advocates overseas with whom The Pride spoke this week said they too hope a Trump administration would continue U.S. efforts to promote LGBT rights abroad.

“We will see a significant setback (of LGBT rights) at the global level if current policies are reversed,” Tamara Adrián, the first openly trans woman elected to the Venezuelan National Assembly, told The Pride on Sunday.

Ayaz Hassan, a human rights advocate from the city of Sulaymaniyah in Iraqi Kurdistan, was more pragmatic.

“Nothing can stop activists; not Trump or anyone else,” Hassan told The Pride. “If we can do it in Iraq, we can do it in the U.S.” Log Cabin Republicans have ‘engaged’ with Trump transition team A spokesperson for Trump’s transition team did not return The Pride’s request for comment.

Trump has previously noted the so-called Islamic State, which has publicly executed dozens of Iraqi and Syrian men who were accused of sodomy, and other Islamic extremist groups pose a threat to LGBT people.

Vice President-elect Pence opposed American efforts to promote gay rights abroad when he was a member of Congress.

State Department spokesperson Elizabeth Trudeau on Tuesday said the State Department has not spoken

with anyone on Trump’s transition team. She nevertheless said it stands “ready to welcome them, provide the briefing materials, the facilitation as we look toward inauguration in January.”

A USAID spokesperson told The Pride on Tuesday that “ensuring an orderly transition at USAID is a top priority for Administrator (Gayle) Smith.”

“We look forward to working closely with the president-elect and the transition team,” said the spokesperson.

Angelo told The Pride that his organization has “engaged with” Trump’s transition team on U.S. efforts to promote LGBT rights abroad and other issues.

“We will continue to do so as specific policy proposals start to be generated,” said Angelo.

Angelo told The Pride that Log Cabin Republicans did not endorse Trump’s candidacy, in part, because of “definite unknowns” on foreign policy. He nevertheless referenced Clinton who told her supporters when she conceded to the Republican billionaire that they need to give him “a chance to lead.”

“Log Cabin Republicans is going to do just that,” said Angelo.

Leading the team on domestic issues is Ken Blackwell, who serves as a senior fellow at the Family Research Council and on the board of directors for Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.

In addition to supporting measures that would have banned same-sex marriage, Blackwell when seeking the position of chair of the Republican National Committee in 2009 said being gay is a choice and can be changed.

“The reality is, again…that I think we make choices all the time,” Blackwell said. “And I think you make good choices and bad choices in terms of lifestyle.

Our expectation is that one’s genetic makeup might make one more inclined to be an arsonist or might make one more inclined to be a kleptomaniac. Do I think that they can be changed? Yes.” JoDee Winterhof, the Human Rights Campaign’s senior vice president for policy and political affairs, said in a

statement the selection of Blackwell to lead domestic policy for the transition is bad news for LGBT people.

“Ken Blackwell is a man who has spent his entire career going after LGBTQ Americans,” Winterhof said.

“Blackwell’s leadership role in president-elect Trump’s transition team should be a major wake up call for anybody who ever had any doubt that LGBTQ people are at risk.”

According to Bloomberg, reportedly in consideration for the position of U.S. attorney general is former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), who vigorously opposed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal, has expressed interest in the position of defense secretary and Trump has reportedly told the senator he could have his pick of appointments.

Other members of the Trump transition team cited as red flags by the

Human Rights Campaign are former Attorney General Ed Meese, a fellow at the Heritage Foundation who has said same-sex marriage “shows how the culture has deteriorated over two centuries,” and former U.S. Office of Personnel Management chief Kay Cole James, who in her book “Transforming America from the Inside Out,” compared gay people to drug addicts, alcoholics, adulterers, or “anything else sinful.”

“Ed Meese and Kay Cole James, who are also reported to have key roles, have been vocal opponents of equality and other issues we care deeply about,” Winterhof said. “The people President-Elect Trump picks to serve in his administration will have a huge impact on the policies he pursues. We should all be alarmed at who he’s appointing to key posts on his transition team.”

⚫ 12

NATIONAL

OUT CANDIDATES

>

11.18 — 12.01.2016

LOS ANGELES

ELECTION 2016

⚫ BY TROY MASTERS

My own mother voted Trump and I’m so angry I failed to convince my own mother to vote for Hillary Clinton.

And my sister.

Now tears are streaming down my face because we are all three locked in an alienation of our own doing.

Both of them are very close to me, not homophobic at all and are supportive in seemingly every sense of the word about LGBT issues. I have been incredibly blessed.

Both are Republican and have been most of their lives. They have, in the past, acknowledged the many contradictions that exist in having a gay family member and being Republican.

Growing up in a Fox News household before Fox News, often filled with bile racial invective and raw hatred of liberal ideas was not easy. I found shelter in the belief that those views were not my moms or my sisters. When I left home at 17 mom told me she knew I had been eager to leave for many years. When my mom left my Dad, I expected her politics to evolve liberally but they did not except on LGBT rights.

Election season always kind of paralyzes me in my contact with them because I know there is nothing I can do or say to convince them to vote Democrat. Tennessee, where they live, just north of Nashville, is a god, guns and abortion driven red state.

If I call I will inevitably want to talk, as is my nature, about current events and politics and it just won’t go well. So, instead we post pictures of puppies on Facebook or text about possible weekend getaways.

But it was only when, 2 days after the election, my sister reached out to me by text that I realized the alienation is dangerous and that my anger at them is profoundly destructive.

Family member: Are you moving to Canada?

Me: I am just devastated. You guys have no idea how terrible this is… not just for LGBT rights but on a thousand important fronts….he is a walking disaster.

I am registered in California and did vote.

Family member: Are y’all getting away for the week-

PUBLISHER & EDITOR TROY MASTERS troy@smmirror.com

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THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN DURING A VISIT HOME LAST MARCH TO SEE MY MOTHER IN TENNESSEE. WE DIDN’T TALK ABOUT POLITICS. AND THAT WAS GOOD. I HAVE ONLY MYSELF TO BLAME THAT I DIDN’T TRY TO PREVENT HER FROM VOTING FOR DONALD TRUMP.

end Me: No. Family member: Why? Me: Arturo works Friday and Sunday You know who Mike Pence is, do you?

Family member: Yes I do Me: You know what he did to us?

Family member: Something about HIV in Indiana?

Me: In 2014 he ordered the imprisonment of any couple seeking same sex marriage licenses and ignored the Federal Court order….just like the judge in Alabama. And he passed a law that allowed any person to claim religious privilege if they do not want to rent to, employee or serve a gay couple.

Family member: They can’t take away what’s already in place can they?????

Me: Absolutely they can and will try.

Constitutional convention and executive order. And Trump promised to let the states decide on marriage.

It’s not just a simple ‘Troy hates Republicans’ this time…

I didn’t make an issue of it with you or mom because I know mom doesn’t care and because TN was not in play.

But it really does hurt that either of you would vote for them.

Family member: We will talk after this dust settles.

Me: in 8 years?

Family member: This is not my fault or your Mothers and I’m gonna leave it at that, Troy.

Me: A vote for those two was a vote AGAINST everything you both know I have fought for all of my adult life… and you knew it. It hurts.

It’s not a joke to me that you would ask, knowing this, whether or not I am moving to Canada.

Family member: Sorry. I asked you a question nov 2 and you’re just now answering it that’s not funny either.

THE PRIDE L.A., The Newspaper Serving Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender L.A., is published by MIRROR MEDIA GROUP. Send all inquiries to: THE PRIDE L.A., 3435 Ocean Park Blvd. #210. Phone: 310.310.2637 Written permission of the publisher must be obtained before any of the contents of this paper, in part or whole, can be reproduced or redistributed. All contents (c) 2016 The Pride L.A..

THE PRIDE L.A. is a registered trademark of MIRROR MEDIA GROUP. T.J. MONTEMER, CEO 310.310.2637 x104; E-mail: troy@smmirror.com Cell: 917-406-1619

© 2016 The Pride L.A. All rights reserved.

How could it have come to this? I failed to educate them about what matters to me and why? I failed by paralysis. I failed because I didn’t think their vote for Hillary in a deeply red state would matter. I failed because I was angry at them for not bothering to read the fine detail on things that mattered to me AND I MOM’S VOTE continued on p. 23

11.18 — 12.01.2016

LOS ANGELES

Is Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell back?

As speculation builds that Donald Trump will seek to reverse LGBT rights advances seen under President Obama, Army Secretary Eric Fanning said he’s skeptical the next administration will undo LGBT inclusion in the U.S. armed forces.

Fanning, the first openly gay

Army secretary, said, “it is very hard to roll back these things” during a forum Wednesday at the Atlantic’s “Unfinished Business” summit at D.C.’s Studio Theatre.

Asked by moderator Steve Clemons if the Obama administration will be considered the “high point” of inclusion in the

armed forces for LGBT people before the Trump administration reverses it, Fanning rejected that prediction.

Fanning first of all denied the military was at a high point of inclusion, saying he thinks “we have more to do, so this is definitely not the high point. The expansion of LGBT

inclusion in the armed forces “has never been a purely linear path,” he added.

When Fanning said “it is very hard to roll back these things,” Clemons joked he can imagine Vice President-elect Mike Pence listening in on the forum and taking that as a challenge. (Fanning responded by saying he can’t imagine Pence listening in on an LGBT forum.)

But Fanning also identified three reasons why he doesn’t think decisions to allow openly LGBT people in the armed forces will be rescinded, putting at the top of his list the observation “society is changing so quickly.”

“It really is,” Fanning said.

“And we’re accessing young soldiers who just come from a different world, and they really don’t understand why we’re discussing some of these or how we’re discussing some of these things.”

For his second reason, Fanning pointed out “it is easier, as difficult as it can be, to implement regs than to roll them back often times.”

Finally, Fanning drew a distinction between allowing a certain group of people to serve openly in the military for the first time compared to telling that same group of people they’re no longer welcome.

“It is one thing to have a debate about whether somebody should be able to put on a uniform,” Fanning said. “It’s an entirely different thing to say to someone who has a uniform on, you got to take it off. And that is a very different conversation for senior uniformed leadership.”

When Congress repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in 2010, it left nothing in the law’s place instructing the armed forces on the way to handle enlistment of openly lesbian, gay and bisexual people in the armed forces. Conceivably, Trump’s military leaders could decide to reinstate a form of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” administratively, or Congress could restore the law, but that’s difficult to imagine given military leaders have accepted the change and trained the services accordingly.

Just this year, the Pentagon decided to lift its ban on transgender people in the armed forces. The decision was in-

⚫ 13

ternal as a result of a decision from Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and the next administration could undo it.

Also potentially on the chopping block is the Pentagon’s decision to add LGBT people to the Military Equal Opportunity policy, the non-discrimination rule that provides restitution for service members who think they’re facing discrimination.

The Defense Department also during the Obama administration extended spousal benefits to troops in same-sex marriages, such as access to TRICARE. However, it’s hard to see how that could be undone in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s 2013 ruling against the Defense of Marriage Act, which requires the federal government to treat same-sex marriages as equal to opposite sex marriages.

In his remarks, Fanning didn’t draw a distinction between decisions allowing openly lesbian, gay and bisexual people to serve in the armed forces and allowing transgender people to serve, although the latter is generally seen as more vulnerable because it’s a more recent decision and one that senior uniformed leadership wasn’t visibly supporting.

Matthew Thorn, president of the LGBT military group OutServe-SLDN said he agrees changes in the military are the result of “societal advances,” but added caution should be exercised because of “mixed signals” the president-elect sent over his campaign.

“Despite the ease or difficulty in rolling back or implementing regulations the fact remains we have an incoming administration that has individuals involved whom are highly hostile to the LGBT community,” Thorn said. “And because of the unpredictability of the current state of affairs OutServe-SLDN is dutifully monitoring the actions and potential nominations from the president-elect’s transition and we will be vehemently opposed to anyone who indicates that they will roll back any and all of our advancements within DoD or the VA.” Fanning’s tenure as Army secretary expires on Jan. 19, the day before Inauguration Day on Jan. 20 when Trump assumes the presidency. -Chris Johnson

⚫ 14

11.18 — 12.01.2016

LOS ANGELES

What is TRUVADA for PrEP (Pre-exposure Prophylaxis)?

TRUVADA is a prescription medicine that can be used for PrEP to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection when used together with safer sex practices. This use is only for adults who are at high risk of getting HIV-1 through sex. This includes HIV-negative men who have sex with men and who are at high risk of getting infected with HIV-1 through sex, and male-female sex partners when one partner has HIV-1 infection and the other does not.

Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to prevent getting HIV-1. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

What is the most important information I should know about TRUVADA for PrEP?

Before taking TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce your risk of getting HIV-1 infection: uYou must be HIV-negative. You must get tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1 infection. Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed to be HIV-negative. uMany HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has recently become infected. If you have flu-like symptoms, you could have recently become infected with HIV-1. Tell your healthcare provider if you had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting TRUVADA for PrEP or at any time while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include tiredness, fever, joint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin.

While taking TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce your risk of getting HIV-1 infection: uYou must continue using safer sex practices. Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1. uYou must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP. uTo further help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1: • Know your HIV-1 status and the HIV-1 status of your partners.

• Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months or when your healthcare provider tells you.

• Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Other infections make it easier for HIV-1 to infect you.

• Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior.

• Have fewer sex partners.

• Do not miss any doses of TRUVADA. Missing doses may increase your risk of getting HIV-1 infection.

• If you think you were exposed to HIV-1, tell your healthcare provider right away. uIf you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time.

TRUVADA can cause serious side effects: uToo much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency. Symptoms of lactic acidosis include weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, nausea, vomiting, stomach-area pain, cold or blue hands and feet, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or fast or abnormal heartbeats. uSerious liver problems. Your liver may become large and tender, and you may develop fat in your liver. Symptoms of liver problems include your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, and/or stomach-area pain.

uYou may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or serious liver problems if you

are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking TRUVADA for a long time.

In some cases, these serious conditions have led to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any symptoms of these conditions. uWorsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you also have HBV and take TRUVADA, your hepatitis may become worse if you stop taking TRUVADA. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider. If your healthcare provider tells you to stop taking TRUVADA, they will need to watch you closely for several months to monitor your health. TRUVADA is not approved for the treatment of HBV.

Who should not take TRUVADA for PrEP? Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP if you already have HIV-1 infection or if you do not know your HIV-1 status. If you are HIV-1 positive, you need to take other medicines with TRUVADA to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time.

Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP if you also take lamivudine (Epivir-HBV) or adefovir (HEPSERA).

What are the other possible side effects of TRUVADA for PrEP? Serious side effects of TRUVADA may also include: uKidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider may do blood tests to check your kidneys before and during treatment with TRUVADA for PrEP. If you develop kidney problems, your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking TRUVADA for PrEP. uBone problems, including bone pain or bones getting soft or thin, may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones. uChanges in body fat, which can happen in people taking TRUVADA or medicines like TRUVADA. Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP are stomach-area (abdomen) pain, headache, and decreased weight. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking TRUVADA for PrEP? uAll your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or

have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection. uIf you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if TRUVADA can harm your unborn baby. If you become pregnant while taking TRUVADA for PrEP, talk to your healthcare provider to decide if you should keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Pregnancy Registry: A pregnancy registry collects information about your health and the health of your baby. There is a pregnancy registry for women who take medicines to prevent HIV-1 during pregnancy. For more information about the registry and how it works, talk to your healthcare provider. uIf you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. The medicines in TRUVADA can pass to your baby in breast milk. If you become HIV-1 positive, HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk. uAll the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. TRUVADA may interact with other medicines. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. uIf you take certain other medicines with TRUVADA for PrEP, your healthcare provider may need to check you more often or change your dose. These medicines include ledipasvir with sofosbuvir (HARVONI).

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see Important Facts about TRUVADA for PrEP including important warnings on the following page.

11.18 — 12.01.2016

LOS ANGELES

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Have you heard about

TRUVADA for PrEP ?

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The once-daily prescription medicine that can help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 when used with safer sex practices.

• TRUVADA for PrEP is only for adults who are at high risk of getting HIV through sex.

• You must be HIV-negative before you start taking TRUVADA. Ask your doctor about your risk of getting HIV-1 infection and if TRUVADA for PrEP may be right for you.

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visit start.truvada.com

⚫ 15

⚫

11.18 — 12.01.2016

LOS ANGELES

16

IMPORTANT FACTS (tru-VAH-dah)

This is only a brief summary of important information about taking TRUVADA for PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection. This does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your medicine.

MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF TRUVADA FOR PrEP

Before starting TRUVADA for PrEP to help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1 infection: • You must be HIV-1 negative. You must get tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1 infection. Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed to be HIV-1 negative.

• Many HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has recently become infected. Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include flu-like symptoms, tiredness, fever, joint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin. Tell your healthcare provider if you have had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting TRUVADA for PrEP.

TRUVADA can cause serious side effects, including: • Those in the “Most Important Information About TRUVADA for PrEP" section.

• New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure.

• Bone problems.

• Changes in body fat.

Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP include stomach-area (abdomen) pain, headache, and decreased weight.

These are not all the possible side effects of TRUVADA. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with TRUVADA for PrEP.

While taking TRUVADA for PrEP to help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1 infection: • You must continue using safer sex practices. Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1.

• You must stay HIV-1 negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP. • Tell your healthcare provider if you have a flu-like illness while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. • If you think you were exposed to HIV-1, tell your healthcare provider right away.

• If you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time.

• See the “How to Further Reduce Your Risk” section for more information.

TRUVADA may cause serious side effects, including: • Buildup of lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, nausea, vomiting, stomach-area pain, cold or blue hands and feet, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or fast or abnormal heartbeats.

• Severe liver problems, which in some cases can lead to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms: your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, and/or stomach-area pain.

• Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you have HBV and take TRUVADA, your hepatitis may become worse if you stop taking TRUVADA. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.

You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female, very overweight, or have been taking TRUVADA for a long time.

BEFORE TAKING TRUVADA FOR PrEP Tell your healthcare provider if you: • Have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis infection.

• Have any other medical conditions.

• Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

• Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you become HIV-1 positive because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take: • Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.

• Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with TRUVADA for PrEP.

HOW TO TAKE TRUVADA FOR PrEP • Take 1 tablet once a day, every day, not just when you think you have been exposed to HIV-1.

• Do not miss any doses. Missing doses may increase your risk of getting HIV-1 infection.

• You must practice safer sex by using condoms and you must stay HIV-1 negative.

HOW TO FURTHER REDUCE YOUR RISK ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP (PRE-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS) TRUVADA is a prescription medicine used with safer sex practices for PrEP to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection in adults at high risk: • HIV-1 negative men who have sex with men and who are at high risk of getting infected with HIV-1 through sex.

• Male-female sex partners when one partner has HIV-1 infection and the other does not.

To help determine your risk, talk openly with your doctor about your sexual health.

Do NOT take TRUVADA for PrEP if you: • Already have HIV-1 infection or if you do not know your HIV-1 status.

• Take lamivudine (Epivir-HBV) or adefovir (HEPSERA).

TRUVADA, the TRUVADA Logo, TRUVADA FOR PREP, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, and HEPSERA are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies.

All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners.

Version date: April 2016 © 2016 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. TVDC0067 10/16

• Know your HIV-1 status and the HIV-1 status of your partners.

• Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months or when your healthcare provider tells you.

• Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Other infections make it easier for HIV-1 to infect you.

• Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior.

• Have fewer sex partners.

• Do not share needles or personal items that can have blood or body fluids on them.

GET MORE INFORMATION • This is only a brief summary of important information about TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more, including how to prevent HIV-1 infection.

• Go to start.truvada.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5 • If you need help paying for your medicine, visit start.truvada.com for program information.

>

11.18 — 12.01.2016 TALKING POINT PRESIDENT TRUMP

LOS ANGELES

AMERICA’S OMG MOMENT

⚫ 17

⚫ BY KAREN OCAMB

Earthquake and New Civil War

I

n a terrible irony, the lasting image of President Barak Obama’s two term-legacy may wind up being the moment he placed the office of the presidency over personal rancor and partisan politics. On Thursday, Nov. 10, in an unimaginable feat of courage and self-restraint, Obama welcomed President-Elect Donald Trump to the White House for the beginning of the peaceful constitutional transition of power. Obama said the hour and a half meeting with the man who came to political power through the “birther” conspiracy to delegitimize America’s first black president had been “excellent.”

“If you succeed, then the country succeeds,” Obama, the former constitutional law professor, told Trump.

“I very much look forward to dealing with the president in the future, including counsel,” Trump replied, calling Obama “a very good man” for whom he has “great respect.”

It was a moment expected to calm both Americans and global observers shocked at the alt-right wing earthquake the world’s most powerful nation experienced on Election Night. And, in that quirk of U.S. democracy, defeated LGBT ally Hillary Clinton leads Trump in the popular vote and is projected to eventually win it by up to two percentage points, with more absentee and

provisional ballots still to be counted.

Four years ago, after Mitt Romney’s defeat to Obama in 2012, Trump tweeted: “The electoral college is a disaster for a democracy.”

It will be a long time before pundits, pollsters, the media, and the broken Democratic and Republican parties figure out how the unwieldy, Twitter-happy, bigoted reality TV star beat the woman more prepared to shatter the glass ceiling and win the presidency than any politician in recorded history. But two salient points are already evident: there was an unexpected Tom Bradley effect among Trump’s angry Silent Majority, resulting in unexpected poll numbers and incorrect assumptions; and with 231,556,622 Americans eligible to vote—only 131,741,500 showed up to actually vote. That, too, must be examined, along with voter apathy, sending a “message” to the “Washington Establishment”, and the effect of GOP-imposed voter ID laws, more voter restrictions and fewer polling places.

The LGBT vote should also be examined. According to the New York Times exit poll, LGBTs turned out for Clinton by 78 percent, with 14 percent going for Trump. However, in their pre-election preview, the Human Rights Campaign said: “There are 9.4 million LGBT voters in the United States. Turnout

among LGBT voters is also reliably high. In 2012, an astounding 81 percent of eligible LGB voters nationally cast a ballot, compared to just 58 percent of all eligible voters.”

National exit polls showed that Obama received 76 percent of all LGB votes in 2012, earning roughly six million LGB votes in an election that Obama won by just under five million votes. This year, polling showed Clinton’s support among LGBT voters projected as even higher than Obama.

The Trump Election Night earthquake has left a country starkly divided, with half the country feeling jubilant and untethered to even a modicum of civility and political correctness and the other half deathly afraid. But, since Trump has been both adamant in his policy pronouncements and yet so unpredictable and unflappable in his freedom to flip-flop, it is unclear what he will do next or if he will follow through with his plans.

At a news conference Monday, President Obama discussed his meeting with Trump, saying the president-elect is “coming to this office with fewer set hard-and-fast policy prescriptions than a lot of other presidents might be arriving with. I don’t think he is ideological. I think ultimately, he is pragmatic in that way. And that can serve him

well as long as he has got good people around him and has a clear sense of direction.”

Obama refused to talk about Trump’s newly designated chief strategist, Steve Bannon, head of the alt-right media outlet Breitbart News. The announcement sparked an immediate backlash from groups such as the Southern Poverty Law Center that point to Bannon’s loose ties to white supremacist and other right-wing groups.

“In his victory speech, Trump pledged to be the president for ‘all Americans’ and to ‘bind the wounds of division’ in our country, ” said SPLC President Richard Cohen. “Appointing someone like Bannon, who will have the president-elect’s ear every single day, makes a mockery of that pledge.”

A mainstay of Trump’s campaign was his promise to track down and deport millions of undocumented immigrants. In an interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes on Sunday, Trump reiterated that pledge.

“What we are going to do is get the people that are criminal and have criminal records, gang members, drug dealers, we have a lot of these people— probably two million, it could be even three million—we are getting them out of our country or we are going to incarOCAMB continued on p. 20

⚫ 18

>

WHAT HAPPENED LOOKING BACK

11.18 — 12.01.2016

LOS ANGELES

ELECTION WRAP

⚫ BY CHRIS JOHNSON

Robby Mook, Hillary Clinton’s out gay campaign manager, criticized

F

ollowing the unexpected defeat of Hillary Clinton, LGBT political observers are calling for a reassessment of the Democratic Party — and the candidate’s gay campaign manager is being criticized by some in the aftermath of one of the most shocking political upsets in American history.

Some Democrats are saying Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook pursued the wrong strategy in a “change” election and relied too heavily on projecting an image of Clinton as an establishment candidate.

Had Mook succeeded in guiding Clinton to victory, he would have been the first openly gay campaign manager of a major U.S. party presidential nominee, and he would have elected the first female president. Instead, Clinton lost and the Democratic Party, now in the minority in every part of the federal government, is in disarray and without a clear leader.

Wayne Besen, a Chicago-based gay activist and radio host known for his opposition to widely discredited “conversion therapy,” said Mook came off as the “kind of man you’d want to take home and introduce to mom and dad,” but didn’t enact the right strategy to combat Donald Trump’s low-brow campaign tactics.

“We needed a campaign manager who effectively channeled the fear and anger felt by those left behind by globalization and the technological revolution,” Besen said. “We needed someone, particularly against Trump, who was a political brawler. Unfortunately, Mook was often feckless in media appearances and looked shifty. He spoke with little emotion and seemed to be reading off DNC talking points. He appeared as if he was afraid to mess up, when he should have spoken with conviction, charisma, and authority.”

Besen, a Bernie Sanders supporter in the Democratic primary, added Mook “made a mistake” with the choice of Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) as Clinton’s running mate, saying the

vice presidential nominee performed well, but “was the wrong man for this peculiar moment in American history.”

“On my daily radio show in Chicago, I repeatedly warned that Trump’s only path to victory was the Rust Belt,” Besen said. “Thus, the Clinton campaign should pick an anti-trade firebrand stalwart like Sanders or Warren and shuttle them between the Great Lakes and Pennsylvania.

Instead they went in the opposite direction and paid dearly for this mistake.”

Besen tempered his criticism of Mook by saying he “competently ran a sophisticated, sprawling campaign operation” and won the popular vote, even though Clinton didn’t end up winning the election through the Electoral College system. According to election results posted on CNN, Clinton as of Tuesday surpassed Trump in the popular vote by about 800,000 votes.

On the day after the election, Hillary Clinton omitted Mook from the list of those she thanked during her concession speech, although she recognized Kaine and his wife, President Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, Bill Clinton and Chelsea Clinton.

But Daniel Pinello, a gay political scientist at the City University of New York’s John Jay College, rejected the idea Mook’s omission had any significance.

“I caution against reading too much into remarks made in a concession speech by a candidate who had had no opportunity to recover from a grueling months-long campaign schedule and who had just experienced a great — and largely unexpected — career tragedy,” Pinello said. “It’s very hard under such circumstances for even the most composed individual to remember thanking everyone appropriately.”

Trump won the election largely in part to victories in the Rust Belt states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, which have tradition-

ally been “blue” states in presidential elections. The results in those states were a surprise because prior to Election Day, polls there showed Clinton with a comfortable lead.

The Trump campaign seems to have been more aware those states were in play than the Clinton campaign. According to NBC News, Trump in the last 100 days of the election out-campaigned Clinton in states that ended up being critical on Election Day. In Ohio, Trump made 26 rally appearances compared to the 17 made by Clinton. In Michigan, Trump made 13 rally appearances compared to the six made by Clinton. In Wisconsin, Trump made six appearances while Clinton never once visited the state during that time period.

Jimmy LaSalvia, a gay independent and former Republican who endorsed Clinton, said Mook ended up filling the campaign with insiders and, in contrast to Trump’s team, no one who “could help them to see the need to express more empathy for Americans who feel shut out and screwed

ROBBY MOOK IS HAILED AS A POLITIC WONDERBOY AND AS HILLARY’S RIGHT HAND MAN WAS THE NATION’S FIRST OUT GAY CAMPAIGN MANAGER.

by the system.”

“I saw many examples of evidence that Mook and his team fundamentally missed the mood of the country,” LaSalvia said. “This election wasn’t about Republicans versus Democrats, it was about the insiders versus the outsiders. The Clinton campaign did too many things that highlighted their candidate’s insider status, and not enough to appear on the side of the outsiders.”

As one example, LaSalvia said during the Democratic primary the Clinton campaign faulted Sanders for not being a Democrat, even though that contributed to his appeal. Additionally, LaSalvia said the team erred by including almost entirely lists of former elected officials and high-level MOOK continued on p. 22

11.18 — 12.01.2016

LOS ANGELES

⚫ 19

⚫

11.18 — 12.01.2016

LOS ANGELES

20

OCAMB continued from p. 17

cerate,” Trump said. “But we’re getting them out of our country. They’re here illegally.”

DREAMers, young undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, are terrified who Trump’s “deportation force” might sweep up. Many DREAMers came out of the shadows under Obama’s DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program and, because they trusted their government, the Department of Homeland Security now has the names and addresses of 728,000 DREAMers enrolled in DACA, many of whom are LGBT or HIV positive and fear harm if deported.

Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, however, confused the issue, telling CNN on Sunday, “We are not planning on erecting a deportation force. Donald Trump’s not planning on that.”

Meanwhile, the LGBT community is alarmed at the names being floated by the Trump transition team, headed by ardently anti-LGBT Ken Blackwell, senior fellow at the Family Research Council , designated a hate group by the SPLC. “Ken Blackwell is a proponent of ‘conversion therapy’ who blames LGBT people for what he calls an ‘attack on the natural family,’” says Rick Zbur, executive director of Equality California. “Not surprisingly, Trump’s current ‘short list’ for cabinet picks reads like a

who’s who of nationally-prominent homophobes. Sam Brownback, Ben Carson, Jan Brewer and other anti-LGBT ‘usual suspects’ round out the list.”

The LGBT community now fears the upcoming roll-back of LGBT rights and protections.

“It’s difficult to put a positive spin on the results of the election. If there were ever any question about the direction in which Trump intends to steer LGBT civil rights, his pick for vice president dispelled any illusions,” Zbur said.

Vice President-elect Mike Pence has promised to be anti-LGBT, using “dog-whistle” terms about children’s “safety” and “privacy.” Executive orders

by President Obama up for repeal include regulations protecting LGBT people in health coverage, housing, family-leave benefits, and mandating public schools to allow transgender students to use the bathroom of their choice.

Indeed, Pence may be the key reason evangelicals turned out in greater numbers for Trump than in any election since 2004 and anti–LGBT groups are salivating at the assumption of being rewarded. The resurrected National Organization for Marriage issued a four-point plan last Wednesday: “We will work with President Trump to nominate conservative justices to the U.S. Supreme Court, individuals who will adhere to the words and meaning of the Constitution. Such justices will inevitably reverse the anti-constitutional ruling of the Supreme Court imposing same-sex ‘marriage’ on

the nation in the Obergefell decision, because that decision lacked any basis in the Constitution.

We will work with President Trump to rescind the illegal, over-reaching executive orders and directives issued by President Obama, including his dangerous “gender identity” directives, attempting to redefine gender just as he sought to redefine marriage.

We will work with President Trump to reverse policies of the Obama administration that seek to coerce other countries into accepting same-sex ‘marriage’ as a condition of receiving US assistance and aid. It is fundamentally wrong for a president to become a lobbyist for the LGBT agenda, and we are confident that will end in the Trump administration.

We will work with President Trump and Congress to pass the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA), which Mr. Trump supports. FADA is critical legislation to protect people who believe in marriage from being targeted by the government for persecution.”

Election Night also provided some bright spots for the LGBT community.

Bisexual Kate Brown won big in Oregon as the first out LGBT person elected governor in the United States. The Victory Fund announced that 87 of its 153 endorsed candidates won.

And California remains a shining city on the hill for LGBT equality. Equality California reported that 110 of its 137 endorsed candidates at the federal, state and local levels won, with nine races still too close to call. And with the

victory of such candidates as Georgette Gomez, elected to the San Diego City Council as the second out councilmember and from a district outside the gay Hillcrest area—the LGBT community is deepening and widening its bench of LGBT representatives.

“Today more than ever, we must not lose hope,” said Zbur. “We must continue to fight for inclusion, acceptance, respect and for full equality for LGBT people in California and across the country.”

“Despite the very disappointing result of the presidential election, there are elements of hope in the results of the election in California,” Zbur continued. “Those include the victory of a pro-equality U.S. senator, Kamala Harris, and the apparent election of four exceptional LGBT leaders to the state legislature, State Senators-Elect Toni Atkins and Scott Wiener and Assemblymembers-Elect Sabrina Cervantes and Todd Gloria. While our LGBT allies are indispensable, there is no substitute for having representatives with authentic, lived LGBT experience in the state legislature. The rapid advances in LGBT civil rights over the past few decades clearly illustrate the crucial importance of ‘having a seat at the table.’”

One lesson from the Trump earthquake and its anticipated aftershocks is the often-overlooked adage that vigilance really is required to keep hard won civil rights. Blinking through one election can result in a whole new political ground zero.

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Iranian trans community not guaranteed.

The Iranian government has set up an elaborate legal and medical system to evaluate each and every sex reassignment application. Only those who successfully pass a long

IRAN TRANS continued from p. 10

hibitive. Not all trans individuals are willing, able, or allowed to surgically change their anatomy as the right to access gender confirmation surgery is

medical evaluation and are officially diagnosed with GID can obtain the government-issued license to start the gender reassignment process, and hopefully obtain their new legal national ID card, which reflects their

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LOS ANGELES

⚫ 21

gender identity.

The scope of Iran’s laws fail to recognize the rights of trans individual who do not wish to undergo the medical transition process. Many Iranian trans individuals do not wish to alter their body.

Some simply cannot afford the multiple medical procedures, which can span over several years and may cost thousands of dollars. This is a hefty price tag for low and middle-income Iranians, thus making the medical procedure unattainable. Additionally, many trans individuals face financial instability because social, educational, and employment barriers deprive them of economic opportunities. Due to social stigma and discrimination, trans individuals often also cannot rely on the financial or moral support of their families.

The Iranian government can do more to demonstrate its commitment to the rights of its trans citizens. Revisiting the narrow medical definition of the trans experience is a critical first step in this direction. Debunking the medicalized understanding of the trans experience would help Iranian trans community members fight against demeaning social stereotypes and avoid being subjected to medical experiments. It would also allow the gender identity of trans individuals to be legally recognized without forcefully altering their body or being labeled as suffering from an illness.

Iran prides itself on being one of the few Muslim countries with legal recognition for trans rights. Isn’t it time for the Iranian policy makers to revamp their views on gender identity and develop a progressive legal framework, one that discontinues categorizing transgender persons as deformed individuals warranting pity and sympathy? Iran should evolve the discourse and treatment of transgender citizens and recognize that these individuals as wholesome human beings with the right to dignity and respect. **Note: Outright Action International has recently released two reports concerning the situation of Transgender people and Lesbians in Iran accessible at the following link.

Kevin Schumacher( aka Hossein Alizedah) is the Regional Program Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa for OutRight Action International. OutRight Action International’s mission is to advance human rights for everyone, everywhere to end discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.

⚫ 22

11.18 — 12.01.2016

LOS ANGELES MOOK continued from p. 18

appointees in their Republican outreach — a strategy he said he warned the campaign against because it “helped to highlight her campaign as the political establishment who the country was ready to fire.”

“If Mook had a winning message that he could organize around, then his organizational skills would lead her to victory,” LaSalvia said. “That didn’t happen. He and his candidate, being the establishment figures they are, just couldn’t see what they were missing.”

One aspect of Clinton’s campaign that stood out was running on the most advanced platform for LGBT rights of any major U.S. presidential candidate in history.

Surpassing even Obama in his bids for the White House in 2008 and 2012, Clinton ran on supporting marriage for same-sex couples as a constitutional right, comprehensive LGBT non-discrimination legislation known as the Equality Act, a vision for achieving an “AIDS-free generation” and a pledge to protect transgender Americans from disproportionate violence.

Besen said although the positions were unprecedented for a major U.S. presidential candidate, they helped Clinton rather than contributed to her defeat by Trump, who took anti-LGBT positions over the course of his campaign.

“I think that Clinton’s pro-LGBT platform helped her,” Besen said.

“Had LGBT rights been toxic, Obama would not have been reelected. And North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory would have cruised to reelection this year.”

(Indeed, McCrory, who signed the anti-LGBT House Bill 2 into law, appears to have narrowly lost in his bid for re-election in North Carolina even though Trump won the state comfortably and Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C), another Republican, won re-election.)

Calls for new path for Democrats Other observers insisted Mook performed well given the circumstances of the election year and the focus of examination shouldn’t be on the past, but the future and finding new leaders in the Democratic Party.

Eric Stern, a gay Berkeley-based Democratic activist who supported Sanders in the primary, said Mook and his team “worked tirelessly in support of their candidate and should be commended,” but the Democratic Party has to make changes.

“The candidacy of Bernie Sanders resonated with primary voters in Michigan and Wisconsin in a way that Secretary Clinton’s did not,” Stern said. “My hope is that as the Democratic Party begins to pick up the pieces and develop a game plan for the future — that Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and leaders from

the communities made most vulnerable by the election of Donald Trump have real seats at the decision making table (as well as consideration for party leadership positions). Excluding the voices of those leaders at this critical moment — who represent millions of Americans — would be disastrous for our party.”

Stampp Corbin, a gay San Diego-based activist and publisher of LGBT Weekly, said the Clinton campaign made errors, but the abolition of the Electoral College should be a new priority for the Democratic Party.

“While I believe the Democrats squandered an opportunity to unite working class whites and minorities with an economic message a la Bernie Sanders, the real question is whether the Electoral College is still relevant,” Corbin said.

As Corbin noted, 2016 marks the fifth time in U.S. history a Republican ascended to the White House, even though a Democrat won the popular vote, and the second time after Al Gore lost to George W. Bush in the 2000 election that was ultimately settled by the U.S. Supreme Court.

“Perhaps the electors should vote their conscience on Dec. 19, which is their prerogative,” Corbin added.

“Some might have to pay a small fine, less than a $1,000, a small price to pay to actually enforce the true will of the people.”

Mook declined an interview request for this article and the Clinton campaign didn’t respond to a request for comment.

According to media reports, Clinton during a 30-minute phone conversation with high-level donors on Saturday blamed her loss on letters FBI Director James Comey sent to Congress in the days before the election. The first letter 11 days before the election indicated a new investigation of her use of a private email server as secretary of state was underway, while the second letter exonerated her — yet again after initially being cleared in July — of any wrongdoing.

“There are lots of reasons why an election like this is not successful,” Clinton was quoted in the New York Times as saying, according to a donor who relayed the remarks. But, she reportedly added, “our analysis is that Comey’s letter raising doubts that were groundless, baseless, proven to be, stopped our momentum.”

Hilary Rosen, a D.C.-based Democratic activist, echoed the anger over Comey’s letters, which defied the agency’s general practice of not commenting publicly on investigations, when asked to evaluate Mook’s performance as campaign manager.

“I’m not into the blame game here,” Rosen said. “Robby put together a brilliant organization. Sometimes votes fall short of expectations.

MOOK continued on p. 23

11.18 — 12.01.2016 TRUMP PENCE continued from p. 5

marriage, opposition to laws allowing transgender people to use the bathroom that corresponds to the gender with which they identify, and support for a parent’s right to subject gay and transgender children to electroshock and psychiatric “conversion therapy” to change their sexual orientation or gender identity, a practice the Obama administration has tried to ban.

Trump is seen primarily through the lens of choice for running mate, Mike Pence, who has a vigorous record of opposition to gay rights.

While governor of Indiana, Pence opposed gay marriage. In 2014 he signed a law that would imprison any samesex couples who sought a marriage license. He refused to comply with the orders of a Federal court to allow same-sex marriages. Pence is also father of a bill that made it legal for businesses to cite religious freedom in refusing service to gay and transgender people.

Trump has stood by Pence as he declared he would further this agenda as Vice President, putting him in charge of staffing his cabinet.

While representing Indiana as a

MOM continued from p. 12

DIDN’T TRY TO READ IT TO THEM. I failed to try to change their vote because I was angry at them; I didn’t think they could be moved.

How can I now justify being angry?

Have we all done this in some form of this?

Isn’t that what essentially happened in this election? We all walked away from Trump supporters because we assumed they were too stupid to hear our case against Trump? Were we par alyzed by our own sense of superior confidence in our gains?

Or did Trump himself, with his bullying and bravado, make that impossible for any of us to do? Every shade of nuance became umbrage taking hostility and every escalation of hostility solidified Trump’s support. He ran away with it by pushing us away, creating an environment that was so toxMOOK continued from p. 22

James Comey hurt momentum and turnout and Hillary had not a vote to spare. There were multiple issues beyond Robby’s control. I’m grateful for him giving it his all.”

Pinello echoed the sense that Comey reigniting the email scandal that dogged Clinton throughout her presidential campaign was a major factor in Clinton’s loss.

“To my mind, the most significant culprit for the Clinton loss was James Comey, whose unforgivable last-minute intervention in a presidential campaign rivals the worst of J. Edgar Hoover’s political subterfuges as FBI

member of Congress, Pence voted against employment nondiscrimination protections for gay and transgender people and voted against the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell.”

His opposition to gay rights goes back at least to his first congressional campaign, in 2000, during which he opposed same-sex marriage and the nondiscrimination laws that protected our community.

Pence has argued for public funding of conversion therapy and said no federal funding for AIDS treatment should be provided to “organizations that celebrate and encourage the types of behaviors that facilitate the spreading of the H.I.V. virus,” according to his campaign website.

Coupled with Trump’s campaign and repeated declarations on immigration, Muslim Americans and women’s issues, anxieties about Trump’s Presidency among gay and transgender people is understandable.

Said one transgender activist, an advisor to Hillary Clinton who requested anonymity, “Our place at the table seemed assured yesterday; today and until further notice we are in emergency mode. So much of our progress is in jeopardy.” ic we couldn’t approach even our own families to argue against him.

Maybe this is the turning point?

We now need to turn our anger into an effort to educate our families about the dangers we now most certainly face. Our gains of the past generation are almost all at stake.

I fear a constitutional convention, bringing every line-item of the Alt-right red-meat agenda to boiling point as every state legislature throes itself into the crafting of a more conservative nation — it’s inevitable now. Couple that with the coming ultra-conservative transformation of the Supreme Court (Trump will likely get several seats).

If that happens — and it’s likely — we are going to need the educated support of people who love us. We can’t equate every vote for Trump as a vote of hate.

Love trumps hate.

Time to call mom. director,” Pinello said.

As for an inability to prevent losses in traditionally “blue” states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, Pinello said Mook should be cut some slack.

“If virtually every American professional political pollster was dead wrong about Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin — recall that, on Monday, FiveThirtyEight.com had Clinton with a 70-plus-percent probability of winning, while the figure at the New York Times was 84 percent — how could Robby Mook reasonably be held responsible for the loss of those states?”

Pinello said. “After all, he was just campaign manager — not Merlin the Magician.”

LOS ANGELES

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FAMILY

LATINO PRIDE

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COMMUNITY

⚫ FROM LA LGBT CENTER

What Makes the LGBT Center’s Eastside Home So Special?

Ask This Latina Mother of 4 The 50-year-old Latina mother of four was beaming with pride while standing in the doorway at Mi Centro, the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Boyle Heights facility, operated in partnership with Latino Equality Alliance (LEA). She was holding a recent copy of Boyle Heights Beat.

“That’s my son,” said Candelaria Medina to LEA Executive Director Eddie Martinez, pointing to her son’s name in an article about Mi Centro, which celebrates its one-year anniversary this month. “I love him and I would do anything for him. I need to support my son and I want to vol-

unteer.”

Medina’s son, Alex, who recently came out to her and their family, wrote an article for the newspaper to convey Mi Centro’s growing importance to the eastside neighborhood.

She has since become a volunteer and active member of Mi Centro’s Spanish-language PFLAG chapter, which is a support group for Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.

“Mi Centro is a home away from home for many of us—a safe space,” said 17-year-old Andrew Guedea, an Esteban E. Torres High School student. “When I realized I was gay, I felt as though I wasn’t a real Latino, as if I wasn’t part of the machismo culture that permeates within the Latino community. Once I began coming to Mi Centro, I started to fully acknowledge that I’m just like everyone else and a proud member of the Latino community.”

Since opening in October 2015, Mi Centro has blossomed into a vital resource center—nearly doubling in size—at 553 S. Clarence St., just east of the Los Angeles River. The Center’s Public Policy and Community Building department moved into the facility last summer. In September students from East Los Angeles College began attending a weekly Chicano Studies class at Mi Centro.

Mi Centro is a home away from home for many of us—a safe space.

-Andrew Guedea In addition to hosting PFLAG meetings, Mi Centro offers a myriad of critical services at no cost: one-onone counseling in both English and Spanish with volunteer legal advocates who specialize in immigration, asylum, work visas, marriage petitions, permanent residency, and nationalization, as well as Social Security and Veterans benefits workshops for seniors. Much more is planned for Mi Centro, including HIV testing.

“Since I began working at the Center eight years ago, Mi Centro has been a dream of mine—and for many

others at the Center,” said Alan Acosta, the Center’s director of strategic initiatives. “It’s important that we provide services on this side of the Los Angeles River. Whether you identify as part of the LGBT community or the Latino LGBT community, we all have the same needs.”

Others agree with Acosta, citing the urgency to provide services in communities where there’s a need and where it’s more convenient for residents to access services.

“I was excited when Mi Centro first opened because, for many LGBT Latinos, they now felt part of the Center,” said Iliana Cuellar, who works directly with LEA’s LGBTQ Youth Council.

The council meets every month at Mi Centro to learn community organizing skills and to change the politics affecting LGBT students at nearby high schools.

“At Mi Centro, LGBT Latinos have a space to access services close to home,” added Center Legal Advocate Robert Gomez. “They have a space they can call their own.”

Mi Centro is housed in a renovated warehouse across the street from the Pico Gardens public housing project and has about 1,000 square feet of dedicated space. Mi Centro shares space with City Labs Boyle Heights, which provides office space for nonprofits and small businesses.

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Take a break from all this at Hotel Erwin

After Thanksgiving later this month, holiday season will be in full swing, and holiday season, of course, means holiday parties.

For many, a holiday party is the perfect way to get together with friends, acquaintances and loved ones and celebrate. However, hosting a killer holiday party can be tricky. Fortunately, Hotel Erwin’s holiday party experts are here to help. We spoke to Jennifer DeYoung at Hotel Erwin for her expert tips on throwing a great holiday party. Whether it’s professional or with friends, here’s what you need to know this year!

1. What are the essentials for any holiday party?

There are a few key elements to ensure your holiday party is a bash! The key is to plan ahead. Your first step is to book a space that is big enough to accommodate your guests, and extra points if that space has an amazing view, à la a High Rooftop

Lounge. Also, include a festive holiday menu with custom cocktails that the whole crowd will love. Hire a live DJ and of course add in great company and you should have a holiday party for the record books.

2. When should a holiday party be formal and when should it be a casual get-together?

It really depends on what your group likes. Some people like a more laid back, casual drinks type of get together, while others prefer a sit down dinner. Either way, a office holiday party is all about spending time together and having fun!

3. What kinds of food/snacks/drinks are best served at a holiday party?

It’s always fun to have a festive or themed cocktail menu around the holidays, and as far as food goes take advantage of

seasonal fruits and vegetables that can be integrated into the menu. At Hotel Erwin, a few items our guests love are the petite lamb chops, crab cakes and, of course, our roasted Mahi Mahi. We can also work with you to create a custom event menu.

4. What’s one thing that’s worth spending extra money on?

Having an adequate amount of food and drink for the group is always a must. There’s nothing worse then running out of both while entertaining guests.

5. When should gifts/gift-giving games be part of a holiday party?Holiday parties should be all about having fun and celebrating your hard work for the year. Games like gift exchanges or trading stocking stuffers are always a good time.

There you have it! Now you’re ready to throw a holiday party for the record books.

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RACE MATTERS LOOKING BACK

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LOS ANGELES

CELEBRATION ON FILM

⚫ BY DAVID-ELIJAH NAHMOD

Loving, the pioneers before us The United States Supreme Court struck down all statewide bans on interracial marriage on June 12, 1967.

This decision was the result of a lawsuit filed by Mildred Loving, an African American woman. She and her husband Richard, who was white, were a quiet, simple couple in Virginia. The Lovings had been arrested shortly after their 1958 marriage. All the Lovings wanted to do was to raise their family and love each other, and they shunned the spotlight they were thrust into.

In the new film Loving, now playing in theaters, the lives of the Lovings and the battles they were forced to fight are recreated.

“Is there anything you want me to tell the judge?” Richard Loving is asked by his attorney as a court date looms on the horizon.

“Tell him I love my wife,” Loving (Joel Edgerton) replies. It’s one of many powerful moments in a film that serves in part as a character study of the couple who fought the original marriage equality battle.

RUTH NEGGA AND JOEL EDGERTON AS MILDRED AND RICHARD LOVING IN DIRECTOR JEFF NICHOLS’ LOVING. PHOTO: FOCUS FEATURES

Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton as Mildred and Richard Loving in director Jeff Nichols’ Loving. Photo: Focus Features As the story unfolds, some viewers might note the striking similarities between the Loving story and the marriage battle fought by the LGBT community more than 40 years later.

In one particularly infuriating scene that underscores the injustices they were subjected to, the Lovings are told by a judge that they can avoid jail time if they leave Virginia and agree not return to the state for 25 years.

“The LGBT marriage equality fight was definitely in the back of our minds during filming,” director Jeff Nichols said after a recent press preview of the film. “The two battles were more or less the same.”

Nichols added that while much of Loving was based on historical documents, little was known about the years when the couple lived under the radar as their case worked its way through the courts.

“What were they doing in their dayto-day lives while the court case was progressing?” Nichols wondered as he explained how he pieced the story together. “Since details of their years in hiding weren’t available, I tried to focus on the pervasive psychological threat that was hanging over them during those years.”

The results are mesmerizing.

Though it’s largely speculation – both Richard and Mildred have passed on – Nichols presents a plausible look inside the couple’s private lives as they eat their meals, watch TV and raise their kids amid a facade of normalcy, all the while knowing that either or both of them could be arrested at any time.

Actor Joel Edgerton, who plays Richard Loving, told the B.A.R. that he went to bricklayers school. Loving had worked as a bricklayer and is seen at work in several scenes, and Edgerton wanted absolute authenticity in his portrayal of Loving. He also said that he watched Nancy Buirski’s documentary film The Loving Story so he could capture the nuances of his character’s vocal mannerisms and body language.

Director: Jeff Nichols Distributed by: Focus Features, Universal Studios Producers: Colin Firth, Nancy Buirski, Sarah Green, Ged Doherty, Marc Turtletaub, Peter Saraf

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