Anti-Gay Cape Commissioner; Trump Anti-Trans Military Stance; Trans Sensation Talks Addiction; More

Cape Commissioner asked to resign over anti-gay Twitter post

CAPE COD—A Barnstable County Commissioner’s recent post about gay politicians sparked indignation and condemnation from nearby politicians, even all the way to Beacon Hill, according to reports. As a result, a call for his resignation ensued immediately after the social media post. “I’m calling for Commissioner [Ron] Beaty to resign, I’m that upset,” said state Rep. Timothy Whelan, R-Brewster, to CapeCod.com. “I don’t even know what else to say.” Beaty’s Twitter post/poll asked people to weigh in on gay politicians’ ability to represent every constituent equally. “Generally speaking, are gay politicians too self-absorbed and self-centered to adequately represent ALL of their constituents in a fair and equitable manner?” the Feb. 19 Tweet read. The post, according to The Cape Cod Times, happened less than a week after a pair of openly gay state lawmakers, state Sen. Julian Cyr (D) and state Rep. Sarah Peake (D), were named to leadership positions.

41 retired officers call Trump Transgender ban an abuse of military judgment

SAN FRANCISCO—More than three dozen retired flag officers released a statement (https://bit.ly/2XzivOP) last week calling the Trump administration’s use of “military judgment” to defend its transgender troop ban a “pretext [that] risks inflicting harms that go well beyond” the transgender service issue. The military leaders, who range from rear admiral to four-star general, said they issued the statement “out of grave concern that attempts to defend the transgender military ban in court will undermine the integrity of United States military judgment” and “trust in the national security apparatus.” While the Pentagon has claimed its proposed ban rests on “military judgment,” it has produced no evidence demonstrating the need for a ban, and the service chiefs and other uniformed leaders have consistently expressed support for transgender service. “We stand with the Service Chiefs of all five military branches who have testified that transgender-inclusive service—which has been policy for over 2.5 years—has succeeded, while discrimination and double standards harm combat effectiveness by wasting talent and compromising military integrity,” the statement read. “And we stand with our fellow Servicemembers currently putting their lives at risk for our security—who made the same commitment,

State House briefing: TNLR brings LGBTQ sexual & domestic violence to the forefront

BOSTON—A Massachusetts coalition of more than 60 organizations against sexual assault and violence, recently met with state lawmakers to brief them on key legislation and budget priorities for 2019, pulling LGBTQ+ and other marginalized survivor needs into the larger inclusive focus. “In everything we do, Jane Doe works intentionally to be inclusive and responsive to the needs of survivors from every community,” said Maureen Gallagher, Policy Director, Jane Doe, Inc. “We understand that identity, race, immigration status, socioeconomic status, and many other factors contribute to how survivors are affected by sexual and domestic violence, and how service organizations engage with survivors.” Sabrina Santiago, Co-Executive Director of The Network/La Red (TNLR) emphasized the impact that the legislative priorities will have on the LGBTQ community, especially bisexual and transgender members that experience higher abuse at alarming rates. “These bills will not only support the needs of cisgender heterosexual survivors, but those from LGBQ/T communities as well,” she said. “LGBQ/T people experience partner abuse at a rate equal to or higher than straight cisgender communities—from 25-33 percent of relationships. For bisexual women that rate is 2.6 times higher and studies show that transgender

Famed trans sensation takes us to “Jupiter,” conquers addiction, offers support

LOS ANGELES—For the love of his fans, he wrote. To share his life, he sang and composed. Ryan Cassata, a versatile artist, vlogger, writer and producer found solace and salvation in music and community. His single “Jupiter”, written at 18, was his key to becoming sober later in life. Like many in the LGBTQ community, the young star battled with alcohol and drug dependence early on. Addiction has no face, no color, no gender, no sexual orientation, no ethnicity, no credo. For some communities, addiction hits them at higher rates. Members of the LGBTQ community are disproportionately affected by drug and alcohol dependence, according to studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (https://is.gd/bENqW5) among others. “I wrote ‘Jupiter’, originally titled ‘Jupiter, It Won’t Be Long’ when I was in college,” Cassata said to The Rainbow Times. “I wrote it about my teenage years. I spent a lot of them struggling with addiction and watching a lot of my friends do the same. The song is about taking things too far, not being able to communicate effectively, and feeling on the edge, not knowing if you’ll live or die. It is about the experience of ‘partying’ being fun initially, but then turning into something really frightening.” Though most known for his music, Cassata is a humanitarian at heart. He uses his compositions to raise awareness for vulnerable people often forgotten as depicted in “Alcatraz”, a music video pertaining to mental health issues. He also openly channels his own struggles through song and hopes to help others through their darkness too.