As an advocate for gay rights from a time before the acronym LGBTQ+ was associated with the movement, it’s important to understand why Pride Month was established. It commemorates the Stonewall Riots of June 1969, a crucial event where the LGBTQ+ community came together to fight for their civil and human rights.
With the rise of right-wing governments worldwide and the Republicans in the United States, there is concern that we may have witnessed our last Pride Month. Thoughts turn to a potential second term for Donald Trump, which could fundamentally alter the nation we cherish and revoke rights that have been hard-won over decades.
Pride Month in June 2024 saw more subdued celebrations compared to previous years. Brands that had strongly supported LGBTQ+ causes and customers in the past were less visible. This change may be due to the backlash encountered by Bud Light and other companies from right-wing campaigns against LGBTQ+ rights the previous year.
However, there are some very dark clouds on the horizon in the United States. According to the ACLU, 452 anti-LGBTQ+ bills are being tracked across the 2024 US state legislative sessions, with 474 anti-LGBTQ+ laws classified as advancing as of February 2024.
The recent Supreme Court decision has had a significant impact on women’s rights, overturning the long-standing Roe v. Wade. This reversal, after over fifty years of precedent, has raised concerns among many legal scholars about the security of the landmark 2015 Supreme Court case, Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage in the United States, against challenges from the far right.
Here Come The Christain Right
Kelly Johnson, the spouse of House Speaker Mike Johnson, runs a counseling business with operating documents that equate homosexuality with acts such as incest and bestiality. The 2017 operating agreement for Onward Christian Counseling Services declares: “We believe the Bible teaches that any form of sexual immorality, which includes adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, pornography, or any attempts to change one’s sex or disagree with one’s biological sex, is sinful and offensive to God.”
The Speaker, a former practicing attorney, notarized the document, and his signature is on the final page of his wife’s business. It is important to note that Speaker Johnson does not support gay marriage. Should the Republicans win the House, he will be in Congress advocating for a bill to repeal gay marriage.
Be Aware Of How Project 2025 Can Hurt You – It Goes Way Beyond The LGBTQ+ Community.
Project 2025, spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation along with 90 other conservative groups, outlines a plan for a possible second term of Donald Trump’s presidency. The initiative has been criticized for its lack of LGBTQ+ inclusivity. It asserts that over 90,000 individuals are ready to supplant current government employees on January 20, 2025, the date they expect Mr. Trump to be sworn in, prioritizing loyalty to the president above expertise in their prospective roles.
According to their website and interviews, Project 2025 is set to launch a new governmental initiative known as the “Presidential Administration Academy.” This program is designed to impart skills for “advancing conservative ideas” right from the start of new appointees’ tenure. The curriculum covers a range of topics, including budget creation and media relations, through online sessions lasting between 30 to 90 minutes. The leaders of Project 2025 also plan to conduct in-person sessions as the election approaches.
Project 2025 aims to centralize law enforcement authority under the presidential office, which may supersede local jurisdictions. Such centralization could result in the use of military forces in domestic policing, posing a threat to the suppression of peaceful demonstrations, especially those organized by Black Lives Matter activists, or any protests disfavored by the president.
The initiative risks reverting the United States to the era of Jim Crow laws of the 1960s by threatening to dismantle key civil rights protections, such as affirmative action and diversity programs. By focusing on policies from the 1960s, it seeks to diminish educational and employment opportunities for Black Americans, thereby eroding years of advancement in racial equality.
Project 2025 suggests the termination of Head Start, a federally funded childcare initiative that has aided almost 40 million children. Head Start is crucial for the healthy growth of impoverished children and supports parents in seeking employment and educational opportunities. Additionally, it offers at least one daily meal to children who might otherwise go hungry.
The stated reason for reducing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is to save taxpayer money, but it seems the underlying intent is to punish the impoverished. For years, there has been a misconception that food stamps serve as a means for “Welfare Queens,” a term erroneously attributed to black women, to profit at taxpayers’ expense, a notion that has been consistently disproven.
According to the Office of Management and Budget, over a 25-month period from 2021 to 2022, 89 percent of SNAP households with children and a working-age, non-disabled adult had at least one member who was employed. Many SNAP participants who were not employed during this time reported caregiving responsibilities or encountered barriers to work, such as injuries or health conditions. Cuts to this program could have severe and negative impacts on the most vulnerable populations but hey the Republicans have to save money for the taxpayers.
For those in the GOP who value our military, please consider the following information attentively. It underscores the difference between mere lip service and genuine concern for those who defend us.
According to the latest data from the OMB, approximately 22,000 active-duty troops used SNAP benefits in 2021. Another report indicates that about 23,000 active-duty service members rely on SNAP annually, which is less than one percent of the total active-duty force. Additionally, over 20,000 military families, 213,000 National Guard and reserve members, and 1.1 million veterans need SNAP assistance to make ends meet.
It’s time for healthcare change. Project 2025 aims to repeal aspects of the ACA (Obamacare), such as emergency contraception and gender-affirming care coverage. This initiative could lead to tens of millions, particularly in the private market and Medicaid, losing their coverage, further disadvantaging the poor.
If you observe a pattern of a reverse Robin Hood scheme that takes from the poor and gives to the rich, the irony is that many of their voters, the people Republicans claim to care about, will be left in dire straits if Project 2025 becomes law.
Warp Speed
This is not merely a gradual plan; it is a 180-Day Playbook that specifically targets actions to be taken in the initial months. It includes steps to repeal policies from the previous administration and to implement urgent parts of the conservative agenda.
The plan suggests assuming control of the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Commerce, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), abolishing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and significantly cutting back on environmental and climate change regulations to benefit fossil fuel production.
This represents an attempt by Christian Nationalists to take over the United States, showing no regard for the popularity of same-sex marriage or the societal acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals. They are unmoved by polls or existing laws. Their aim is to mold our laws to mirror their rigid interpretation of the Bible and to force all Americans to follow these laws. When Project 2025 calls for the repeal of the Biden Administration’s LGBTQ+ policies, it aims for the total erasure of LGBTQ+ individuals from public life.
We all lose rights
Politico has characterized the policy initiative as an attempt to establish a “MAGA” conservative government by transforming the operations of federal employees. The initiative’s architects have presented it as a move to embed “Trumpism,” or Trump’s political agenda, throughout the federal government. On Truth Social, the social media platform owned by Trump, users have hailed it as a resurgence of “constitutional” values.
It can be stopped
After weeks of reviewing Project 2025 and its potential impact on our current way of life, I believe it’s not an exaggeration to say that our government could shift from a democracy to an autocracy within a year or before our nation reaches its 250th anniversary. We’ve had a successful period with democracy, but it seems we are moving towards a state where the power of a few will control the lives of the majority.
There is still time to influence the outcome of Project 2025 by scrutinizing the perspectives of local, state, and national candidates on the initiative, from city council members to presidential contenders. Support candidates who oppose Project 2025 and take proactive steps rather than assuming others will halt it for you.
Project 2025 will affect everyone, but it will particularly influence women, Black individuals, immigrants, and the LGBTQ+ communities. This issue concerns personal, civil, and fundamentally, human rights, and it is crucial that these rights are upheld.
Washington based CEO & Founder of LJC. Media covering politics, sports, & entertainment A seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director, and podcast host. Digital Director and Washington Bureau Chief at News Talk Florida & The Daily Cable
