Trump Admin Removes Apology for 1950s Mass Government Discrimination Against Gay Employees

[DonViejo]

Source: LawNewz



In the 1950s and 60s, the U.S. State Department was one of many organizations that actively discriminated against employees and job applicants based on sexual orientation. The government refused to hire applicants they thought were gay, and people already working there often resigned due to discrimination. This trend was known as the “Lavender Scare,” the term being play on the Communist “Red Scare” based on the phrase “lavender lads,” used by Senator Everett Dirksen to refer to gay men in the early 50s. Earlier this month, before the Obama administration left office, then-Secretary of State John Kerry posted an apology for the Lavender Scare on the Department’s website. “These actions were wrong then,” Kerry said, “just as they would be wrong today.” As of Tuesday, that apology is now gone.

The Human Rights Campaign reacted strongly to the Trump administration’s decision to delete Kerry’s statement (an archive of which https://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2017/01/266711.htm" target="_blank">can be found here from a website that captures old web pages). HRC President Chad Griffin said in a statement:

With each passing hour, the Trump administration continues to show the extent of their contempt for the enormous progress made over the past eight years. … It is outrageous that the new administration would attempt to erase from the record this historic apology for witch hunts that destroyed the lives of innocent Americans.

HRC noted that in addition to removing the apology, the State Department’s website also dropped content related to LGBT Pride Month, and the Department’s Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBT Persons, and that the White House website eliminated references to LGBT people and issues.

Read more: http://lawnewz.com/high-profile/trump-admin-deletes-apology-for-1950s-mass-government-discrimination-against-gay-employees/

[frazzled]

1. Making (McCarthy era) America great again!

When government institutions could discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation!

Really? Really? This is so low. And so scary.

[Laurian]

2. This is a vengeful bunch.

Disgusting to see them do these sorts of things. It's blatant hate.

[tenorly]

13. More red meat for his knuckle draggers.

And you know how hungry they get.

[Ken Burch]

41. Sometimes, they chew their knuckles.

(they wrap them in bacon first, though).

[smirkymonkey]

37. Seriously! WTF was the point of doing something like that except out of sheer spite!

The little brat is furious at people who didn't vote for him and now he's going to go on a vengeful rampage and take it out on every liberal and liberal cause because of it. I have never seen such a miserable, bitter, spiteful person in my life!

[Zorro]

50. Assholes revel in being assholes

Pissing off decent people just to annoy them is a Republican characteristic.

[DFW]

3. Wonder how long it will take them to repeal MLK's birthday as a holiday?

At this rate, I figure it'll be done by Spring. Maybe before next weekend.

[califootman]

31. If MLK Day was the LAST Monday in January...

...I'm sure it would be done by now. But since they have almost a whole year before it comes up again, it's lower on their priority scale.

[blm]

4. Kerry worked towards the greater good his entire life, including here. This action is VILE.

So unnecessary.

It's only intention is to cause pain for others.

[narnian60]

8. Yes, indeed.

[karynnj]

58. It is hard, but remember that - as Obama said - progress is never a straight line, but a zig zag

On this, in the United States, Trump has demographics working against him. Even back in 2003, when my oldest daughter asked my help interpreting the polls on acceptance of gay marriage for an alternative feminist zine that she and a friend created for their high school. She actually had interpreted everything very well, but she was surprised that the results were as clear as they were. Even then, it was startling how age was by far the dominant factor in determining support or opposition. Young conservatives were more in favor than over 65 liberals!

I agree that Kerry has worker for the greater good his whole life -- and importantly, his vision of what was good matches what we both think is good. I was struck how many of the things that both Obama and Kerry did at the end of his term were done and defended as what was moral. Oddly, where Mike Pence, if he would have been the one to do this, would have been acting on his vision of what was moral, with Trump it likely has nothing to do with morality, but playing to his homophobic base.

However, it is important that a respected Secretary of State made the statement ... and that is something that can not be changed. For all here and in the world, who see John Kerry as a moral man with great integrity and character --as his boss was as well, still have his words saying that it was wrong. Trump can take the words off the website, but he can not unsay them.

Futhermore, at this point, Trump, even thought he is President, does not have the moral standing that comes from actually being seen as honest and having integrity. That is something he needs to earn -- and he has already spent about 70 years showing he is mean spirited, dishonest and a genuinely obnoxious person. When his SoS is elected, he also will have to earn the respect of the country and world that Kerry had long before he was confirmed as Secretary. (Think back to his confirmation vs the Tillerson confirmation.)

Not to mention, Kerry's integrity, honorableness, and good character is its own reward. One think that was nice to see in the little video of Kerry and Ben (his dog) cheering on the woman's rally is that even in this terrible time, he looked relaxed, committed and very happy to engage with the people around him. He has received a huge number of prestigious international awards and praise. Not to mention, it had to be incredibly awesome to work with people in the Vatican on some issues.

He said he will speak out -- and remembering how he sent out a letter that was both a sincere thank you to all on his email list and a call for everyone to stay involved, promising that he would do so, within a month of a devastating loss in 2004. I look forward to whatever he writes because his comments at the end hint of the honesty and willingness to relook at choices made, but over all making a very strong case for using diplomacy as the first resort and working very tenaciously to make it work. This view is consistent with his view from 1971 and even before and his comments on it are, if anything stronger now than then. He has regularly spoken of was being a failure of diplomacy.

I hope that the military will continue on the successful path against ISIS, where the local people lead and are assisted in returning reclaimed areas to some degree of normalcy, through demining by the international community and insuring local people restore governance. This seemed to be close to what was recommended in the 2009 SFRC hearings on what to do with Afghanistan. This made progress slower, as it was limited by what the local people could do, the reason was that it had a better chance to leave behind areas that would be defended and governed by locals. We already saw how fast "shock and awe" could "work" - and how the result was to radicalize more people, initially driven underground or across the Syrian border where the same tribes lived.

On the Iraq side, this seems to be working to some degree with Albadi being more sensitive to Sunni needs than Al Maliki was as he gradually eliminated any power they had. It was clear that Obama, Biden and Kerry pushed Iraq to be more inclusive - arguing that they could not hope to defeat ISIS otherwise. I hope that Mattis and others are smart enough to allow this plan to continue -- even as they claim the likely victories coming in the next few months as Trump's.

At this point, half of Mosul, the last big town ISIS controls within Iraq has been rewon by Iraq - obviously not by anything new Trump has done. My concern is that idiotic comments by Trump - on taking the oil - will further fuel ISIS by increasing the anger at the US and the rest of the coalition.

[CincyDem]

5. My guess is we're not going to be seeing that rainbow White House lighting for a while. n/t

[alarimer]

6. This is just vindictive

What an asshole.

[underpants]

15. Bannon

[emulatorloo]

26. Pence. Putin too for that matter.

[Solly Mack]

7. K&R

Erasing history.

[blm]

10. Exactly - and Kerry did this to enlighten OTHER COUNTRIES whose cultures target gays.

.

[Solly Mack]

11. Very dangerous.

Erase the history you can erase the people.

[yardwork]

48. Well, exactly. And we can't have that.

[Behind the Aegis]

32. Exactly!

It starts with small things, gets progressively larger (still few notice or care), then come the biggest things (more people start to perk up), then finally comes the revocation of rights and then it is too late. The GLBT community is very vulnerable right now, and we will likely be the first overt victims of this administration.

[Solly Mack]

33. It's very dangerous.

Erase the actual history and you can write your own version...and carry it out.

It's been done before.

[Behind the Aegis]

35. History is written by the victors.

It just so happens the victors in this case are raging homophobic, anti-Semitic, misogynistic, racist assholes. Depending on the group they attack will determine the response. When people finally come to realize this and band together, we will stand a chance! I am not a woman. I will never get pregnant, nor be responsible for anyone getting pregnant (if it happens to my husband, we will be quite rich!!), and yet, I am still pro-choice! I am a feminist! I demand women feel as safe as I feel as a man (when the gay thing isn't an issue). I demand they get the same rights as any man! Yet, as I said, still not a woman. Just like you (and a few others) who are straight and speak out on behalf of and in unison with the GLBT community, your voices and support are needed now, more than ever!

(Hope you are doing well. Been thinking of you! )

[sheshe2]

45. Simply put.

I stand for you as well. I always have, BtA.

[mopinko]

9. who does this?

we have to keep asking that question. who does this? accept the question and you have the answer.

[Rhiannon12866]

12. So much for a century of progress...

How long before they repeal the 19th amendment to punish all the women who came out on Saturday??

[Turn CO Blue]

14. this is horrible. Is anyone keeping track of these actions in a spreadsheet or something?

[SeattleVet]

23. I was going to try, but I only have several terabytes of storage...

not nearly enough to finish an accounting of his first week.

[Turn CO Blue]

39. Ha!

[riversedge]

24. Probably someone or group is but I do not know where.

[NewJeffCT]

16. How many people have said there is no difference

between Democrats and Republicans?

[yardwork]

49. And I'm pretty angry with those people right now.

[bucolic_frolic]

17. You can't change the past

but they're sure gonna try

[muntrv]

18. But Trump is not a bigot! Fixed noise sez so!

[lark]

19. Freaking deplorable!

Can he ever do anything not totally horrible, don't think so. He's just the worst person ever!!

[Matthew28]

20. Republicans are a bunch of

Control freaks and fascist that hate everyone that isn't rich...Sickening party.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

21. tRump said "All Americans". He'll say anything he thinks might gain approval.

.


[font size = "+2"]Watch his actions.[/font]

Not much point in listening to what he says.

[MistakenLamb]

22. but he held a pride flag n/t

[emulatorloo]

27. Upside down

[FreeState]

28. And written on with a marker - so much respect! ;) n/t

[aquamarina]

25. Petty at every level.

[The_Voice_of_Reason]

29. WOW...just wow...

Scary days, and we have to deal with this for a period of four years is frightening.

[hibbing]

30. sigh

Boy when they control all three branched they go absolutely full throttle. I'm simply terrified with this pace.


Peace

[Old Vet]

34. Anybody want to bet the draft will be mentioned soon....

One of my concerns was his talk of building up the military, People are just not volunteering at a pace that could handle a aggressive build up of the military. Now its a fear that I honestly think the draft could be re-instated by Trump. I would not be surprised at all now after watching the direction he is taking this country, Iam really concerned now.

[BBG]

44. Draft Not Happening

With a draft there would be too much backlash. Easier for them to call up the Guard and Reserves.

[IronLionZion]

36. They'll have a 2017 mass firing of all sorts of people

which is what Trumpers think when they say drain the swamp. Gays, minorities, liberals, scientists,

[GliderGuider]

43. Exactly. We are the swamp they want to drain.

I think we're seeing the beginning of a society-wide move against liberalism in all its forms. Be very cautious out there people.

[Judi Lynn]

38. Only hatred for human beings could be the motivation. As already mentioned, spite, revenge. n/t

[Paladin]

40. Jaw-dropping amounts of hatred, prejudice and small-mindedness.

What are we prepared to do, to combat this wave of evil intent?

[GliderGuider]

42. This is what the beginning of a pogrom looks like.

[Ford_Prefect]

46. Last I recall the plan was to turn the clock back to 1853

[rug]

47. He's the Taliban with small hands.

[greatauntoftriplets]

51. Despicable.

[Paladin]

52. Things are really spiraling out of control at an alarming rate. (nt)

[smirkymonkey]

53. That's exactly how I feel - it''s making my head spin.

He's dismantling all our liberties so fiercely and quickly that we almost don't even have time to absorb the magnitude of it and react. I feel so powerless and disoriented. I can't believe he is getting away with this shit and nobody is standing up to him!

[Docreed2003]

54. Scumbag fascist...

This is the part where they normalize wiping history.

[Cha]

55. Of course they did. I am so sorry to

living in this nightmare with you all.

[AgadorSparticus]

56. Motherf*cker. He really, truly is pathological. What a sociopath.

[Rex]

57. There is a reason this sinister fuckwad is doing all this in such a hurry.

He started with those that have disabilities now he has moved on to LGBT in a hurry. Man is quick to start up a fascist government.

I hope people are paying attention.