LGBT RIGHTS IN THE U.S. IN 2013: THE FIVE BEST AND … · LGBT RIGHTS IN THE U.S. IN 2013: THE FIVE...
Transcript of LGBT RIGHTS IN THE U.S. IN 2013: THE FIVE BEST AND … · LGBT RIGHTS IN THE U.S. IN 2013: THE FIVE...
(/authors/144-andrea-garcia-vargas)
By Andrea Garcia-Vargas (/authors/144-andrea-garcia-vargas)
@andreagarvar (https://twitter.com/andreagarvar) 3 hours ago
SHAR…
TWEE…
PIN IT…
LGBT RIGHTS IN THE U.S. IN 2013: THE FIVE BEST
AND FIVE WORST MOMENTS
Mario Tama/Getty Images News/Getty Images
It’s been a landmark year for America’s LGBT community. Perhaps most
monumentally, DOMA was struck down
(http://www.bustle.com/articles/967-doma-ruled-unconstitutional-by-
scotus) in June, with many federal agencies following up the decision by
recognizing gay marriage (http://www.bustle.com/articles/8812-hawaii-
approves-gay-marriage-15th-state-to-legalize) and implementing benefits
(/articles/11027-lgbt-rights-in-the-us-in-2013-the-five-best-and-five-worst-moments/image/11027)
(http://www.bustle.com/articles/3610-same-sex-couples-to-get-military-
benefits). But the news hasn’t been all good: Remember Fox News’ reaction to
Chelsea Manning
(http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2013/08/27/fox_news_chelsea_m
anning_fox_and_friends_plays_aerosmith_song_to_mock_chelsea.html)? Liz
and Mary Cheney (http://www.bustle.com/articles/9078-cheney-facebook-
feud-over-gay-marriage-means-it-will-be-one-awkward-thanksgiving)’s
public fight over Mary’s marriage to a woman? We’ve rounded up the year’s
five worst and five best moments for the LGBT community, so read on for the
stories we want to revisit, the landmarks we’ll always remember, and the
intolerant moments that will hopefully soon be a bad memory.
First, the five best moments…
1. THE PROP 8 AND DOMA RULINGS
On June 26, Prop 8 was busted and DOMA was struck down by the Supreme
Court.
Thanks to this DOMA ruling, same-sex couples soon became eligible for
federal benefits. As Bustle reported, striking down DOMA also had major
implications for immigration (http://www.bustle.com/articles/1008-what-
does-doma-mean-for-immigration-overhaul-more-than-youd-think):
The immediate benefit that same-sex couples are going to get depends on
where they were married, and if their state recognizes those marriages. Let’s
say I get married in New York, I solemnize the marriage in New York
(meaning I have the ceremony here), and we live here. For federal purposes, I
am now going to be able to petition for my green card, or if I am in deportation
proceedings, I am going to have that form of relief discussed earlier.
2. A HEARTWARMING RESPONSE TO CHELSEAMANNING
When Chelsea Manning (http://www.bustle.com/articles/4005-wikileaker-
manning-announces-she-wants-to-live-as-a-woman) revealed she identified
as a woman and no longer wanted to be known as “Bradley,” many
people responded in an uplifting, accepting fashion. Wikipedia immediately
updated her biography appropriately, and many supporters and media outlets
instantly switched out “Bradley” for “Chelsea” in their news stories. (Of
course, many people didn’t get it at all, which we’ll get to later.)
And the support continues: Since Manning’s announcement, many people
have protested the fact that Chelsea is unlikely to get hormone therapy in
prison (http://www.bustle.com/articles/4034-why-the-army-wont-give-
chelsea-manning-hormone-therapy).
3. FRANK OCEAN, TOM DALEY, AND OTHERCELEBRITIES COME OUT
This year, many famous figures chose to come out without labeling
themselves as one sexual orientation or another. Despite many news reports,
Olympic diver Tom Daley (http://www.bustle.com/articles/9906-tom-daley-
didnt-come-out-as-gay-but-the-media-doesnt-care) didn’t pigeonhole his
sexuality when he simply announced he had a boyfriend. Frank Ocean
(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/frank-ocean-comes-out) basically did
the same thing. Jodie Foster came out
(http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jan/15/jodie-foster-
coming-out-speech), and so did Raven Symoné. And Olympic figure
skater Brian Boitano (http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/02/showbiz/raven-
symone-comes-out/) came out just this month, ahead of the Sochi Olympics.
4. THE CONVERSATION ABOUT GENDER-NEUTRALITY HAS EXPLODED
This year, Philadelphia began requiring by law that buildings have gender-
neutral bathrooms (http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/LGBT-
Gender-Neutral-Restrooms-206932591.html). Meanwhile, California
governor Jerry Brown signed a bill that would allow transgender or gender-
fluid individuals (http://www.bustle.com/articles/3506-california-governor-
jerry-brown-signs-transgender-student-rights-bill-into-law) K-12 to adopt the
gender pronoun of their preference, and to use the bathroom or locker
room they felt most comfortable with.
5. MARRIAGE, MARRIAGE EVERYWHERE
Suddenly, left and right, states have begun legalizing gay marriage. Hawaii
(http://www.bustle.com/articles/8812-hawaii-approves-gay-marriage-15th-
state-to-legalize), Illinois, (http://www.bustle.com/articles/9799-illinois-
first-gay-marriage-happens-ahead-of-schedule-per-judges-orders) Minnesota
(http://www.bustle.com/articles/2906-weddings-abound-in-minneapolis-as-
gay-marriage-legalized), New Jersey (http://www.bustle.com/articles/6679-
gay-marriage-legal-in-new-jersey-judge-rules-not-to-delay-same-sex-
unions) all jumped on the bandwagon, and, just last week, Utah
(http://www.bustle.com/articles/11253-same-sex-marriage-ruling-returns-
to-utah-court) and New Mexico (http://www.bustle.com/articles/11094-
new-mexico-supreme-court-same-sex-marriage-is-constitutional-16th-state-
to-allow-gay-marriage) overturned constitutional bans on same-sex marriage.
The momentum is undeniable.
RETWEET to Congratulate the State of NEW MEXICO for legalizing Marriage Equality. #loveislove #UniteBlue
8:47 AM - 20 Dec 2013
Unite BLUE 2014
@UniteBlue2014Follow
43 RETWEETS 9 FAVORITES
Now, brace yourself for the five worst moments:
1. A VERY PUBLIC, AWKWARD FIGHT BETWEEN THECHENEY SISTERS
Liz Cheney’s decision to speak on Fox News
(http://www.bustle.com/articles/9078-cheney-facebook-feud-over-gay-
marriage-means-it-will-be-one-awkward-thanksgiving) about her disapproval
of Mary Cheney’s marriage to a woman was heartbreaking — especially when
you consider that Liz had previously expressed happiness for her sister when
Mary Cheney had married her wife Heather Poe
(http://www.bustle.com/articles/10076-the-most-embarrassing-political-
relatives-obamas-uncle-and-more). And especially when you consider just
how poorly timed the interview was; taking place right before the holidays in
November. We don’t want to think about how tense that Thanksgiving meal
must’ve been. Or how awkward that upcoming Christmas meal will be.
2. FOX NEWS’ RESPONSE TO CHELSEA MANNING
Yes, many who supported Manning before she came out as trans continued to
support her following her announcement. And, yes, much of the press has
honored her wish to be called “she” and “Chelsea.”
But many media outlets (http://) didn’t honor that wish. Some of them treated
her coming out as a whimsical decision.
Fox News then made things worse by playing Aerosmith’s “Dude Looks Like a
Lady” (http://www.buzzfeed.com/alisonvingiano/fox-news-played-dude-
looks-like-a-lady-during-their-bradley) and getting on everybody’s nerves.
Again.
3. ENDA GETS KILLED (THANKS, JOHN BOEHNER)
While marriage equality is, of course, a huge step for LGBT rights, it’s not the
only one, nor the most important. But the marriage-equality victories get far
more coverage than, say, John Boehner refusing to put up ENDA for a vote in
the House (http://www.bustle.com/articles/10207-republicans-and-gay-
rights-5-ways-the-gop-could-do-better), even after the Senate passed the bill.
ENDA would have protected LGBT individuals from workplace discrimination
(http://www.bustle.com/articles/8225-will-enda-the-employment-non-
discrimination-act-finally-pass).
So LGBT citizens can get married in 17 states, but we still don’t have a federal
law preventing LGBT work discrimination — and as important as marriage
equality is, having a discrimination-free work environment is one of the most
basic rights a person can have.
4. CATHY BRENNAN LIES ABOUT TRANS TEENAGERHARASSING OTHER GIRLS
Bustle has already had its fair share of words about the incredibly frustrating
Cathy Brennan (http://www.bustle.com/articles/7419-my-response-to-
cathy-brennan). Who is she? As Bustle’s own Amy McCarthy writes:
Brennan is part of a small collective of radical feminists who consider
themselves to be “trans-exclusive.” As such, trans-exclusive radical feminists
(often called TERFs online) do not recognize gender dysphoria as a legitimate
condition that is treated by hormone therapy or gender confirmation surgery
(http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Gender-dysphoria/Pages/Treatment.aspx),
even though most scientists disagree.
Oh, this woman.
Besides the fact that Cathy Brennan’s own existence was bad for trans rights
this year, Brennan also posted a letter to her blog by a conservative group,
Pacific Justice Institute (http://thinkprogress.org/wp-
content/uploads/2013/10/Pacific-Justice-Institute-Anti-Trans-Letter.pdf),
claiming that a trans student in Colorado was harassing girls in the locker
room. Even worse than that? The letter by Pacific Justice Institute had the
student’s name on it.
Guess what? Turns out Pacific Justice Institute’s claim was a hoax. No
Guess what? Turns out Pacific Justice Institute’s claim was a hoax. No
harassment had taken place. Cathy just let her disdain of transgender
individuals (http://www.bustle.com/articles/7277-cathy-brennan-speaks-to-
bustle-about-her-stance-on-transgender-people) (particularly transwomen)
play to her confirmation bias, and used her widely read blog to spread false
claims.
5. EVERYTHING ALEC BALDWIN SAID
Alec Baldwin dropped homophobic and transphobic slurs
(http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/11/yeah-alec-
baldwin-really-is-a-bigot/281911/) left and right: The former 30 Rock actor
called a photographer a ”toxic little queen,” “cocksucking fag,” and “fucking
little bitch.” Sure, he did it out of anger, but he still said
(http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/11/yeah-alec-
baldwin-really-is-a-bigot/281911/) it, and he lost his MSNBC show because of
it (http://www.bustle.com/articles/9697-msnbc-fired-alec-baldwin-so-we-
found-5-ladies-who-should-replace-him). What else is there to say?
Images: glaad/Tumblr (http://glaad.tumblr.com/post/53934446067/edith-
Images: glaad/Tumblr (http://glaad.tumblr.com/post/53934446067/edith-
windsor-doma-plaintiff-and-american-hero), pardon.privatemanning.org
(http://pardon.privatemanning.org/post/65837174289), pvtso/Tumblr
(http://pvtso.tumblr.com/image/26511203066),
thatcanadiannewyorker/Tumblr (http://that-canadian-new-
yorker.tumblr.com/post/46345982461/for-all-my-genderqueer-friends-and-
anyone-else-out), usatodayopinion/Tumblr
(http://usatodayopinion.tumblr.com/post/67574817649/this-public-
political-family-feud-sets-a), vicemag/Tumblr
(http://vicemag.tumblr.com/post/59125144466/hey-conservatives-theres-
nothing-delusional), Roosters Tails Comic
(http://www.roostertailscomic.com/?comic=the-pretty-
one), criticaltheory/Tumblr (http://critical-
theory.tumblr.com/post/55278239091/i-was-going-to-hold-off-on-this-
because-who), Jankman/Tumblr
(http://thejankman.tumblr.com/post/68831593891)
SHAR…
TWEE…
PIN IT…
Follow Andrea on Twitter (https://twitter.com/andreagarvar)
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
DOES GAY MARRIAGE HAVE A CHANCE INUTAH?
(/articles/11253-same-sex-marriage-ruling-returns-
(/articles/11253-same-sex-marriage-ruling-returns-
to-utah-court)
NEWS
3 hours ago
3 days ago
to-utah-court)
Krystin Arneson (/authors/91-krystin-arneson)
HOW THIS DOG IS HELPING SAVE A LITTLEGIRL'S LIFE
(/articles/11163-service-dog-jj-monitors-owner-
kaelyn-krawczyk-during-major-operation-at-duke-
hospital)
Sarah Hedgecock (/authors/134-sarah-hedgecock)
(/articles/11163-service-dog-jj-monitors-owner-
kaelyn-krawczyk-during-major-operation-at-duke-
hospital)
MUST READS
DOES GAY MARRIAGE HAVE A CHANCE IN UTAH?
(/articles/11253-same-sex-marriage-ruling-returns-to-utah-court)
NEWS
NEWS
NEWS
2013 EVENTS THAT SHOULD BE 2014 LIFETIME MOVIESwww.crushable.com
(http://www.crushable.com/2013/12/16/entertainment/2013-events-scandals-2014-lifetime-
movies/)
7 THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW ARE STRESSING YOU OUTwww.zergnet.com
(http://www.zergnet.com/bustle-direct?link=119285)
HOW THIS DOG IS HELPING SAVE A LITTLE GIRL'S LIFE
(/articles/11163-service-dog-jj-monitors-owner-kaelyn-krawczyk-during-major-operation-at-duke-hospital)
15 KIM MOMENTS THAT ALMOST MADE US LIKE HER
(/articles/8029-15-kim-kardashian-moments-that-almost-made-us-like-her-in-2013)
AROUND THE WEB
ENTERTAINMENT
ABOUT (/ABOUT) TERMS (/TOS) PRIVACY (/PRIVACY) DMCA (/DMCA) CONTACT (/CONTACT)
FOLLOW BUSTLE
(HTTP://PINTEREST.COM/BUSTLEDOTCOM/)
(HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BUSTLEDOTCOM) (HTTPS://TWITTER.COM/BUSTLE) (HTTPS://GOOGLE.COM/+BUSTLEDOTCOM) (HTTP://BUSTLE.TUMBLR.COM/)
(/)© 2013 BUSTLE.COM