MCC head appointed to Obama's faith council
The White House on Friday announced that President Obama designated the head of the LGBT-inclusive Metropolitan Community Church as among 12 appointees to his faith advisory council.
The president named Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson, the MCC's global leader, to his Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The council is charged with making recommendations to the government on improving relationships with religious institutions.
In a statement, Obama expressed pleasure with being able to announce the 12 new appointees. The White House statement says that he'll name more appointees at a later date.
"I am pleased to announce that these experienced and committed individuals have agreed to join this administration, and I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead," he said.
According to the biography provided by the White House, Wilson, a lesbian, is "one of the nation's leading LGBT pastors" and held several roles in the MCC before becoming its global leader.
"Rev. Wilson has been an active voice on HIV issues, prisoner treatment programs, LGBT issues, and women's rights," the statement reads.
Sharon Groves, acting director of the Human Rights Campaign's religion and faith program, said "there could not be a better choice for the president's advisory council" than Wilson.
"Rev. Wilson is a lifelong advocate for justice of all marginalized communities, particularly the LGBT persons," Groves said. "She is smart, compassionate, deeply faithful person who has devoted her life to justice."
Related Topics:Barack ObamaHuman Rights CampaignMetropolitan Community ChurchNancy WilsonSharon GrovesWhite House
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Embattled N.Y. congressman stepped down from committees on Tuesday
Congressman George Santos (R-N.Y.) (Screen shot via YouTube)
Republican U.S. Rep. George Santos (N.Y.) faces yet another law enforcement probe, this time over allegations the congressman ran a GoFundMe scam in 2016 by crowdsourcing for a U.S. Navy veteran and his cancer-stricken service dog before absconding with the money.
Politico reported on Wednesday that the veteran, Richard Osthoff, furbished text messages to FBI agents who were working on behalf of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, which is reportedly conducting a parallel investigation into Santos' campaign finances.
The news comes a day after Santos resigned from his two committee assignments following a meeting with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Monday.
Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) announced on Twitter Wednesday that he filed a complaint against Santos with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission "for violating federal securities law."
Torres wrote that his GOP colleague "illegally operated as a broker without a license, raising funds from unsuspecting investors for Harbor City Capitol, a 17 million dollar Ponzi scheme."
NEW: I just asked the SEC to investigate George Santos for violating federal securities law.
Mr. Santos illegally operated as a broker without a license, raising funds from unsuspecting investors for Harbor City Capitol, a 17 million dollar Ponzi Scheme. pic.twitter.com/2z4YpqhOvm
— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) February 1, 2023
Last month, Torres and fellow U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) filed an FEC complaint against Santos over his alleged violations of campaign finance laws. And over the weekend, the Justice Department reportedly asked the FEC to yield to federal prosecutors — likely a sign that the campaign finance issues are the subject of a criminal probe.
Santos reportedly faces investigations by the Nassau County District Attorney's Office and the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James. He has been embroiled in controversy since his arrival to Washington following revelations that nearly every part of his biography and identity were complete fabrications.
Former president's anti-trans proposals range from healthcare to education
President Donald Trump (Washington Blade file photo by Lee Whitman)
Former President Donald Trump promised to weaponize the might of the federal government against transgender Americans if voters send him back to the White House next year.
He detailed the plans in a video shared on the platform Rumble, which is popular among conservative and far-right users.
Some would restore policies enacted during his administration by executive orders that were overturned by President Joe Biden, while other proposals were more extreme or would face an unclear path to implementation because they would require acts of Congress.
Trump began by inveighing against guideline-directed medical care for the treatment of gender dysphoria in minors — practices that are approved by every major mainstream American and international scientific and medical institution with relevant clinical expertise.
"I will sign a new executive order instructing every federal agency to cease all programs that promote the concept of sex and gender transition at any age," Trump said, promising also to urge Congress to ban certain procedures for minors nationwide.
"I will declare that any hospital or healthcare provider that participates in the chemical or physical mutilation of minor youth will no longer meet federal health and safety standards for Medicaid and Medicare and will be terminated from the program immediately," the former president said, referring again to healthcare interventions whose safety and efficacy has been demonstrated in hundreds of peer reviewed studies in scientific and medical journals.
Trump also said he would create a private right of action allowing for lawsuits against doctors and healthcare providers for administering or facilitating access to treatments for trans and gender non-conforming youth.
Democrats should be studying Nicola Sturgeon and the forceful response she's given to the UK's efforts to hold back trans rights. Dismissing this fight as a distraction will only get you so far–take it head on, put your values up front, and don't hesitate. https://t.co/ZC9W2uKgIT
— Gillian Branstetter (@GBBranstetter) February 1, 2023
"The Department of Justice will investigate big pharma and the big hospital networks to determine whether they have deliberately covered up horrific long term side effects of sex transitions in order to get rich at the expense of vulnerable patients," Trump said.
The former president then looked beyond healthcare, promising to erase trans people from schools and refuse to recognize them by the U.S. government.
"My Department of Education will inform states and school districts that if any teacher or school official suggests to a child that they could be trapped in the wrong body, they will be faced with severe consequences including potential civil rights violations for sex discrimination and the elimination of federal funding," Trump said.
As part of credentialing for America's teachers, messages promoting "the nuclear family" and child-rearing by "mothers and fathers" would be required, Trump said, adding that he would ask Congress to "pass a bill establishing that the only genders recognized by the United States government are male and female and they are assigned at birth."
"The bill will also make clear," Trump said, "that Title IX prohibits men from participating in women's sports and we will protect the rights of parents from being forced to allow their minor child to assume a gender which is new and an identity without the parents' consent."
Trump concluded his message with the false assertion that gender dysphoria "was never heard of in all of human history" until "the radical left invented it just a few years ago."
Embattled gay Republican under pressure to resign
Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) Screen shot via YouTube)
Republican Rep. George Santos (N.Y.) told House GOP colleagues on Tuesday that he will step down from his two committee assignments pending the resolution of investigations and possible law enforcement activity over his alleged financial crimes and violations of campaign finance laws.
Santos, who was appointed to the House Small Business and Science, Space and Technology Committees, neither of which are considered high profile, announced his recusal during a closed-door session following his meeting on Monday with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).
Today's news marks the first sign that the many scandals with which Santos has been enveloped since his arrival to Washington may have fractured his relationships with and support from House Republican leadership.
Over the weekend, the Justice Department reportedly asked the Federal Election Commission to yield to the federal prosecutors probing Santos' campaign finance activity, a likely signal that a criminal investigation is underway.
Santos is also the subject of a complaint filed to the House Ethics Committee as well as parallel investigations conducted by the Nassau County District Attorney's Office and the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James.
The congressman has faced calls to resign, including from members of his own party, since it was revealed last month that he had fabricated virtually every part of his identity and biography.
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