Diversity Rules Magazine

4 Diversity Rules Magazine January 2020 The year 2019 is now history. Chalk it up to an- other year that has flown by like the blink of an eye. We are now in a very young 2020. We hope 2020 brings good news, more prosperity, and the defeat of Donald J. Trump as the current occupant of the White House. I can't even call him President. When Donald Trump was elected President of the United States, I knew from the minute he took office that we were in for a very rough ride. Li le did I know then, nor did anyone else for that mat- ter, how rough the ride would actu- ally be. Donald Trump has proven to be one of the most, if not THE most, toxic Presidents this na on has ever had the displeasure to experience. Trump's elec on to the highest office in the land has also unleashed a wave of hateful rheto- ric that has produced tragic results in terms of the atroci es commi ed against immigrants, and those groups who are not white, or who do not fit into the alt-right's vision of what an American should be. That vision, unfortunately, does not include people of color, LGBTQ individuals, and others who do not stack up to the percep ons of white privileged America or the values of the para-military, white su- premacist filth that pollutes our na on. Specific to LGBTQ Americans, in 2019 we witnessed a steady, daily drumbeat of an -LGBTQ rhetoric and policies, not only emana ng from the federal government, but from various state legislatures, as well, that degrade LGBTQ Americans to a second- class status once again. We endured constant ha- rassment from religious and other bigots and ho- mophobes who take issue with two people of the same sex loving each other, raising children, and having the life that straight Americans have and taken for granted for so long. In 2020, we need to say enough! We must take ac on to stop the ignorant and horrid legisla ve and other ini- a ves that have been proposed by religious and other bigots across the na on. Let's first take a look at some of the measures that have been proposed and implemented by the repulsive administra on that claims to be serving all ci zens of the na on, and that degrade an LGBTQ person's humanity and self- respect, not only in 2019 but since it took power in 2017. 1) Withdrew an Obama direc ve to treat transgender students equally; 2) Reinstated the ban on transgender individuals serving in the military; 3) Stripped LGBTQ protec ons in the Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. Obamacare); 4) Banned the display of pride flags at all US embas- sies; 5) Refused to issue an official proclama on recog- nizing Pride Month; 6) A empted to strip the Stonewall Inn of its his- toric site status; 7) Signed an Execu ve Order focused on "religious liberty" that set the stage for legal discrimina on We're Queer! Where Do We Go From Here? By Jim Koury, Editor/Publisher

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