Senate Narrowly Rejects Bill To Fund Assistance To Homeless LGBT Youth

From Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Fund:

Today, the United States Senate failed to pass the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act (S.A. 290), which would reauthorize the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA). The vote was 56 "YES" to 43 "NO" - short of the 60 "YES" votes required to pass. The Act includes a non-discrimination clause that would help ensure lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth experiencing homelessness not only have access to critical services, but that those services are safe, welcoming, and tailored to meet their unique needs. Research continues to show that while LGBT youth make up just seven percent of the general youth population, they comprise up to 40 percent of the 1.6 million youth that are homeless in America each year. 

"Thank you to the 56 senators who showed true leadership today by voting in favor of protecting all of our nation’s 1.6 million homeless youth,” said Cyndi Lauper, Co-Founder of the True Colors Fund. “Unfortunately, 43 senators put the objections of conservative religious groups ahead of the lives of our nation’s most vulnerable youth. Every day, homeless gay and transgender youth experience rejection and discrimination from their families, communities, and the providers who are supposed to help them. Today, 43 senators added their names to the group of people who think that it is acceptable to throw away the up to 40% of homeless youth who identify as LGBT."

Chris Geidner reports on the voting:

For the third time this year, a majority of the Republican-led Senate voted for a pro-LGBT measure — with 56 senators, including 10 Republicans, voting for an amendment that including LGBT protections for runaway youth. Wednesday’s vote to amend the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act into the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 failed, however, as it would have required 60 votes to pass. The amendment included a nondiscrimination clause that would have prohibited runaway and homeless relief programs created by the act from discriminating against LGBT children based on their sexual orientation and gender identity.

Sens. Kelly Ayotte, Shelley Moore Capito, Susan Collins, Dean Heller, Mark Kirk, Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul, Rob Portman, Dan Sullivan, and Pat Toomey joined all the Democrats in voting for the measure, which was brought to a vote by Sen. Pat Leahy. Among the declared presidential candidates, Paul was the only one to vote for the measure. Sen. Marco Rubio opposed the amendment, and Sen. Ted Cruz did not vote on the amendment or the underlying bill, which passed 99-0. This was not the first such vote, suggesting that, while there is still not yet a filibuster-proof majority supporting LGBT rights in the Senate, there is a simple majority who appears willing to back a broad range of LGBT rights measures. In many cases, however, the Republican leadership’s opposition to LGBT rights measures would keep them from coming to the floor.

Cyndi Lauper Advocates For Homeless LGBT Youth At National Press Club Event

From an unusually even-handed report by the Christian site CNS News:

Pop singer and LGBT activist Cyndi Lauper said on Wednesday that homosexual children are “being thrown away because of who they are.” Lauper was speaking at an event at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., to mark the 40th anniversary of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act and to advocate for a new authorization of the bill introduced by Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) to include language for LGBT youth “protections.” Lauper said that LGBT youth make up to as much as 40 percent of homeless youth in the United States while only seven percent of youth “identify as gay or transgender.” “That, to me is alarming, because that means to me that kids are being thrown away because of who they are,” she said. “I think we need these kids.

Commenters at the above-linked site are, of course, viciously attacking Lauper and LGBT kids. They use Disqus, so feel free to show your support.

RELATED: Tickets went on sale today for Lauper's star-studded benefit concert at Manhattan's Beacon Theatre.

Sen. Patrick Leahy Proposes Freezing Aid To Uganda Over Anti-Homosexuality Bill

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) has proposed freezing US aid to Uganda over the enactment of that country's brutal anti-homosexuality bill, which was signed last week by President Yoweri Museveni.

“I am deeply concerned by the decision of President (Yoweri) Museveni of Uganda to sign into law the anti-homosexuality bill,” Senator Patrick Leahy, the most senior member of the chamber and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement. “Much of US assistance to Uganda is for the people of Uganda, including those in the Ugandan LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community whose human rights are being so tragically violated,” he added. Washington is among Uganda’s largest international donors. The State Department said that in current fiscal year some $485 million in bilateral assistance had been provided to Uganda with most of the funds going towards health programs, as well as education, food security and military training. The State Department has signalled it is looking at a range of options to respond to the law, while White House spokesman Jay Carney said “we are undertaking a review of our relationship with Uganda in light of this decision.”

With the aid of Western governments and NGOs, Uganda has seen a remarkable decline in HIV infections compared to its neighbors. Some US and European HIV/AIDS activists oppose cutting financial aid despite the latest law. Yesterday a prominent Ugandan LGBT activist begged that aid not be cut, saying such a move would only create a stronger backlash against LGBT people in his country.

Frank Mugisha, director of Sexual Minorities Uganda, has said he does not support aid cuts. ‘We can’t afford to create new victims,’ he said on Twitter this week. ‘We should go after the crazy politicians! Not innocent Ugandans.’ In February this year, prominent Ugandan LGBTI rights activist Abbey Kiwanuka petitioned the Dutch foreign affairs committee to use other ways to persuade Uganda not to make the bill law instead of cutting aid. His pleas were turned down. Edwin Sesange, director of the African LGBTI Out and Proud Diamond Group, said in a Gay Star News comment piece: ‘Aid in various forms helps all ordinary Ugandans, including LGBTI people who we are campaigning for. ‘Therefore the consequences of not being able to access those services financed by foreign aid will directly impact gay, lesbian, trans and bi Ugandans wellbeing.'

RELATED: Sexual Minorities Uganda is the group suing Scott Lively for crimes against humanity.

Sen. Patrick Leahy Intro's LGBT Couples Amendment To Immigration Reform Bill

Shortly after the Senate voted to debate the immigration reform bill written by the so-called Gang Of Eight, late this afternoon Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) again introduced an amendment that would allow LGBT citizens to sponsors their spouses for permanent residency. Politico reports:

“Seeking equal protection under our laws for the LGBT community is the right thing to do,” Leahy said in a statement Tuesday. “I withheld my anti-discrimination amendment during the Senate Judiciary Committee markup. As the entire Senate turns to debate the immigration bill, the fight for equality must go on.” It is unclear whether Leahy’s proposal will get a vote. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) have yet to reach an agreement on amendments. And the political dynamics for Leahy’s amendment are different on the floor. In the committee, the amendment would have required just a simple majority for it to pass. On the floor, it will almost certainly need 60 votes.

Republicans had previously threatened to torpedo the entire bill if LGBT spouses were attached. Late last month Democratic members of the Senate reluctantly agreed that such an imperfect bill was better than no immigration reform at all and Leahy withdrew his amendment. It's not yet clear why Leahy is now trying again.

DOMA Project founder Lavi Soloway reacts via press release:

With this bold move, Senator Leahy has carved out an exception to the Defense of Marriage Act for lesbian and gay binational couples that will provide access to existing marriage-related family unification provisions of our immigration law. The Leahy amendment does not actually amend any current provision of our immigration law, but simply removes the extrinsic barrier caused by DOMA that prevents lesbian and gay Americans from filing petitions for their spouses, fiance(e)s and stepchildren. The implication of Senator Leahy's focus on equality is that LGBT families are no different than any other American families comprised of citizens and non-citizens. We must have access to the same immigration law protections that ensure that no family is torn apart. No band aid solution will ever make us equal.  

Gays Won't Be In Immigration Reform Bill

An amendment to add LGBT couples to the Senate immigration reform bill was withdrawn tonight in order to improve the bill's chance of passage. Chris Geidner has the news at Buzzfeed:

Sen. Patrick Leahy withdrew his proposed amendment to the comprehensive immigration reform bill that would have recognized the marriages of same-sex couples for immigration purposes on Tuesday night, after several Democratic members of the committee stated that they would not be supporting it. A little past 7 p.m., Leahy said, “It is with a heavy heart … I will withhold the Leahy Amendment 7 at this point.” Leahy offered the amendment a half-hour earlier, saying, “I don’t want to be the senator who asks Americans to choose between the love of their life and the love of their country.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham: "If you redefine marriage for immigration purposes [by the amendment], the bill would fall apart because the coalition would fall apart. It would be a bridge too far."  Devoted LGBT allies Sen. Chuck Schumer and Sen. Al Franken both reluctantly agreed that removing the amendment to include gay couples was better than sinking the entire bill.

The Human Rights Campaign reacts:

"As we come together as a nation to tackle our broken immigration system, it is deplorable that a small number of Senators have been able to stand in the way of progress for lesbian and gay couples torn apart by discriminatory laws. Instead of working to achieve common-sense solutions, Senators Graham, Flake, McCain and Rubio threatened to derail the entire immigration bill to appease a small but vocal group of anti-gay social conservatives that will do anything to stop progress for lesbian and gay couples.

"We are extremely disappointed that our allies did not put their anti-LGBT colleagues on the spot and force a vote on the measure that remains popular with the American people. We will continue to work hard to include bi-national same-sex couples as the bill moves to the floor and remain committed to the underlying principles of inclusive and comprehensive immigration reform. We owe it to the estimated 267,000 undocumented LGBT adults and estimated 24,700 LGBT bi-national couples living in the U.S. today to get the job done."

Immigration Equality reacts:

"Despite the leadership of Chairman Leahy, Judiciary Committee Democrats have caved to bullying by their Republican colleagues," said Rachel B. Tiven, executive director of Immigration Equality Action Fund. "There should be shame on both sides of the political aisle today for lawmakers who worked to deny LGBT immigrant families a vote. Despite widespread support from business, labor, faith, Latino and Asian-American advocates, Senators abandoned LGBT families without a vote."

Senator Chuck Schumer, an architect of the immigration bill, had long promised LGBT constituents that the package would include their families. "From the beginning we told Senator Schumer that it would only get harder to add LGBT families to the bill," said Tiven. "We are disappointed that Senator Schumer and his 'Gang of 8' colleagues accepted a false choice between LGBT families and immigration reform, when the truth is that including LGBT families from the outset would have strengthened the bill."

UPDATE: DOMA Project head Lavi Soloway sends this image.

UPDATE II: President Obama has issued a statement.

I applaud the Committee members for their hard work, especially “Gang of Eight” members Senators Schumer, Durbin, Graham and Flake. None of the Committee members got everything they wanted, and neither did I , but in the end, we all owe it to the American people to get the best possible result over the finish line. I encourage the full Senate to bring this bipartisan bill to the floor at the at the earliest possible opportunity and remain hopeful that the amendment process will lead to further improvements