{"id":596457,"date":"2023-11-03T12:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-03T09:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/johnsons-strident-lgbtq-views-put-advocates-on-alert\/"},"modified":"2023-11-03T12:30:00","modified_gmt":"2023-11-03T09:30:00","slug":"johnsons-strident-lgbtq-views-put-advocates-on-alert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/johnsons-strident-lgbtq-views-put-advocates-on-alert\/","title":{"rendered":"#Johnson\u2019s strident LGBTQ views put advocates on alert"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/11\/AP23306629123673-e1698964146587.jpg?w=900\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>In the week since Republicans voted unanimously to elect Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) the next Speaker of the House, LGBTQ lawmakers and civil rights advocates have criticized the once little-known congressman\u2019s conservative record on same-sex marriage and transgender rights and questioned his ability to lead the House on LGBTQ issues with impartiality.<\/p>\n<p>His background may allow a controversial bill to come to the floor.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr1_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>As an attorney and former spokesperson for the conservative Christian legal group Alliance Defending Freedom,\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2023\/10\/25\/politics\/mike-johnson-gay-sex-criminalization-kfile\/index.html\">Johnson authored op-eds<\/a>\u00a0that advocated for the criminalization of gay sex and suggested that legalizing same-sex marriage could lead to people marrying their pets.<\/p>\n<p>In Congress, Johnson,\u00a0elected in 2016, voted against the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act and the Equality Act on several occasions. He later\u00a0introduced legislation\u00a0to prohibit federal dollars from being used to make \u201csexually-oriented\u201d materials \u2014 including de<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">script<\/a>ions or depiction of \u201cany topic\u201d related to sexual orientation or gender identity \u2014 available to children under the age of 10.<\/p>\n<p>Johnson last year,\u00a0while unveiling the bill,\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/mikejohnson.house.gov\/news\/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1206\">said<\/a>\u00a0the measure was needed to stop a Democratic \u201ccrusade to immerse young children in sexual imagery and radical gender ideology.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In March, Johnson co-sponsored \u2014 and later\u00a0helped pass\u00a0\u2014 a bill to bar transgender athletes from competing on women\u2019s and girls\u2019 sports teams at federally funded schools.<\/p>\n<p>And in July, a House Judiciary subcommittee chaired by Johnson\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/judiciary.house.gov\/committee-activity\/hearings\/dangers-and-due-process-violations-gender-affirming-care\">held a hearing<\/a>\u00a0to \u201cexamine and expose\u201d the alleged dangers of gender-affirming health care for transgender minors. Johnson in his opening statement said children are being coerced into believing they are transgender by teachers and progressive <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a> and \u201cmutilated\u201d by doctors.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSomething has gone terribly wrong, and deep down everybody in this country knows it,\u201d Johnson said.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr2_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Shannon Minter, legal director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights and one of the hearing\u2019s witnesses, said Johnson during the July hearing appeared unwilling to consider evidence in support of gender-affirming care, which is considered medically necessary for transgender adults and minors by\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/transhealthproject.org\/resources\/medical-organization-statements\/\">every major medical organization<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt didn\u2019t seem that what anyone said on our side of the question made much of an impact on him,\u201d said Minter, who is transgender.<\/p>\n<p>In his only question to Minter, Johnson asked the 62-year-old to confirm that he began his medical transition as an adult in his mid-30s, rather than as a child. \u201cThat is correct,\u201d Minter responded, \u201cI wish I\u2019d been able to do so earlier.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr3_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>\u201cHe tried to make it personal,\u201d Minter said of the interaction.<\/p>\n<p>Johnson has sought to outright ban gender-affirming health care while in Congress and is one of 45 Republican co-sponsors\u00a0of a bill to make providing puberty blockers, hormones and surgeries to transgender minors a Class C felony.<\/p>\n<p>The bill, introduced in September by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), would additionally restrict access to care for transgender adults by prohibiting the use of federal funds for gender-affirming services, including in Affordable Care Act plans. Greene,\u00a0in the weeks leading up to Johnson\u2019s election,\u00a0said her vote would go to a Speaker candidate\u00a0who\u00a0considered passing the measure a priority.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr4_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Johnson co-sponsored an\u00a0identical bill\u00a0introduced by Greene in the last Congress, as well as a previous iteration of the current measure that was filed in March.<\/p>\n<p>While former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and prior GOP Speaker nominees Reps. Steve Scalise (La.) and Jim Jordan (Ohio) have criticized youth access to gender-affirming care, none opted to co-sponsor Greene\u2019s bill.<\/p>\n<p>It could be a sign that Johnson may use his new position to bring the measure to the floor for the first time.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr5_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>\u201cThere are rumors that he\u2019s given the OK for that bill to advance,\u201d said Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus.<\/p>\n<p>Johnson\u2019s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the status of Greene\u2019s bill.<\/p>\n<p>Pocan,\u00a0in a\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/lgbtq.house.gov\/media-center\/press-releases\/equality-caucus-condemns-election-of-mike-johnson-as-speaker-of-the\">statement<\/a>\u00a0released by the Equality Caucus following Johnson\u2019s election,\u00a0slammed Johnson as a \u201cvehement opponent of LGBTQI+ equality\u201d who has \u201cdedicated his career to attacking LGBTQI+ people.\u201d But in an interview with The Hill, Pocan said he is willing to give Johnson a chance.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr6_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s fresh into his first week,\u201d he said. \u201cI think we need a little more time to know whether he\u2019s going to lead with his extreme personal beliefs, or if he\u2019s going to lead with things that pertain to the Republican majority.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In an\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/video\/rep-craig-speaker-johnson-symbolizes-032856637.html\">interview with MSNBC\u2019s Jonathan Capehart<\/a>, Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.), who wished her wife a happy wedding anniversary while casting her vote for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) during last week\u2019s Speaker vote, said Republicans by unanimously\u00a0\u00a0electing\u00a0Johnson had signaled that extremists had taken control the party.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a complete takeover at this point,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr7_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Craig added, however, that she\u2019s hopeful she and others in Congress will be able to reshape Johnson\u2019s views on issues including LGBTQ equality.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI hope we can work to change his views over time,\u201d she said. \u201cI really think that his view on this is outdated; it\u2019s wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), one of 10 openly LGBTQ members of the House, similarly\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RepRobertGarcia\/status\/1719019423724372226\">said this week<\/a>\u00a0that Democrats are hopeful Johnson \u201cwill shed some of those positions, and hopefully come a little bit more to where the country\u2019s at \u2013 a little bit more to the center.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Most Americans, regardless of their political affiliation, support equal rights and nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people, recent polling has shown, and support for marriage equality in the U.S.\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/news.gallup.com\/poll\/506636\/sex-marriage-support-holds-high.aspx\">stands at a record 71 percent<\/a>. More than 7 percent of the nation\u2019s adult population identifies as LGBTQ,\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/news.gallup.com\/poll\/470708\/lgbt-identification-steady.aspx\">according to a February Gallup poll<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Minter, with the National Center for Lesbian Rights, said lawmakers who believe they can change Johnson\u2019s views on LGBTQ people shouldn\u2019t hold their breath.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think we would be very foolish to think that somebody who has consistently held anti-LGBT views and beliefs and has consistently acted on them in the past is suddenly going to change course,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe better be ready for the worst,\u201d Minter said, \u201cand hope that\u2019s not what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/lgbtq\/4291024-johnsons-strident-lgbtq-views-put-advocates-on-alert\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the week since Republicans voted unanimously to elect Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) the next Speaker of the House, LGBTQ lawmakers and civil rights advocates have criticized the once little-known congressman\u2019s conservative record on same-sex marriage and transgender rights and questioned his ability to lead the House on LGBTQ issues with impartiality. His background may&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":596458,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/11\/AP23306629123673-e1698964146587.jpg?w=1280","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[134344,134353,90482,137606,137731,23261,146774,115,143551,70289,146775],"class_list":["post-596457","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-administration","tag-court-battles","tag-house","tag-house-republicans","tag-house-speaker","tag-lgbtq","tag-lgbtq-issues","tag-news","tag-race-politics","tag-senate","tag-transgender-health-coverage"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/596457","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=596457"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/596457\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/596458"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=596457"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=596457"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=596457"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}