Latest news with #TheAdvocate
American Press
44 minutes ago
- Business
- American Press
Jim Beam column:Talking on phone doesn't cut it
Public meetings are just that. They are always supposed to be open to the public. Some years ago, I asked a member of the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury how they managed to avoid controversial public meetings. It's no problem, he said, because they just discussed those issues over the phone. I was surprised Sunday when I read a story in The Advocate about Republican Gov. Jeff Landry's LA DOGE work and its leader said the group no longer meets and just 'talk on the phone as needed.' First, some background. LA DOGE is Landry's copy of President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency that was led by billionaire Elon Musk who paraded around with a chainsaw to show he was cutting government by firing people and gutting programs. Landry asked his friend and businessman Steve Orlando to become the state's 'Fiscal Responsibility Czar.' Orlando, who is a volunteer, built a major business providing services to oil and gas companies. The two men say the goal of Louisiana's DOGE isn't slashing government jobs or services. It's using a business-minded approach to help agencies use taxpayer dollars wisely. The effort is primarily directed at the Louisiana Department of Health, the largest agency that gets $3.2 billion in state general funds and $16.4 billion from the federal government. One of its major successes, according to the health department and not from a public meeting, so far has saved the state $73 million. It did that by finding out when Medicaid recipients had moved out of state. The newspaper said at LA DOGE's urging the health department in April began using Office of Motor Vehicles data to help get those people off the Medicaid rolls. Mike Waguespack, Louisiana's legislative auditor, who is working closely with LA DOGE, said, 'We're tickled to death that the governor has really pushed his folks to dust off these reports and implement the recommendations that this office has given to the executive branch.' LA DOGE is also trying to transform the state Department of Children and Family Services, which has needed changes for much too long because of job losses dating back to when Bobby Jindal was governor. Orlando said savings at the state technology office have saved $4.5 million so far. He is also working with the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the health department to use AI to detect Medicaid fraud. It's the first we've heard about the ULL plan. Like most Louisianans, Orlando said, 'I just want to know that when I pay my taxes, my money is actually being put to good use.' The success so far is commendable, but the fact remains that what LA DOGE is doing is public business and the public deserves to know how and when it is achieving success. We only know about these latest savings because Landry or Orlando told us that is what they have done. Meeting by telephone isn't the answer. It's dodging the state's public meetings and public records laws. State government is a business and taxpayers are the stockholders. They want to read about DOGE having meetings open to the public. Steven Procopio, president of the Louisiana Public Affairs Research Council, said, 'They (Landry and Orlando) are making plans about how state spending should be done. That is state tax dollars, and so therefore, the citizens have a right to be involved in that process, or at least to be informed (at public meetings and not just by their reports about what is happening). The Advocate said transparency experts said DOGE is subject to open meetings laws, which require a 'public body' to give notice of meetings that the public can attend. Bruce Hamilton, a civil rights attorney, said, 'The fiscal responsibility program (LA DOGE) looks like a public body, acts like a public body and functions like a public body. So to me, it's a public body, and it has to follow legal requirements for a public body, including holding open meetings.' Yes, and here is why Landry has a free hand in running state government by his rules and not by open meetings laws: When he was elected On Oct. 14, 2023, 1,904,669 Louisiana voters (63.7%) stayed home. Jim Beam, the retired editor of the American Press, has covered people and politics for more than six decades. Contact him at 337-515-8871 or
Mint
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
‘Scary for people to be…': Ellen DeGeneres confirms move to UK due to Donald Trump. Here's why
US television icon Ellen DeGeneres made her first public appearance since relocating to the UK, confirming she moved the day after Donald Trump was re-elected as US president, according to a BBC report. A prominent figure in American entertainment for over 30 years, Ellen is widely known for her long-running daytime talk show, her 1990s self-titled sitcom, hosting major award shows like the Oscars, Grammys, and Emmys, and for voicing the beloved character Dory in Finding Nemo. On Sunday, during a conversation with broadcaster Richard Bacon at the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham, Ellen was asked whether she had moved because of US President Donald Trump. She responded simply, 'Yes.' Speaking to the audience, Ellen shared that life in the UK feels 'just better.' She also noted that she and her wife, Portia de Rossi, are considering renewing their vows in England amid growing concerns over possible reversals of gay marriage rights in the US, BBC reported. She added that America can still be 'scary for people to be who they are.' On Sunday, during an event at the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham, Ellen DeGeneres took part in a conversation with broadcaster Richard Bacon. When asked if reports were true that she moved to the UK because of Donald Trump, Ellen confirmed with a simple, 'Yes.' On January 25, his first day in office, Donald Trump signed an executive order stating that U.S. policy recognises only two sexes: male and female. This set the stage for a series of actions that affected the LGBTQ community. His administration barred transgender women from participating in women's sports, reinstated a ban on transgender people serving openly in the military, and removed LGBTQ references from national landmarks like Philadelphia's Independence Hall, a historic site for early gay rights activism. Further actions included cancelling $800 million in LGBTQ health research grants and shutting down a national suicide prevention hotline specifically for LGBTQ youth. Donald Trump's position on same-sex marriage has shifted over time. In a 2000 interview with The Advocate, as reported by CBS News, he voiced support for domestic partnerships, a stance that was uncommon among Republicans at the time. However, by 2015, he told CNN he supported 'traditional marriage.' Shortly after winning the 2016 election, Trump said in a 60 Minutes interview that he was 'fine' with same-sex marriage—an opinion that notably diverged from the 2016 GOP platform, which criticised the Supreme Court ruling that legalised it nationwide. (With inputs from BBC and agencies)
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
From legitimacy to uncertainty, Advocate readers reflect on 10 years of marriage equality and what comes next
A decade ago, on June 26, the U.S. Supreme Court announced a ruling in the case Obergefell v. Hodges that changed LGBTQ+ history in America: The majority of justices ruled in favor of marriage equality. Today, queer families, LGBTQ+ people, and allies are celebrating 10 years of the freedom to marry regardless of gender. Keep up with the latest in + news and politics. In the Obergefell decision, the high court found that prohibiting same-sex marriage was a violation of the equal protection clause under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Since then, marriage equality support has grown. Almost 70 percent of Americans support marriage for same-sex couples, according to Gallup. More than 80 percent of Democrats support marriage equality, and 74 percent of independents. Even Republicans have supported marriage equality with record highs in 2021 and 2022 for members of the GOP — it currently holds at 46 percent. There are now 823,000 married same-sex couples in the country, an increase of about 600,000 after Obergefell, the Williams Institute of UCLA reports. Of those couples, around 300,000 are raising children. The institute also recently reported that between 2015 and 2025, the total nationwide spending on weddings between same-sex couples reached $5.9 billion. Ahead of today's anniversary, The Advocate asked readers to take us back to that day and how they feel about marriage equality under the Trump administration in 2025. Most people were just going about their day, with a few who anxiously awaited the opinions to come down starting at 10 a.m., which is when the court releases them. Catherine Hunt, 63, was in Seattle in her apartment when the news broke. "I felt I sense of relief," she said. For 46-year-old James Yeager, he spent the morning anticipating the ruling. "I was in training at my job. I knew the ruling was likely to come out that day, so I had been paying more attention to the news feed on my phone than the actual training. When the ruling dropped, I dropped everything and bolted out of the training (with my coworkers' enthusiastic blessing) and ran to my husband's cubicle (we worked in different departments of the same company at the time). He hadn't heard yet because he was talking to a coworker, so I got to tell him by dropping to one knee and proposing. (Spoiler alert: He said YES! and we got married three months later,)" Yeager wrote to The Advocate. Related: New congressional resolution would make June 26 'Equality Day' celebrating LGBTQ+ victories Many of those who responded spoke about how important it was to receive the same rights as people in opposite-sex marriages, from tax advantages to health care. And many decided to marry because that right became a reality. Louis Tharp, 74, said he was refreshing the SCOTUSblog every minute, waiting for the decision. Tharp, who had married thrice to the same man at different times, leading up to nationwide marriage equality — once in California, once in Washington, D.C., and once in Connecticut. In 2015, he worked for the Obama administration and was in D.C. while his husband was in New York. "Being an Obama appointee and now directly benefiting from a Supreme Court decision made me feel for the first time in my life, that I was a valued U.S. citizen. Before then, I was an outsider. This wasn't my country," Tharp said in his response. "When I was growing up, you were either closeted, arrested, or sent to a mental institution because being gay was a crime and a mental illness. Slowly, life got better over five decades, and June 26, 2015, was the declaration of presence for the LGBT community with the Supreme Court's endorsement." For some, the ruling meant it validated the love they had for their partner. Those who messaged The Advocate said the ruling lent legitimacy, regardless of whether it was wanted or not. Many had been together for years — even decades — leading up to the Supreme Court ruling. Michael Mondello, 76, wrote that he and his husband married in Provincetown in 2008. "We have been together almost 51 years so the immediate impact was a verification of what we did in 2008," he wrote. "We had been together for 18 years prior to the marriage equality ruling in 2015. We discussed whether or not to go ahead and get married. We talked about the pros and cons, but ultimately realized that people had given their lives for this right, and it would be disrespectful to all those people who had joined the fight if we did not go ahead and get married," said Jane Fahey, 72. "I had just retired as an elementary school administrator, where I had remained semi-closeted for almost 40 years. All of a sudden it just seemed good and right to live my authentic life and to be married to the woman I loved." And of course, others cited the security that the right to marry brought. A legal marriage allows access to more than 1,000 rights, including Social Security benefits if a spouse dies, medical leave protections, estate tax exemptions, and more. It also allowed those living in states that already had granted marriage equality to have their marriage legally recognized across state lines. That's something that Eugene Galt noted in his response. "It did not affect how real our relationship was to us. Rather, it meant that I could move anywhere in the country, and my marriage would have the same legal protections those in opposite-sex marriages had long taken for granted," he said. Scott Turner, 62, also emphasized the importance of cross-state recognition. "[My husband and I] were already married in California but lived in South Carolina, where our marriage was not recognized. This ruling was the final step in the recognition of our relationship, which is now 35 years. In our eyes, we were married even before California. But having it legal in all states, including the one we lived in, was such a joyous moment. Not to mention, our financial situation was improved as many bills we owed from income taxes, property taxes, insurance, even gym memberships were immediately cut due to our marriage," he said. Related: While today is celebrated, almost every respondent mentioned a concern about the future of marriage equality under the current Supreme Court, which has a conservative majority, and under President Donald Trump and his administration. "Given the state of our nation right now, and given the political nature of the Supreme Court, I don't have high hopes that marriage equality is going to last in this country. I don't know how they can erase our marriage because of financial and legal implications, but I worry about the erosion of all LGBTQ+ rights," Fahey wrote. Still, regardless of what happens in the coming years, many still recall June 26, 2015, as a joyous day. William Vayens, 74, said the ruling allowed him and his husband to escape lavender marriages. He wrote to The Advocate, "It allowed us to divorce our lesbian wives (for medical insurance reasons) and marry each other and receive the benefits we should have received 40 years ago." This article originally appeared on Advocate: From legitimacy to uncertainty, Advocate readers reflect on 10 years of marriage equality and what comes next
American Press
18-06-2025
- Politics
- American Press
Jim Beam column:'We don't agree. Can we talk?'
'Be careful what you say here because the sound carries.' I got that advice one day from someone who was walking alongside me on the indoor track at the Ward 3 Recreation Center on Power Center Parkway and we were talking politics. The advice I got confirms what the Gallup organization that does polling and other things said in a January news report by The National News Desk (TNND). The headline said, 'Republicans, Democrats increasingly shedding 'moderate' label.' The news report said 'our politics are increasingly polarized as Republicans and Democrats are more likely now to view themselves as conservative or liberal as opposed to moderate.' I have covered the Louisiana Legislature part-time and full-time since 1968, and I have seen moderates in both parties throw in the towel and find other pursuits. Gallup said Republicans have always been most likely to identify as conservative and in 2023, 77% described themselves as conservative. TNND said Democrats' liberal identification has more than doubled over the past 30 years and reached a new high with 55% viewing themselves as liberal. 'Overall, Gallup found 37% of Americans consider themselves conservative, 34% consider themselves moderate, and 25% consider themselves liberal,' TNND said. Politics have become so polarized it's difficult to get those who disagree with one another together to hold a courteous and polite discussion. However, The Advocate reported there is a new national movement called 'Braver Angels' that is trying to get those who disagree together. A Baton Rouge group is bringing locals across the political spectrum together to sit down in the same room to discuss hot-button issues like taxes or birthright citizenship — and ask them not to shout, point fingers or storm out. David Lindenfeld, the co-chair of Braver Angels of Baton Rouge, said, 'We can sometimes view people on the other side as basically the enemy. That back and forth doesn't really solve the problems and the constant oscillation (movement) doesn't really get us very far.' The national Braver Angels organization began nearly 10 years ago following the 2016 presidential election and now has more than 100 'alliances' and 58,000 members, according to the group's website. The national group's board of directors is evenly balanced between the political left and political right. The newspaper said the goal isn't necessarily to get each side to agree, but to change how they think about each other. Lindenfeld said, 'It's the idea that you can look upon someone who disagrees with you as someone you could talk to, learn from, contribute to, and have face-to-face contact with. Rather than think, 'This is a terrible policy and a terrible person,' you can start opening up to a genuine discussion and break down the defensiveness.' The Advocate said a specific topic relevant to current events is chosen for each meeting. Then, two debaters of opposing viewpoints — usually with some type of professional background on the subject — make their case as a moderator presides over the back and forth. They're allowed a brief presentation explaining their standpoint and are told to refrain from referring to one another by name. Much of the firm guidelines steal their approach from family and couples' therapy techniques and 'give the safe space for political discourse.' About halfway through the meeting, discussion is then opened up to those in attendance, who can ask questions about a certain viewpoint or share their own thoughts on whatever the subject might be. Jon Parks, executive director of the Interfaith Federation of Greater Baton Rouge, helped advertise and organize the meetings. Parks said, and I agree, that immigration may be the country's most polarizing issue. Parks said, 'We value this country. We value our communities and we want the same kind of things. Let's talk about ways that we can work together to accomplish those.' I have received many telephone calls and emails during my journalism career from readers who disagreed with something I said in a column. When the two of us have been able to speak to one another civilly, we seldom agreed, but I often got a response that said, 'Thanks for listening to what I had to say.' That is all that most people really want — a chance to be heard. Jim Beam, the retired editor of the American Press, has covered people and politics for more than six decades. Contact him at 337-515-8871 or Reply Forward Add reaction
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Queer Wisconsin lawmakers Tammy Baldwin's and Mark Pocan's names found on Minnesota shooting suspect's list
Two of Wisconsin's top LGBTQ+ lawmakers — U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin and U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan — were among more than 45 Democratic officials named in writings recovered from the vehicle of a man accused of killing Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband in what officials are calling a politically motivated act of terror. Keep up with the latest in + news and politics. The suspect, 57-year-old Vance Boelter, was taken into custody Sunday after a statewide manhunt and appeared in federal court Monday on six charges, including two counts of murder with a firearm. Local prosecutors have also announced plans to file first-degree murder charges. Authorities say Boelter fatally shot Hortman and her husband, Mark, and critically injured state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, after reportedly showing up at the homes of at least four Democratic lawmakers early Saturday. Related: Man arrested for killing Minnesota Democrat gave anti-LGBTQ+ speech in Africa According to law enforcement and federal prosecutors, Boelter left behind notebooks naming dozens of current Democratic officeholders. Both Baldwin and Pocan confirmed that they had been notified their names were among those listed. 'Senator Baldwin was informed by law enforcement that she was included on the alleged shooter's list of names,' Baldwin's communications director, Eli Rosen, said in a statement to The Advocate. 'She is grateful for law enforcement's swift action to keep the community safe and remains focused on the things that matter most here: honoring the legacy and life of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, praying for the other victims who are fighting for their lives, and condemning this abhorrent, senseless political violence.' Baldwin, the first out gay person elected to the U.S. Senate, also responded on social media shortly after the shooting, calling the events 'stunning, terrifying, and heartbreaking.' 'Political violence like this is not who we are as a country,' she wrote. 'It's on all of us to condemn and stop it at every turn.' Pocan, a longtime out member of the House and former chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, said that the U.S. Capitol Police informed his office that his name appeared on additional documents found after the initial notebook was discovered. He said he learned of the connection on Sunday and that no further details had been shared with him. 'I'm appreciative that law enforcement apprehended the suspect,' Pocan said in a statement to The Advocate. 'I will not back down in the face of terror. However, we as elected officials must do better to lower the temperature. That said, my schedule remains unchanged.' Federal prosecutors have not yet identified a motive, but Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson said the evidence paints a clear picture of a politically charged intent. 'Obviously, his primary motivation was to go and murder people,' Thompson said during a Monday press conference. 'They were all elected officials. They were all Democrats.' As The Advocate previously reported, Boelter's public record shows a pattern of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and Christian nationalist ideology. In 2023, he gave a speech in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where he railed against queer and transgender people, declaring that 'people in America… don't know what sex they are. They don't know their sexual orientation — they're confused. The enemy has gotten so far into their mind and their soul.' That same rhetoric has now been distorted and weaponized further: in a recent appearance with right-wing pundit Benny Johnson, Donald Trump Jr. falsely claimed Boelter was aligned with the 'radical transgender movement,' labeling trans people 'the most violent domestic terror threat.' Related: Trump Jr. falsely blames 'radical transgender movement' for Melissa Hortman assassination In reality, trans people are far more likely to be victims than perpetrators of violence. A 2021 study by the Williams Institute found that transgender people are more than four times as likely as cisgender people to experience violent victimization, while cisgender individuals have committed 99.9 percent of mass shootings since 2014. The violence sent shockwaves through the Midwest and LGBTQ+ communities nationwide. Hortman, who previously served as Speaker of the Minnesota House, was known for championing LGBTQ+ rights and reproductive freedom. Her assassination has prompted vigils, condemnations, and calls for urgent federal action against political violence.
