Five candidates for the 2024 Republican presidential major met on stage on November 8 in Miami for their next argument, which was moderated by Hugh Hewitt, a liberal critic, Kristen Welker, and Lester Holt of NBC’s Nightly News.
Chris Christie, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Tim Scott were among the candidates who took part ( pictured above, from left ).
The statewide civil rights organization GLAAD and Equality Florida Action, Inc., which works to ensure complete equality for Florida’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer ( LGBTQ ) community, wrote to moderators in advance of the debate to urge them to bring up important LGBTQ issues. Although none of the questions were included in the conversation, the letter listed certain issues and questions for candidates.
Tim Scott‘s final notes,” If God made you a man, you play sports against men,” in an effort to misgender mature women athletes and trans women women, were the only mention of LGBTQ individuals or problems.
The two GOP primary disputes before them were also characterized by trans children being mistreated, both prompted and unprompted. Transgender girls were misrepresented in the first debate moderator Martha McCallum’s issue, which referred to them as “biological kids.”
Vivek Ramaswamy unintentionally and fraudulently asserted during the second conversation that transgenderism, particularly in children, is a mental health disorder. I apologize, but expressing a child’s confusion is not empathetic. The term” transgenderism” is used by anti-transgender activists to dehumanize people who identify as trans and reduce them to” a condition” or “dangerous ideologies,” despite the fact that being trans is not a mental health condition, according to medical consensus. Every major health organization supports Ramaswamy’s incendiary and unreliable claim that he will “ban genital mutilation or chemical castration” as a form of transgender health care.
We’re going to pass a national ban on transgender chemical or medical surgery anywhere in the country, said former Vice President Mike Pence, who has since withdrawn from the primary, during that same debate. In neither case were the individuals questioned about supporting their incendiary claims about transgender health treatment in the United States, which adheres to the U.S. and World Professional Associations of TransGender Health’s Standards of Care.
The second debate’s editors were asked the following questions:
Fairness in marriage
Justice Clarence Thomas demanded that decisions on union justice, contraception, and the legalization of same-sex relationships get reevaluated in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last summer that overturned Roe v. Wade. In Congress, the Respect for Marriage Act was approved in December 2023 with republican help.
Tim Scott is asked the following problem:
You stated that you believe choosing to be gay is ethically wrong. Will you be able to put your personal beliefs aside to defend LGBTQ people’s constitutional rights in this nation?
posed query for all applicants:
Do you favor same-sex people getting married equally in the United States?
FACT: 71 % of all Americans, including 49 % of Republicans, now support marriage justice at a record high level.
Anti-transgender limits and prohibitions
This year, more than 500 charges were put forth across the country that targeted LGBTQ Americans, including those that supported children access to healthcare and transgender people. ( more than 30 statements around )
posed query for all applicants:
The most common cause of death for young Americans is gun violence, but despite this, there is a lot of attention being paid to outlawing novels by and about Gay people as well as books about race and bigotry. The experts claim that banning health care for transgender children also saves and improves their lives. Is this a situation where politicians should prioritize?
Possibly posed query to Vivek Ramaswamy:
According to your campaign website, if a ban on transgender minors ‘ access to health care reached your desk in the White House while you were president, you would sign it into law. Such treatment for trans children is supported by every significant health organization in the United States. Have you discussed the life and personal health decisions of transgender youth’s parents? Why should a politician make the decisions that are best for these individuals?
Problem for Nikki Haley that was suggested:
You’ve implied that transgender girls ‘ mental wellbeing has suffered as a result of their participation in locker rooms and school activities. More costs have been put forth regarding trans people in sports than there are in school sports. What source do you use for this?
FACT: Research on a surge in suicidal thinking in adolescent girls and LGBTQ students were published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but there was no link between the presence of transgender children and teen girls ‘ ideas.
FACT: Transgender students are three times more likely than other students to skip class, report feeling uncomfortable and bullied at school, and run the risk of being sexually assaulted in restrooms and locker rooms that are inappropriate for their sex. Statements that transgender individuals pose a danger in secret spaces are not supported by research on crime data.
Health and college repression
According to a 2023 study, almost 1 in 3 Gay young people claimed that anti-LGBT policies and legislation were to blame for their poor mental health the majority of the time or constantly. Almost 2 out of 3 said that hearing about possible state or local laws prohibiting discussions of LGBTQ people at school significantly worsened their mental wellbeing.
Issues that were suggested for Ron DeSantis:
You signed and later expanded the so-called “do n’t say gay” rules as governor of Florida to cover not only the first results but also all the way up to the 12th grade. What do you say to a 16-year-old homosexual student or one who has two mothers about why they are unable to discuss themselves or their families in class?
Your document in Florida includes numerous bills that target transgender people, including those that restrict AP Black history because it included “queer theory,” despite the fact that there have been gay Black Americans in history, the restroom they use, whether they can participate in school sports, and having names and pronouns respected it. If we anticipate that this attention in Florida will be extended to LGBTQ Americans across the country if elected president?
The right to free speech
Numerous of the 500+ payments that have been proposed nationwide to target LGBTQ Americans, as well as numerous proposals to outlaw LGBTQ-related books and educational programs, aim to restrict individual and creative expression.
posed query for all applicants:
The attempts to outlaw books and diverse lesson plans from universities have increased significantly over the past two years, with the majority focusing on books about or by Gay people and people of color. Do you favor getting rid of these ebooks from libraries and schools?
Violence and dangerous language
Studies have revealed a surge in anti-LGBT prejudice as well as an increase in speech and legislation that targets LGBTQ people. Not just Gay people experience the effects. Lauri Carleton, a lady from California, was shot and killed in August after her alleged criminal questioned her about the Pride flag she had in front of her apparel store. Laurie was n’t Gay herself; she was an ally. She had nine children, was married, and was flat.
posed query for all applicants:
Instead of politicizing Gay people and communities that support them, how do you intend to defend them?
Election 2024: National Major Prospects on the Record is the link to GLAAD’s reference link on all the declared presidential candidates and their positions on LGBTQ problems.
GLAAD encourages voters and journalists to inquire about the prospects ‘ Gay data throughout the remainder of the campaign. Americans have a right to know how these individuals intend to address the rights and wants of LGBTQ people in order for them to achieve in all facets of American living.
According to Gallup, about 7 % of Americans are lesbian, gay, or lesbian, including 20 % of GenZ, the youngest population cohort ever studied and the oldest generation ever. According to polling and participation study from the 2020 election, LGBTQ voters were a key factor in Joe Biden’s victory as president and in many of the state that Donald Trump had won in 2016.
46 % of adult Floridians identify as LGBTQ, and 24 % are parents. Florida’s discriminatory and harmful “do n’t say gay/trans” legislation has served as a model for bills in various states. Florida has rules that deny LGBTQ people justice in family law, public accommodations, health care, and training.
Gay people in Florida and across the nation will be significantly impacted by the 2024 general election outcomes. Discussing the issues at hand and the candidates ‘ Gay information was crucial during the NBC News argument in Miami. The candidates ‘ Gay information should be noted in the media covering the conversation.
GLAAD rewrites the text to accommodate Gay people. GLAAD engages in challenging topics as a powerful media force in order to form the narrative and spark dialogue that fosters cultural change. GLAAD creates a planet where everyone can live the life they love and safeguards everything that has been accomplished.
Florida’s statewide civil rights organization, Equality Florida Action, Inc., is committed to ensuring complete equality for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer ( LGBTQ ) community.
