Everything the 2020 Candidates Said (and Didn't Say) at Iowa's #LGBTQForum

Warren, Booker, and Buttigieg seemed to come out on top, while others stumbled or didn't show.
Image may contain Audience Human Crowd Person Speech Electrical Device Microphone Elizabeth Warren and Lecture
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren speaks at Iowa's LGBTQ presidential forum on Friday.Scott Olson/Getty

 

On Friday night in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, ten of the Democratic candidates for president took the stage to answer questions that focused entirely on LGBTQ+ issues in a historic event sponsored by The Advocate, GLAAD, and Iowa’s Gazette newspaper. It was the first of two such events being held this fall; on October 10, a similar LGBTQ+ town hall will be televised on CNN in partnership with the Human Rights Campaign.

Friday’s forum was a chance for candidates in one of the most crowded presidential races in history to distinguish themselves before Democratic voters — especially in an era when LGBTQ+ Americans are under increasing attack by the Trump administration, which appears hell-bent on rolling back nearly all recent advancements in federal policy protections. The event (whose recording you can watch on YouTube) allowed viewers to see candidates face questions unlikely to be raised during the more prominent debates.

Moderated by Advocate editor-in-chief Zach Stafford, Gazette columnist Lyz Lenz, and One Iowa policy director Keenan Crow, the forum had the feel of a truly queer-centered event: a bit messy at times, but packed with unforgettably juicy moments and a little shade thrown at candidates that failed to show (notably, Bernie Sanders, Beto O’Rourke, and Andrew Yang were not present alongside the other frontrunners). Actress Angelica Ross (Pose, American Horror Story) kicked off the night with an impassioned speech about the epidemic of violence facing trans people of color, but she ended by emphasizing that event organizers reached out to all 2020 candidates and asked “why they skipped out” of the night’s no-shows. “I want to know,” asked Ross, “Why ain’t you here?” Ross had previously criticized Sanders on Twitter for failing to confirm attendance at the forum, saying his “absence will be noted.”

The night offered some cringe-worthy moments as well, most notably when Lenz challenged former Vice President Joe Biden on his record of supporting anti-LGBTQ+ policies like the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and why he referred to Vice President Mike Pence as a “decent guy” despite Pence’s unusually targeted homophobic record. Biden seemed to snap at the moderator, sarcastically responding, “you’re a lovely person.” Later, Lenz tweeted that Biden dryly told her “you’re a real sweetheart” as the two exited the stage.

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It’s hard to imagine a queer- and trans-focused forum without the campy presence of Marianne Williamson, who was the first candidate to face questions and who rambled on about an “incredible garden” comprised of intersectional identities that threatens some who find said garden to be “psychically annihilating.” The forum also gave a rare platform to Joe Sestak, a former Pennsylvania congressman and 2020 candidate who has been polling at less than 1 percent throughout the race so far. Sestak, a military veteran, cited his service alongside gay sailors as evidence of his support for LGBTQ+ equality.

And of course, no LGBTQ+ political forum would be complete without some form of protest. As Senator Amy Klobuchar stood to respond to a question about gun and police violence posed by Pulse survivor Brandon Wolf, a protester began shouting “End FOSTA-SESTA! Protect trans sex workers!” Online, many used the #LGBTQforum hashtag to ask whether the candidates would be questioned on decriminalizing sex work or their views on potentially repealing FOSTA-SESTA, federal legislation that has increased rampant online censorship while, advocates say, forcing sex workers into increasingly unsafe conditions by no longer allowing them to advertise on the internet. Every single one of the Democratic candidates who are currently serving in congress voted in favor of the law, which worries advocates who argue that sex worker’s rights is an LGBTQ+ issue. According to the 2015 U.S. Trans Survey,12 percent of transgender people have done sex work for a living, and young queer men are ten times as likely than their heterosexual peers to be incarcerated on prostitution charges, while young queer women are twice as likely than their heterosexual peers.

The stars of the night were arguably Warren, Booker, and Buttigieg — all three of whom were regaled with applause, and in Warren’s case, a standing ovation as she read aloud the names of the 18 trans women of color who have been killed so far this year in an ongoing epidemic of transphobic violence. But all three candidates, when pressed to reveal their plans for the first 100 days in office, said relatively similar things. Each pledged to sign the Equality Act, which would add sexual orientation and gender identity to federal civil rights law (currently, there are no federal anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ Americans). Each emphasized the importance of appointing a cabinet capable of making strides in various realms, with Booker noting that he would appoint an Attorney General who would fight for LGBTQ+ equality in the courts. But each candidate also took their own tack in terms of resonating with LGBTQ+ voters. When Stafford questioned Buttigieg, the first viable openly gay presidential candidate, about the FDA’s longstanding ban on gay and bisexual male blood donors, Buttigieg highlighted the awkwardness he’d face as the first U.S. president not allowed to donate blood even in the event of a crisis. Booker verged on flirting with Stafford, lifting him off the ground in a bear hug that replaced the usual stiff handshake and left the moderator visibly blushing. And Warren likely became the first presidential candidate to ever mention the intersex community.

Most candidates were challenged on their past records, with some revelations. Harris was asked whether trans voters should trust her, given her record of arguing to deny trans healthcare in California prisons while serving as that state’s attorney general just a few years ago. Harris reiterated previous apologies, explaining that as attorney general she was tasked with arguing on behalf of state interests in a way that did not always align with her personal beliefs — and offered her Supreme Court testimony in defiance of the anti-LGBTQ+ voter referendum Proposition 8 as evidence of her true colors. But the same question was raised with Warren, who also once opposed gender affirmation surgery for transgender inmates; Warren has since changed her position and says that all people should be able to access the full range of healthcare services they need.

As expected, there were several jabs at the Trump administration. In one particularly bitter moment, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro urged current HUD secretary Ben Carson to step down, citing Carson’s recent remarks referring to homeless trans women seeking shelter as “big, hairy men.” Castro also provided elaborate details on his 100-day plan, pledging to appoint a task force to investigate the epidemic of violence facing trans women of color and promising to reverse all of Trump’s religious exemption rules, which are viewed by advocates as smokescreens for anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination.

Some candidates seemed to dodge direct answers to questions in favor of prepared remarks about their LGBTQ+ allyship. But with HRC’s “Power of Our Pride” town hall set for October, queer voters have another chance to witness challenges to those canned platitudes. Nine of the candidates are expected to participate in that event, to be televised on CNN, including Beto O’Rourke and Tom Steyer (both of whom missed Friday’s forum.)

Both Bernie Sanders and Andrew Yang declined to participate in either the LGBTQ+ forum in Iowa or the upcoming LGBTQ+ town hall. Neither candidate has publicly elaborated on reasons why they are not appearing at the events. According to HRC, there are an estimated 11 million LGBTQ+ voters, along with an additional 57 million “Equality Voters” that heavily weigh LGBTQ+ equality at the ballot box, who will be helping to decide the 2020 presidential election. Missing out on the chance to speak to them directly is, well, a surprising choice.

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