We Miss You, Jill

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As you well know, the Trump administration has labored to roll back gay rights and to destroy transgender people.

The cavernous difference between this administration and the previous one jumped out at me as I read that former First Lady Jill Biden attended The LGBT Community Center's Dinner in New York City last week. Apparently she's such a fan of "Heated Rivalry," the gay hockey series, that she bid $35,000 for a walk-on role.

She lost. We know how she feels.

The queer community, in a short amount of time, has gone from being supported to being vilified by Washington. We have whiplash like we were checked into the boards by a toothless enforcer from Saskatchewan.

The Good Old Days

Image by Olena from Pixabay

I was looking through some old emails and stumbled on a 2016 picture of Vice President Joe Biden officiating a wedding between two male White House staffers.

A wave of nostalgia engulfed me for August of 2016, when the administration embraced gay people, Hillary Clinton looked to be heading for the White House, and her opponent Donald Trump hinted that gun owners could assassinate her.

America couldn't possibly elect someone so reckless to be president! Come on!

How innocent we were. We made Annette Funicello look like Ma Barker.

Petty Theft

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When Joe Biden nominated her to be assistant secretary for health, Dr. Rachel Levine became the first transgender person to win Senate confirmation. She led the Public Health Corps, which comes with the title of admiral.

Now the Trump administration has rewritten history and busted her down to the poop deck.

On the seventh floor of HHS headquarters, the line of photographic portraits of all the past leaders of the Public Health Corps still includes Levine—but not her legal name. Instead HHS went to the trouble, during the shutdown, of deadnaming her.

Donald Trump's people know how to be petty. They've learned from the best.

Dec. 1, 2025

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Today is World AIDS Day, when we remember those we lost and, as Joe Biden put it last year, "we renew our commitment to accelerating efforts to finally end the HIV/AIDS epidemic."

And here in 2025? The U.S. State Department sent an email to employees reading, "The U.S. Government will not be commemorating World AIDS Day this year."

May Donald Trump wake up with dreadlocks.

Commendation

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Credit where it's due. Donald Trump secured a Gaza ceasefire and a release of hostages.

Yes, the circumstances on the ground were more favorable for him than for Joe Biden. Yes, Trump's accomplishments came in no small part due to his bullying. Yes, he's motivated above all by his lust for a Nobel Peace Prize and not by any affection for human life.

But there's something resembling peace now, which all parties desperately need. So I'll give him credit. Which reminded me that I also agreed with his push—though, again, achieved through bullying—to get European nations to pay more toward their defense.

There, Trump's done two things I can get behind. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to lie down and recover from having written that sentence.

Captain Ludicrous

Image by Bruce Emmerling from Pixabay

As we head into a new work week, take comfort in knowing that the president of the United States always has the American people in the forefront of his mind.

Except when the president is Donald Trump.

On Saturday night, Trump took the time to repost on Truth Social a gonzo claim that former President Joe Biden was executed in 2020 and replaced with clones or robots.

That's our leader, so measured, so calming, so responsible.

I'd feel more secure being governed by Trump's putter.

One Good Thing

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Trying to find anything positive in the election results is like trying to find a needle in the haystack on Donald Trump's head.

But there is one thing. According to The Hill, Trump lost ground with LGBTQ folks. Of voters who self-identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, 86 percent voted for Kamala Harris. That's a 22-point increase over 2020, when Joe Biden captured 64 percent of the queer vote against Trump.

Trump infamously gained ground with groups like Black and Latino men, but the opposite happened with us. Could it be that we did more than any other demographic to save democracy? Harvey Milk and Barbara Jordan would be so proud.

The reasons queer voters took this stand are obvious. Start with the Trump campaign turning transgender people into effigies. Beyond that, hell, we're gay:  We know when a production should never have gotten out of development.

He Did It

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Joe Biden has dropped out of the presidential race.

Uncharted waters ahead. Grab a life preserver and some Xanax. But above all, your resolve.

This Moment

Image by Tom from Pixabay

Like President Biden, I have Covid.

Unlike him, I don't need to make a decision that will effect the destiny of our nation, the survival of democracy and the future of the planet.

Good thing, as I'm currently unable to decide whether to tie my shoes.

Doubts

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I admit it. I have serious doubts that President Joe Biden is physically and cognitively up to the task of running for re-election.

On the flip side, I have no doubts at all that former President Donald Trump isn't and never was fit for the task of being president, owing to glaring weaknesses in cognition, mental health, morality, emotional stability, humanity, loyalty, patriotism, spirituality, integrity, honesty, substance, dependability, credibility and lawfulness.

Other than that, he's a peach.

The Donald and Joe Show

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I was so busy yesterday that I was unable to watch the presidential debate. I recorded it so I could view it today.

Based on media reports and my friends' anxious reaction to Joe Biden's performance, I think I'll wait to watch it. 2027 seems about right.

The First Day

Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay

Speaking yesterday on a conservative talk radio show out of Philadelphia, Donald Trump vowed to reverse transgender student protections, just enacted by the Biden administration, "on day one."

That's the day, you'll recall, that he plans to be a dictator. How will he have the time to hurt trans kids when he'll be so busy closing the border, drilling for oil and getting measured for an ermine robe?

Different Agendas

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Today President Joe Biden issued a proclamation recognizing March 31 as Transgender Day of Visibility.

Today former President Donald Trump issued a statement recognizing his wife Melania and Casper the Friendly Ghost as masters of invisibility.

The Proverbial Bad Penny

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I turned on the TV this evening to watch President Biden deliver the State of the Union. Within seconds, as assorted members of Congress waiting for Biden to arrive filled my screen, I spotted former Rep. George Santos.

"My God," I blurted at the TV. "How did he get past security?"

Well, it turns out that even though the openly gay and remarkably deplorable Republican was expelled by the House, he was still allowed to attend the speech. Which he did, because he's a publicity whore.

It took me a while to recover. In fact, I didn't regain my equilibrium until after Biden had finished, when I was listening to political pundits on the "PBS NewsHour." It dawned on me that two of the three talking heads were openly gay.

Apparently, in my clearly tired brain, two esteemed political analysts cancel out one political toadstool.