Highlights From the L.G.B.T.Q. Town Hall, Where Protesters Took the Spotlight

It’s not in the news as much.

@finally it's very interesting that the people who dominated were gay men and trans women (who are men who identify as women and sometimes have had some surgical work or hormonal treatment, sometimes not). Once again women are being erased. Previously we were called man haters by the right if we spoke up. but now we are called transphobic by the left if we speak up. I'm not a radical feminist in the least but I am horrified that men have taken over what it means to be a woman in this country and are now seeing as more important voice on women's issues then women who were actually born women and are biologically women.

@Jake also it's odd but they keep claiming that they are highlighting transgendered women of color who are murdered. Yet everybody they highlight and focus on is black. They never bring up the race of the perp. And I'm curious what a trans men whether of color or not there's not one peep about violence towards them. Apparently when men become women they become the most important women on the planet. On the other hand when women become men they become the least important men on the planet.

@Jake Not only is it not an epidemic, but it is not even attributable to transphobia. Most of the murders, tragic as they are, were not motivated by transphobia and were not hate crimes. Most were murdered by people they knew. It is a complete lie to say that transwomen are being “systematically hunted in the street,” as one audience member stated. It helps no one to be dishonest about the risk factors for these deaths, but it is clear their deaths are being used and manipulated for someone else’s agenda.

@Commenter I suppose it wouldn’t matter, if transwomen did not demand that women fight for transwomen, and redirect feminist organizations and events to prioritize transwomen. However, if transwomen want to take from women’s organizing, and they do, then maybe they could give back a little.

I am a trans women, and although I can see how you might be afraid that we are coming into female spaces to supposedly weaken women's rights, I can assure you that belief is very incorrect. I do not live in the US, but I can absolutely say that for us trans women in Canada - where our rights are firmly in the constitution - we at worse will face a lifetime of transphobia and discrimination because of failing to pass as women, and at best, will face the same misogyny that every CIS women fights against. So I can assure you, that much as we fight for our own rights, we will fight for women's rights, as our struggles are very related. I also think that, in a forum centered on LGBTQ issues, it is important to talk about the murders of black trans women. They are almost exclusively killed for being seen as trying to trap straight men into having sex with them. Which, although their murders are routed in the harmful belief that trans women are not women, they are equally, if not more centered in misogyny and a culture that enforces the belief that women are objects who are there for men to have sex with. I can understand how you might feel that trans women are there to harm women. But I can assure you, that as I deeply care about issues that affect the trans community, I care as much if not more about women's rights. Because I want to support and fight for my mother, my girlfriend, and my female friends, I also know that their issues are my issues.

@Regina Valdez It seems clear that you don’t actually know any trans women, because every issue you mentioned, from wage inequality to violence to sexual assaults applies to all women, including ones who are trans. The trans women I know are as active in those fights as any other woman I know. And unlike other women, we can be fired simply for being trans. If you’ve kept up with SCOTUS then you may realize that the court this week took on the question of whether it’s perfectly OK to fire someone for being trans, or for being LGBT. The arguments were not encouraging. So yes, trans women are absolutely concerned about women’s issues because we’re women. We’re also concerned about this particular subset of women who on any given week are dragged behind cars, or mutilated simply because we offend people like you. In Dallas last month someone shot a random trans woman at a bus stop six times. He confessed to the shooting and was out of jail the next morning. That’s violence against women too, does that not even bother you a little? And it’s also a hate crime that isn’t considered one because hating trans women is expected. Even in comments in the Times. We’re all allowed to be concerned about more than one issue. If you’re offended that our being targeted and murdered offends us then I feel sorry for you in lots of ways.

@Regina Valdez he also have no problem with anti-Semitism. Janet Mock refused to speak in front of a Jewish group under pressure buy an Islamic organization. there's far more anti-jewish violence then violence towards trans women of color so why are they hysterical about one and indifferent to the other?

@Jared Woke would be “thinking that transgender women of color deserve protection like everyone else” and knowing they do not receive such protection. Also, woke is understanding that their voices are rarely heard or their experiences uplifted, but, are often patronized and used for gaslighting purposes as you so eloquently demonstrate.

@PaulB67 I've read that about 1 in 10 people is other than heterosexual. So this is an important demographic for Democrats to reach - on an ethical basis, but also on a practical one.

Yes, but they are not single-issue voters. Candidates must not be dismissive of them, but they need to stay focused on their main themes.

@Andy Deckman This was a forum regarding equality, not heart disease. The time spent on the deaths of black transgender women last night was very short, including the time given to protestors. In fact, most (not all) candidates spoke very generally about LBGTQ issues even when answering questions that specifically addressed race and being LBGTQ. I can only imagine that this was part of the reason people felt they weren’t being heard. And, let’s not be naive, the candidates are giving black women attention, transgender or otherwise, because without a strategic increase in getting out the black vote especially the female black vote, democrats don’t win. Period. Black women consistently and fervently organize and bring people to the polls for the democratic party and they know it.

They handled them just fine.

@Randy indeed. So well stated I can only agree and add nothing.

@Randy I agree, except for your assumption that these "fringe elements" are actually members of your party (by which I presume you mean the Democrats.) I don't think they belong to any party except their own "identity" party. They just want to be seen, & they will take advantage of any opportunity that presents itself.

@Tamara Sell Agree, that's a misleading headline. I wish the media would quit looking for conflict. This was a great conversation between politicians and constituents. There were some outbursts but it was handled well. This should be the norm.

@Tamara Sell I couldn’t agree more; O’Rourke was totally on top of his game last night. He showed he has the passion and courage for the job. No wishy washy no apologies, no poll slavery, what you see is what you get. Frankly I was surprised and pleased with how Lemon responded to the interruption. They both deserve a lot of credit for allowing Brown take the floor and speak her piece last night.

@Hugh CC Wow, we're pretty touchy here, aren't we? Maybe now you can appreciate the women's complaints about men's jokes at their expense.

@Hugh CC there is one whole party that cares little for the First Amendment and the incredible power it has in limiting what our government can do.

And maybe we should move beyond ‘It’s payback time’ comments. Or perhaps suffer them until somebody ( but who?) tells us we are all even now.

@Miss Anne Thrope I love your moniker and your message. Maybe if we can try and imagine walking in someone else’s shoes instead of our own we could practice the state of grace that is called empathy?