In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Kate Clinton our favorite political humorist about her annual LGBTQ year end review and chat about what 2018 may bring our LGBTQ community. This has been an extremely difficult year for our LGBTQ community especially with the Trump administration’s attempts to reverse all the progress we have achieved for civil rights in this country. First we’ve had to endure his appointments of the most homophobic, transphobic, racist, xenophobic and misogynistic candidates to fill his White House administration team and then the GOP Senate continues to approve unqualified judicial candidates. With the success of the Women’s March last January and now followed by the #metoo campaign this is a time not to become complacent but resist by voting for candidates that stand for equality and continue the positive winning momentum of Virginia and Alabama as we gear up for the midterm elections in 2018. We talked to Kate about how she has been surviving the first year of the Trump presidency and her spin on our LGBTQ issues.
When asked how she sees our LGBTQ community moving forward in this Trump administration Clinton stated, “I think that the LGBTQ community moving through this Trump administration, may it be shortened we all pray for that. No, I think that this recent Masterpiece Cake Shop Case heard before the Supreme Court is a demonstration of how they really would like the religious freedoms you know, your sincerely held religious briefs, are always Christian. They’re not Muslim beliefs; they’re not Jewish beliefs; they’re Christian beliefs. How dangerous that is that we would decide the cake shop case if it were about religious freedom but it’s really not. It’s using religion to justify discrimination and it’s really about privileging religion over the laws of the land and the law really says that the cake shop is free to sell whatever it wants. Cake decorators, I had no idea that cake decorators were so up on their artistic incredibleness, but they are free to sell whatever they want but they’re not free to decide who they can sell it to. I just think that this could open a floodgate to setback progress of civil rights. I think that we kid ourselves thinking that we won over hearts and minds from people who have neither. So I think we have to be very vigilante. Again I’ve seen it with the right to life movement chipping away so I think that would be the technique. I am amused by Republicans who met a gay person and suddenly thought, ‘Oh they’re human beings.’ What about the power of empathy or even imagination and actually having to meet someone to have an idea all people should be given freedom and respect and the same equal justice? So I think we have just to be very vigilante.”
Kate Clinton is also very involved with NCLR (The National Center for Lesbian Rights) and LPAC (Lesbian Political Action Committee) conceptualized by her wife Urvashi Vaid to give lesbians a real and meaningful seat at the political table. LPAC is a political action committee (PAC) that builds the political power of LGBTQ women by electing candidates who champion LGBTQ rights, women’s equality and social justice. Currently Kate is working on her new comedy show that she’ll be performing nationally in 2018.
For More Info & Appearances: kateclinton.com
ReplyDeleteI've come to anticipate with a "can't wait" feeling, your year-end conversation with Kate. Her voice is always forward looking and we need that rally call. Thank you, Charlotte.