Journalist Shon Faye talks with the founder of the LGBT National Help Center,
Brad Becker on the history of the hotline, changes in the community and the growth in the community.

For more of Shon Faye's podcast, Call Me Mother, click the image to the right.

By Brad Becker
 
There’s been a lot of talk lately about “religious freedom”, which its proponents describe as not forcing them to do something that is against their religious beliefs.
 
Sounds reasonable.  But it’s anything but.
 
So first let’s be clear what I am not talking about.  I am NOT talking about a person’s right to hold whatever belief they have, religious or otherwise.  If you want to think that being gay is an abomination that God will punish, well, that’s sad, but you have every right to hold that belief.  I am NOT talking about going to your place of worship and hearing and agreeing with your religion’s attitudes towards sexual orientation and gender identity/expression.
 
But here’s what I am talking about.  Someone taking those personal religious beliefs and using them to circumvent legally passed laws.  So let’s say you own an apartment building, or even a lot of them, and your religion says that gay people are the work of the devil.  You can believe that, but if there’s a law in your town that says you can’t discriminate against LGBTQ people in housing, you shouldn’t get a “get out of jail free card” and be exempt from those laws, and get to ban all gay people from all of your apartment buildings.
 
And here’s how this idea descends into societal chaos really easily.  Let’s say someone holds the opinion that Christians are the work of the devil, so he won’t rent any apartments to people of the Christian faith.  Should that person be allowed to do that, and will the same people who champion religious freedom laws allowing discrimination against LGBTQ people be championing the right of the person who wants to bar Christians too?
 
Or let’s say that my religion says that the color red is the work of the devil.  It’s Satan’s color.  So when I come to a red light, I’m not going to stop, because my religion says that it would be like stopping for Satan.  So I get to go through red lights.
 
Sounds absurd.  But who gets to decide which religious beliefs apply for exemption?  And which religions?  Is there an official list?  Who wrote it?
 
Society only functions when we all agree to abide by our laws.  Don’t like the law, try to change it.  But saying you have a religious belief doesn’t give you any more rights than someone who holds no religious beliefs.  Sorta what this country is founded on.
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The views expressed by blog writers do not necessarily reflect the views of the LGBT National Help Center.  We welcome submissions of opposite viewpoints, and submissions on topics relevant to the LGBTQ community.
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By Brad Becker
 
The Log Cabin Republicans, an organization of LGBTQ Republicans, has announced their endorsement of Donald Trump for re-election in 2020.
 
According to their website, they describe themselves as “the nation’s largest Republican organization dedicated to representing LGBT conservatives and allies.”
 
This is the same Donald Trump who in addition to all of the non-LGBTQ specific acts he has taken against women, families seeking asylum, caused children to be caged and separated from their families, has also stripped away rules that had enabled our patriotic transgender Americans from serving in the United States military, has directed his administration to work against the rights of people to use the bathroom facilities based on their innate gender, and who chose a Vice-President with a long history of vehemently anti-LGBTQ views, and who’s own wife (Karen Pence) has chosen to work at a school that specifically seeks to exclude LGBTQ students and staff.
 
So what’s up with Log Cabin?  Many members state that even though they are LGBTQ, and believe in equal rights, they support the Republican Party because it believes in smaller taxes, and less government.  But if you look at the history of virtually every city and state in the country that has equal rights for LGBTQ people, that legislation was championed by people from political parties OTHER than the Republican Party.  In fact, the party to which Log Cabin members belong often bitterly fought to prevent those very equal rights laws from being passed.
 
Which brings me to the egregious hypocrisy of Log Cabin.  While I have asked, and been refused, these statistics before, just how many of Log Cabin members live in big cities and states that have equal protection laws, in spite of the Republican Party?  I would venture to say the vast majority.
 
So to me, it comes down to this.  Log Cabin members, for the most part, are saying I want lower taxes, I don’t want government spending my money for things other than the military, and I’ve already got the rights to protect my job and my housing, because of work done in spite of the Republican Party.  So I’ve got mine, and screw the rest of you in small-town America that can lose their jobs on a moments notice, simply because of the homophobia of their manager, and there isn’t one law in their locality that can protect them.
 
So c’mon Log Cabin.  Open up your books and show us the percentage of your members, and donors, who already live in places where they are protected, through no help of your own political party.
 
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The views expressed by blog writers do not necessarily reflect the views of the LGBT National Help Center.  We welcome submissions of opposite viewpoints, and submissions on topics relevant to the LGBTQ community.
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Gay
Lesbian
Bi
Transgender
Queer
Pansexual
Straight
 
“Can you tell me what I am?”

Many of our callers feel a sense of urgency to find a label on “what they are”.  For some there is a sense of comfort in finding a label and a community that goes with it, but for others labels don’t always make sense for them.  Both of these are real and valid.

Self-identification can be tough and it can take time.  It can require a lot of soul searching and allowing yourself to explore what your feelings may mean to you.   What can be important is that you can allow yourself to feel good about yourself regardless of if you have a label or not.

For some people a label fits perfectly.  They might wear their label, gay, or bi, or trans, pan, lesbian or what ever label they come to, on their chest with pride.  But some, a label might not always fit, and that’s ok. 

You are free to explore and try on labels.  Does it fit?  If it doesn’t you have the right to try on another one.  Some people may also use more than one label for themselves.

Some people never pick a label because none of them feels right to them but instead explains their feelings.  That’s 100% valid too. 

No one else can put a label on you, because no one else is in your head or your heart and knows you better than you do.  You are the only person who can decide if a label is right for you or if it’s not.  And there is no time limit on figuring it out, you get to take as much time as you need.
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At the LGBT National Help Center, we can’t tell you what your label is.  But what we can do is be here for you.  We can talk with you about your feelings.  You can ask questions, you can try out a label and see how it feels.   You can reach out by phone, or online chat, or by email and we’re here for you.  We can’t give you the answer, but we can be with you as you travel on this amazing journey of self discovery.  We're glad you found us.