The LGBT forum has come to a close.
After she dodged a question about sex worker rights on stage, I asked Senator Amy Klobuchar about Sesta/Fosta, the controversial law that lawmakers presented as a crackdown on online sex trafficking, but has been linked to increasing harms and violence against sex workers. She dodged again, saying she planned to talk to the person who asked the question – but reiterated that she did not support decriminalizing sex work:
Julián Castro was also asked about decriminalizing sex work after he left the stage. He responded that he was “open to hearing the arguments” and that he was in favor of “de-prioritizing enforcement”, though he was not specific about what that meant. His response:
With that, we’re ending our live coverage for the day – thanks for following along!
Julián Castro, the former housing secretary, is one of the final speakers tonight at the LGBT forum. He talked about his recent trip to the border where he met with LGBTQ asylum seekers who have been forced to wait in Mexico under Trump’s policies:
These are folks who applied for asylum in the United States … but the Trump administration is making them remain in Mexico. The members of the LGBT community were fleeing persecution, violence and threats. They should never have been put in that program in the first place… They deserve asylum.
Background on his recent trip:
CNN’s Chris Cuomo has apologized for his offensive joke about pronouns when introducing Kamala Harris at the LGBT town hall.
At the LGBT forum, which is nearing the end, Senator Amy Klobuchar was asked about sex workers’ rights and whether she supports legalization. Her response:
I’m not in favor of decriminalizing all of sex work. I’m concerned about the effect that would have on young women.”
She offered to talk afterward with the person who asked the question. She was also asked about Sesta / Fosta, the controversial law she and the other 2020 candidates supported. The law purported to combat online trafficking, but has been linked to increasing violence against sex workers. She dodged the question.
A non-binary person asked Klobuchar if she supports recognizing a third gender marker on IDs (in California, gender-nonconforming people can get an ‘X’ marker instead of M or F). Klobuchar said she was supportive.
There was just an emotional moment at the CNN LGBT town hall where Blossom, a black trans woman who was not scheduled to ask a question, took the mic and expressed her anger at the erasure of black trans people from the evening:
Earlier in the night, there was a brief protest with people shouting “black trans lives matter”.
Back at the campaign rally in Minnesota, Trump defended his decision to pull US troops out of Syria, a move that enabled a Turkey’s offensive in Syria against US-backed Kurdish groups there.
“Remember they’ve been fighting for hundreds of years,” Trump said. “The single biggest mistake our country made in its history is going into the quicksand of the Middle East.”
Beto O’Rourke is now speaking at the LGBT forum. He was asked about laws criminalizing HIV. He responded that it was wrong for asylum seekers to face discrimination because they have HIV: “We have singled out a population.”
He emphasized that his priority was making HIV prevention medicine more accessible. CNN’s Don Lemon followed up and specifically asked about laws that lead to people spending many years in prison for not disclosing that they have HIV and whether he thinks those policies should be overturned. O’Rourke said yes, but pivoted back to his talking points about prevention.
When asked about violence against black trans women, O’Rourke responded, “I’m going to listen to trans women of color. They will be the guide.” Some more:
Here’s Kamala Harris on HIV/AIDS:
Within a generation, we will end HIV/AIDS. That must be our timeline. We have to accelerate… I know it is within our capacity to do it.
The senator was also asked about anti-trans hate crimes. When she said 19 black trans women were killed this year, someone in the audience had to correct her, since there was another recent murder:
Harris presented herself as a longtime defender of trans rights in numerous ans. Some background here on her controversial record as California attorney general:
Senator Kamala Harris is up now at the forum. She starts by saying her pronouns are “she/her/hers”. CNN’s Chris Cuomo responded: “Mine too.” There were audible groans in the press room.
Here’s her LGBTQ policy plan from earlier:
Senator Elizabeth Warren is now up at the LGBT forum. She was asked if she regretted opposing gender-affirming surgery for an incarcerated trans person. She responded:
Yep. It was a bad answer. I believe that everyone is entitled to medical care … and that includes people who are transgender and it is the time for them to have gender-affirming surgery.
Back at the LGBT forum, Buttigieg was asked about the ban on gay men donating blood. He responded:
My blood is not welcome in this country. It’s not based on science it’s based on prejudice.
He said he would direct the FDA to make rules that conform with science.
Buttigieg also talked about how people living with HIV can be undetectable, which means untransmittable, giving the rare national platform to the slogan “U equals U”:
Anderson Cooper also asked the South Bend mayor, “Do you believe God made you gay?”
He responded: “The decision was made way above my pay grade.”
Speaking at the Trump rally ahead of the president’s appearance, Eric Trump repeated false claims that Joe Biden’s son Hunter “embezzled” funds.
The crowd responded by chanting “Lock him up! Lock him up!,” echoing chants against Hillary Clinton at Trump campaign rallies in 2016.
Meanwhile, the Guardian’s chief political correspondent David Smith is in Minneapolis, where Trump is holding a campaign rally.