With LGTBQ rights under assault why are certain candidates skipping the CNN LGTBQ forum?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

Link to tweet

[Autumn]

1. 'Scheduling conflict': Bernie Sanders and Andrew Yang absent from two major LGBT events

CNN confirmed: “Citing scheduling conflicts, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and businessman Andrew Yang each declined HRC’s invitation to participate in the event.”

https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2019/09/19/bernie-sanders-and-andrew-yang-will-be-absent-at-town-hall-on-lgbtq-issues/

Yang and Sanders are also missing from the lineup for a separate candidates’ forum on LGBTQ issues hosted by GLAAD on September 20, where confirmed participants include Joe Biden, Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg, Julián Castro, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren.

The two events will be crucial for wooing LGBT+ voters, as the three Democratic TV debates so far have not included a single question about LGBT+ issues.

Sanders does detail an LGBT+ policy plan on his website, matching promises from other candidates to “pass the Equality Act, the Every Child Deserves a Family Act and other bills to prohibit discrimination against LGBTQ+ people.”

Yang’s policy platform includes pledges to “promote any legislation extending protected status to individuals based on sexual orientation and gender identity” and to “appoint LGBTQ individuals to senior posts in my administration.”

[George II]

2. OCTOBER 10! That's more than three weeks after the invitation.

[OilemFirchen]

3. This marks my first ever defense of either Sanders or Yang:

These media pseudo-town halls are a gimmick, and a sad replacement for actual coverage of this Primary. Worse, whether by design or not, they provide an opportunity for candidates and their supporters to call out any individual not participating, regardless of the reason. Put more bluntly, they force candidates to participate. The "town halls", along with the participation or lack thereof, help to create and/or intensify rifts among the candidates, while offering little, if any, merit - especially since our candidates largely agree on these issues.

My hat's off to these two.

[customerserviceguy]

4. I agree

These "town halls" are for the purpose of seeing who's desperate enough to pander the most to extremists on issues, and seeing how many others can be goaded into going along with radical "solutions", making grief for the eventual nominee in the general election as they have to defend what they said at some forum.

[obamanut2012]

6. "...seeing who's desperate enough to pander the most to extremists on issues..."

So, people concerned about LGBT+ issues and rights are "extremists" to you. Nice. Thanks for being honest and public about how you think about LGBT+ folks and our issues. In YOUR own words.

[HeartlandProgressive]

7. ikr

[customerserviceguy]

8. I was talking about town halls in general

but since you think that there are no extreme positions on the LGBT+ issues that would hurt a Democratic candidate in an election, here's one to try out for size:

Medicare for All that pays for sex reassignment surgery.

Now, try and get elected with that in your platform.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

13. LGTBQ rights are human rights.

.

[pnwmom]

5. Or maybe Sanders is afraid of alienating his swing state voters. I don't know why

anyone would congratulate him for a scheduling conflict, if that's what it is.

[OilemFirchen]

9. I'm not congratulating him for a scheduling conflict.

I'm giving the two of them a hat tip for not cowing to this game show tomfoolery.

[pnwmom]

10. Then you're saying he really doesn't have a conflict, he's just not being "cowed"

by those pesky LGBT people.

[OilemFirchen]

11. Did I say that?

Pretty sure that quote can be attributed to you, and you alone.

[pnwmom]

15. You said:

I'm giving the two of them a hat tip for not cowing to this game show tomfoolery.

And we know that Bernie cited a scheduling conflict.

CNN confirmed: “Citing scheduling conflicts, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and businessman Andrew Yang each declined HRC’s invitation to participate in the event.”

So why should he get a hat tip for a scheduling conflict?

[OilemFirchen]

16. Yes.

That's what I said.

[pnwmom]

17. So why should he get a hat tip for citing a scheduling conflict?

Why is a scheduling conflict somehow a laudable indication of not being cowed?

CNN confirmed: “Citing scheduling conflicts, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and businessman Andrew Yang each declined HRC’s invitation to participate in the event.”

[OilemFirchen]

19. He (they, actually) could have changed their schedules.

Now they are ripe for attacks. To wit: see this thread. They showed some moxie for a change.

Trust me. It's very unlikely you'll ever see me defend either of them again. (If that's what's pressed your button.)

[bluewater]

12. "gameshow tomfoolery"?

please explain

[DemocratSinceBirth]

14. It's a lil game he plays.

[cwydro]

18. Interesting indeed.

Not surprised at the Sanders no-show however.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

20. It's a lil game of he plays.