Department of homeland security surveillance of gays
In another reversal of the Biden administration’s expansion of federal protections for Homosexual Americans, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has eliminated language in internal documents prohibiting the surveillance of individuals or groups based solely on their sexual orientation or gender identity, Bloomberg reports.
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The terms “sexual orientation” and “gender identity,” which were added to the list of protected groups and individuals at the direction of the Biden administration, have been removed.
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Language in the manual now reads, “OSIC [Open Source Intelligence Collection] Personnel are prohibited from engaging in intelligence activities based solely on an individual’s or group’s race, ethnicity, sex, religion, country of birth, nationality, or disability. The employ of these characteristics is permitted only in combination with other infor
Ian S. Thompson,
Senior Legislative Advocate,
ACLU
This piece originally ran at Slate's Outward blog.
Barred from employment with the federal government. Considered mentally ill by the psychiatric profession. Seen as criminals under state laws. Subjected to invasive surveillance and targeting by the FBI.
This hostile backdrop of the "Lavender Scare" in the 1950s gave rise to some of the earliest organized activism efforts on behalf of LGBTQ equality.
J. Edgar Hoover's FBI and its "Sex Deviate" program worked feverishly to corrupt the lives of untold numbers of gay men and lesbians and to intimidate members of groups like the Mattachine Society, which dared to agitate for the basic dignity of homosexual people.
A half-century later, this history has not been clueless on the nation's leading LGBTQ equality organizations, which yesterday joined allies in the civil liberties and human rights community in sending a letter to President Barack Obama, raising serious concerns over revelations that the FBI targeted leaders of the Muslim community for yearslong secret surveillance.
The letter notes that this appears to fit a disturbing pattern, both past and present, of the
DHS Scraps Ban on Surveillance Based on Sexual Orientation (1)
A Department of Homeland Security unit eliminated policies prohibiting personnel from conducting intelligence activities based solely on a person’s gender identity or sexual orientation.
The Office of Intelligence and Analysis posted an updated policy manual late last week that removes references to those characteristics in sections that set guardrails on gathering intelligence.
The revisions follow President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 directive to scrap policies and protections focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion across federal agencies. I&A’s work has attracted close scrutiny for years because of its domestic focus, with intelligence often involving US citizens and others in the country.
A DHS spokesperson said the document was taken down and reposted after the text was changed to comply with Trump’s executive orders.
I&A initially posted the policy manual at the end of President Joe Biden’s administration in an effort to upgrade transparency in the troubled office. It disappeared from I&A’s website weeks ago without explanation, sparking concerns from Democrats and civil liberties advocates.
Threats against the LGBTQIA+ community intensifying: Department of Homeland Security
Threats of violence against the LGBTQIA+ community are on the soar and intensifying, according to a new briefing by the Department of Homeland Security.
The DHS document, distributed to government and commandment enforcement agencies on May 11, said that domestic violence extremists and people who commit abhor crimes have increased threats of violence against the LGBTQIA+ people within the last year.
“These issues include actions linked to drag-themed events, gender-affirming care, and LGBTQIA+ curricula in schools," DHS said.
DHS said that the issues inspiring threats and calls of force against the LGBTQIA+ community could lead to a rise of potential attacks against larger targets, such as public spaces and healthcare sites that may be linked to the community.
DHS analysts also cite social media chatter celebrating the recent mass shooting at a Nashville church school.
“High-profile attacks against schools and faith-based institutions like the recent shooting in Nashville have historically served as inspiration for individuals to conduct copycat attacks," DHS said.
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