Q Toon: While You Weren't Watching

Not to minimize the importance of the impeachment trial or upcoming elections, but the anti-LGBTQ right is working overtime to get their agenda passed while our attentions are busy elsewhere.

Florida Republicans slipped four anti-LGBTQ bills in under the wire last week, and Tennessee Governor Bill Lee plans to sign a bill passed by the legislature to guarantee funding for adoption agencies that discriminate against LGBTQ families.

"This is the most overtly anti-LGBTQ agenda from the Florida legislature in recent memory,” Equality Florida Public Policy Director Harris Maurer said in a statement. "It runs the gamut from openly hostile legislation that would arrest and imprison doctors for providing medically necessary care, to legislation that would carelessly erase critical local LGBTQ protections."

And, regarding Tennessee's "Slate of Hate,"

In April of last year, 11 companies signed a letter in coalition with the Human Rights Campaign denouncing Tennessee’s anti-LGBTQ legislative momentum, including Nike, Hilton, Lyft, IKEA, Marriott and several others. ... Warby Parker co-founder and co-CEO Dave Gilboa said in an email to CNBC, “Nashville is Warby Parker’s second home, and we want to see the city and state continue to thrive. We strongly urge Governor Lee to reconsider.”

Then there are the Trump Administration's new rules this week amplifying its blessing of anti-LGBTQ discrimination.

“Today’s new regulations proposed by the Trump-Pence White House roll back existing protections for LGBTQ and other people seeking government services and benefits,” said Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David. “The right to believe and to exercise one’s faith is a core American value. The right to discriminate with taxpayer dollars is not. These regulations would dismantle meaningful protections for beneficiaries of these federally funded programs and strip away basic notice requirements designed to ensure that beneficiaries know their rights to be free from discrimination and their right to an alternative, non-religious provider. Taxpayer funds should not be used to allow discrimination.”

But, hey, did you see what Hillary Clinton said about what Bernie Sanders said about what Elizabeth Warren said about Alan Dershowitz's defense of abuse of presidential power?