CNN, in conjunction with the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, has announced that it will be hosting a town hall focusing exclusively on the LGBTQ community and its issues.
The event will be held on October 10th, and candidates who wish to participate must meet the same criteria as the official primary debates, meaning that they must register at least two percent in four or more national polls recognized by the DNC, as well as having over 130,000 individual campaign donors.
Currently, only six candidates have accepted CNN’s invitation to appear at the debate: Former Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Senator Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-Ind.), former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro (D-Texas), and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.).
In announcing the town hall, the HRC Foundation’s president Alphonso David claimed, without evidence, that “in 30 states, LGBTQ people remain at risk of being fired, evicted, or denied services because of” their sexuality. He also falsely claimed that the “Trump-Pence Administration is directly attacking our community…and seeking to erase LGBTQ people from protections under law.”
This announcement comes the day after CNN hosted a 7-hour town hall focusing solely on “global warming,” featuring 10 candidates. This will mark the second presidential town hall hosted by the network focusing exclusively on a single issue.