An exchange at an LGBTQ forum reopens questions about Joe Biden’s treatment of women

Former Vice President Joe Biden, the leading Democratic presidential contender, defended his record on LGBTQ issues at a forum on Friday, but in doing so, once again raised questions about his comportment towards women, and — after a misstatement in which he conflated sexual and gender identities — about his understanding of issues that affect queer and gender nonconforming voters.

During a forum on LGBTQ issues hosted by GLAAD, the Advocate, and the Cedar Rapids Gazette, 10 Democratic candidates discussed their records on issues affecting the LGBTQ community, including the Trump administration’s transgender military ban, conversion therapy, protections for gender-nonconforming people, and court cases involving businesses that decline to cater to queer customers on religious grounds in front of about 700 people in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Friday.

During his session, Biden spoke with Lyz Lenz, a columnist for the Cedar Rapids Gazette, and worked to remind voters of his allyship, telling the room he believed in in LGTBQ rights from a young age. And he defended his record on same-sex marriage, reminding the room that he publicly supported it before President Barack Obama did.