Trump Administration Has Attacked LGBT Rights more than 100 Times
The Trump administration has attacked LGBT+ rights 100 times since taking office.
GLAAD’s Trump Accountability Project, which monitors regressive actions on LGBT+ rights taken by the Trump administration, passed its 100th entry to date on April 3, as Housing and Urban Development secretary Ben Carson confirmed LGBT non-discrimination guidance for housing service providers had been axed.
Trump administration passes 100th attack on LGBT+ rights
The 100 actions include the Trump administration’s well-documented attacks on transgender rights, banning trans people from serving in the military and stripping protections for trans kids in schools.
They also include actions that have received less mainstream media attention, like the Department of Justice’s support for ‘freedom to discriminate’ legal challengesthat threaten to undermine state-level LGBT+ civil rights protections, and the nomination of ultra-conservative judicial nominees who tip the consensus against LGBT+ rights.
GLAAD’s project has recorded 101 attacks in the 805 days Trump has been in office, averaging out at slightly less than one regressive action every week.
Zeke Stokes, Chief Programs Officer at GLAAD, said: “There is a systematic and sinister erasing of LGBTQ protections and policies happening at the hands of this Administration.
“Now more than ever, it’s vital LGBTQ Americans and marginalised communities raise their voices and tell their stories. The LGBTQ community will not go into hiding, and we will not be silenced.”
Democrats call out anti-LGBT Trump administration agenda
Democratic Presidential hopeful Cory Booker called out the under-reported wave of anti-LGBT actions in a speech to the Human Rights Campaign on March 30.
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He said: “We have a moment now where there are outrageous things happening. A moral vandalism is coming from this White House and this administration. Demagogues in the White House and administration are working systematically to try and undermine and dismantle LGBTQ rights.
“From the President’s discriminatory ban on transgender Americans serving in the military, to the Department of Justice’s refusal to protect LGBTQ Americans from employment discrimination, to Betsy DeVos’ failure to protect our transgender students.
“Some of you may have what’s recently happening at our border, where just last week, reports came out documenting the rampant, systemic abuse and discrimination of transgender and gay individuals, being detained at a privately-run immigrant detention facility.
“This is not just inhumane, it’s not just unacceptable, but like the rest of this administration’s policies towards LGBTQ Americans, we have a choice to make.
“You can either accept things as they are, or take responsibility for changing them.”
Also addressing HRC, Senator Kamala Harris said: “We have seen an administration in our country who claimed they would be a friend of the LGBTQ community, but instead they stood silent when the LGBTQ community was attacked in Chechnya to Egypt.
“There have been judges nominated who call transgender children ‘proof of Satan’s plan.’ Let’s speak the truth about the hate behind those words, and the need to fight for what represents true justice in our country.
“Let’s speak the truth that it is not justice in our country when you ban men and women from serving their country, who love their country, who are prepared to die for their country.
“Let’s pass the Equality Act in the United States of America, and finally recognise that everyone should be treated equally under the law, including by our federal government.”