Press Release

GLAAD has condemned Trump for his inaction on anti-LGBTQ state violence in Egypt, Chechnya, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Azerbaijan as he takes the stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

“As Trump addresses a room of global changemakers, his unconscionable inaction on the growing epidemic of anti-LGBTQ violence  around the world must not be ignored,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD. “GLAAD has been on the ground in Davos, calling attention to the erosion of LGBTQ acceptance under President Trump’s watch and vowing that we will not be silent while the Present stands idly by in the face of horrific human rights abuses.”

Thursday at a panel hosted by GLAAD and The Ariadne Getty Foundation at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, GLAAD announced findings of its fourth annual Accelerating Acceptance report, a national survey of more than 2,100 U.S. adults conducted on GLAAD’s behalf. This report shows a drop in the number of non-LGBTQ U.S. adults who are accepting of LGBTQ people; this is the first time an erosion of LGBTQ acceptance has been tracked since the creation of the Acceleration Acceptance report.

 Global Anti-LGBTQ Human Rights Abuses

·         EGYPT – More than 85 LGBTQ people have been reportedly arrested in a massive crackdown on LGBTQ rights that started after several young people displayed a rainbow flag at a concert in Cario.

·         CHECHNYA – Authorities in Chechnya have detained and attacked over 100 LGBTQ men because of their perceived sexual orientation and at least 27 men have reportedly been killed by Chechen government officials as of June 2017.

·         BANGLADESH – On May 19, 2017, Bangladesh police arrested 28 men based on their perceived LGBTQ identity. These men were reportedly arrested in a community center in Dhaka and then paraded in front of the media where the police humiliated them, saying they were gay and accessing the men of drug procession.

·         INDONESIA – In May 2017, 141 people were arrested in arrested in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta during one raid following a similar anti-LGBTQ crackdown lead by senior government figures bringing the known number of anti-LGBTQ arrests in the country to over 200 when combined with earlier raids.

·         AZERBAIJAN – Police carried out mass arrests of as many as 100 LGBTQ people. This is part of a violent campaign targeting gay and bisexual+ men and transgender women who face arrest and torture.

Today, the American Military Partner Association (AMPA) announced that industry giants and military family champions Comcast NBCUniversal and USAA will be joint presenting sponsors of the 5th Annual AMPA National Gala — the nation’s largest LGBT military event of the year — held on Saturday, May 12, 2018, at the Washington Hilton. Attended by hundreds of LGBT service members, military spouses, veterans, and allies from across the country and around the world, the event honors modern military families for their service and sacrifice to our nation.

“Ask anyone who has been, and they’ll tell you the AMPA National Gala is an inspiring evening like no other. It’s a truly unique celebration of LGBT military families — a community that for decades was forced to live in the shadows, struggling to get by on their own,” said AMPA President Ashley Broadway-Mack, the proud wife of a U.S. Army officer. “This year’s event is going to be even bigger and better than ever before, and we’re so excited to welcome the LGBT military and allied community together. We’re especially grateful to have Comcast NBCUniversal and USAA again this year as our presenting sponsors. The evening simply wouldn’t be possible without these incredible companies and their commitment to supporting our modern military families.”

“It’s hard to believe this is the fifth year we are bringing together the LGBT military community from across the country for this incredible event,” said Stephen Peters, AMPA President Emeritus, Marine Corps veteran, and proud husband of a U.S. Marine. “Many of these military families are stationed in places that aren’t as welcoming and inclusive of the LGBT community as others — which is often why you’ll see tears in the eyes of so many throughout the evening as they are embraced and celebrated for their service to our country. The AMPA National Gala is an event not to be missed by anyone who is committed to supporting the LGBT military family community.”

The 5th Annual AMPA National Gala is an inspiring, empowering, and often emotional celebration of the incredible progress made for LGBT service members, veterans, and their families — many of whom for years were forced to serve in silence while hiding their families because of discriminatory laws and policies. With the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and the recent end to outdated transgender policies, LGBT troops now serve our nation openly with pride. While President Trump has tried to reinstate a discriminatory transgender military ban, courts have so far blocked it from being implemented. AMPA is an organizational plaintiff in one of the lawsuits challenging the ban — Karnoski v. Trump, brought by Lambda Legal and OutServe-SLDN on behalf of nine individuals, AMPA, the Human Rights Campaign, and Gender Justice League.

Past speakers, honorees, and special guests at the annual event have included former Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy Rosemary Williams, marriage equality heroes Eddie Windsor and Jim Obergefell, officials from the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs, LGBT military community heroes, and many more.

While the event is expected to sell out early, AMPA continues to keep ticket prices for the event affordable in order to ensure a broad spectrum of the community is able to attend. Early bird tickets are only $99 until March 15 and $149 after March 15. Tickets to the 5th Annual AMPA National Gala are available at www.MilitaryPartners.org/Gala. Businesses, organizations, and individuals interested in sponsorship packages may contact the organization at partners@militarypartners.org for more information.

Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) issued the following statement on the Senate’s short term deal to reopen the government while continuing to negotiate overall funding levels including parity between defense and domestic discretionary programs to ensure funding for HIV/AIDS, opioid programs and other key programs,  protections for DACA recipients, disaster relief and other important priorities:

“The fight continues. We need to keep our eye on the ball. We have a short amount of time to ensure our elected leaders protect vulnerable Americans, including kids who need health care, seniors, troops and hundreds of thousands of Dreamers, including 75,000 LGBTQ young people,” said David Stacy, HRC’s government affairs director. “The Trump-Pence Administration and Congressional leaders have once again kicked the can down the road and failed to act in a timely fashion. They must act to ensure these vulnerable communities are not put at further risk.”

After months of debate on this issue, it has become clear that few elected leaders seem to understand the lives of DACA recipients. That’s why the the Human Rights Campaign is committed to sharing the stories of LGBTQ Dreamers. Last week, the organization released a video featuring Yuridia Loera Ramirez, a 22-year-old queer advocate and standout college student, who only felt comfortable under DACA protections to report her sexual abuser on campus. Today, HRC released a new video featuring Viktor, a queer Dreamer from Texas who closes his emotional appeal by saying, “I’m proud to call this country my home… Texas is my home sweet home.” WATCH Viktor’s story here.

This week, under the shadow of a looming government shutdown, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote on a slate of 17 of Trump’s judicial nominees, along with a number of other controversial executive branch nominees. Among the group of judicial nominees on the agenda for tomorrow are five men who have spent their careers working to undermine civil rights, especially for LGBT Americans: Kyle Duncan to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals; Supreme Court “short-lister” David Stras to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals; Matthew Kacsmaryk to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas; Thomas Farr to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina; and Mark Norris to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. Lambda Legal expects Senate Majority Leader McConnell to move quickly to try and confirm more of these controversial nominees while the attention of Senators and the nation is focused elsewhere. Lambda Legal is urging senators on the committee to oppose these nominations before Leader McConnell rushes them to the Senate floor and carries out Trump’s plan to pack the court judges who won’t protect LGBT rights, relationships, and families.

According to a widely-cited analysis by Lambda Legal, the Trump Administration is attempting to pack the courts, at an alarming rate, with judges who oppose civil rights for LGBT Americans. Nearly 1 in 3 judicial nominees have explicitly anti-LGBT records, so failing to stop these nominees will result in federal courts growing increasingly hostile toward LGBT rights during Trump’s presidency and long after he has vacated the White House. The breakneck pace with which the Senate is confirming Trump’s judges is also striking, especially when compared with past administrations. In his first year alone, the analysis indicates President Trump has secured confirmations for 12 circuit court judges, which is more than the combined number of circuit court judges confirmed by Presidents Barack Obama (3), George W. Bush (5), and Bill Clinton (3) during their first year in office. Trump has also secured confirmations for 6 district court judges and a Supreme Court justice. The impact that this will have on the LGBT community will be felt for generations to come.

“It is disgraceful that, as the nation teeters on the brink of a government shutdown, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Grassley is forcing a vote on almost two dozen nominees, including a number of highly controversial judicial nominees who are being considered for lifetime appointments to the federal bench,” said Sharon McGowan, Director of Strategy at Lambda Legal. “It is the height of cynicism for Senators to be forcing a vote on these nominees at a time when millions of families are worrying about essential government services being cut off at the end of this week, and suffering in other ways as a result of Washington’s divisiveness and dysfunction.

“Chairman Grassley and Leader McConnell have discarded longstanding traditions and safeguards in order to jam these nominees through while no one is looking, and Lambda Legal is here to say: enough is enough. The failed nominations of Jeff Mateer, Brett Talley and Matthew Peterson should have sent a clear message that more time – not less – is needed to scrutinize the records of these potential lifetime appointees.  Moreover, there are two new members of the Senate Judiciary Committee – Senators Cory Booker and Kamala Harris – who deserve a chance to question these nominees during new hearings before any votes are cast.

“The courts play an essential role in protecting those most vulnerable in this country, and the process to appoint new judges should not be rushed. Senators who simply roll over and allow Donald Trump to pack the courts with lifetime appointees who oppose civil rights and who have often spent their careers seeking to undermine LGBT rights, are ignoring their constitutional duty to provide advice and consent in the process. We demand better, and deserve better from our Senators.”