Trump and Pence Close Out Week of Attacks on LGBTQ Equality at RNC
HRC today released the following statement at the conclusion of the Republican National Convention, during which the party adopted the most anti-LGBTQ platform in its history and featured a parade of anti-LGBTQ speakers. Earlier today, HRC released a new microsite highlighting how Donald Trump and Mike Pence threaten historic gains the LGBTQ community has made in the last eight years.
“Donald Trump and Mike Pence are now leading the most antiquated, anti-LGBTQ ticket in recent memory,” said HRC Communications Director Jay Brown. “Together, Donald Trump and Mike Pence threaten everything we’ve gained — from marriage equality to worker protections — and Trump has vowed to sign hateful federal legislation that would open LGBTQ people to Kim Davis-style discrimination across the country. This week has also shown, sadly, just how far the GOP has left to go, as they doubled down on the most anti-LGBTQ platform in history. This is clearly a ticket that will ‘Take America Backward Again.’”
This week, the platform committee passed a slew of anti-equality provisions, including attacks on transgender people and a commitment to overturn nationwide marriage equality. Meanwhile, speakers at the Republican National Convention launched a slew of attacks on LGBTQ people. Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Michael Flynn attacked transgender people serving in our military during his speech Monday. Meanwhile, former GOP presidential candidate Ben Carson, speaking at the Florida delegation breakfast, compared transgender people to someone who “woke up… after seeing a movie about Afghanistan and saying ‘you know what? I’m Afghanistani [sic].”
In his speech tonight, Donald Trump appallingly feigned support for LGBTQ people after opposing equality at every turn. In addition to his anti-LGBTQ agenda, in recent weeks, he has spoken out against transgender equality, appeared alongside Tony Perkins — leader of SPLC-designated hate group the Family Research Council, and delusionally bragged about fictional support from the LGBTQ community in the wake of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando.
Trump has also doubled down on his anti-LGBTQ agenda by putting Indiana Gov. Mike Pence on the ticket. Pence became a national disgrace in 2015, for his “license to discriminate” bill that could have allowed businesses to deny service to LGBTQ people — and for subsequently defending the bill after an outcry from the business community and a majority of Hoosier voters. In a now notorious interview with ABC last year, Pence refused to answer eight separate times when asked whether businesses should be able to discriminate against LGBTQ people.
Pence’s discriminatory bill had enormous consequences for the business and economic health of Indiana after a flood of companies spoke out against the measure. Indianapolis’s nonprofit tourism agency estimated that in their city alone, Pence’s anti-LGBTQ bill cost up to 12 conventions and $60 million in lost revenue. Polling conducted by HRC after the 2015 fight found that 75 percent of Hoosiers said the debate was bad for the state’s economy and 70 percent of those surveyed said they opposed the law.
Here’s a snapshot of how Donald Trump has been threatening to roll back LGBTQ equality:
- Vowed to rescind marriage equality and, with a vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court, pledged to appoint U.S. Supreme Court justices who would overturn last year’s historic Obergefell ruling;
- Vowed to sign the so-called “First Amendment Defense Act,” which could allow individuals, many businesses and nonprofit organizations to circumvent critical federal protections and blatantly discriminate against LGBTQ families;
- Would support anti-LGBTQ governors like North Carolina’s Pat McCrory and Indiana’s Mike Pence when they write discrimination into state law;
- Pledged to repeal President Obama’s executive orders, which include protections for LGBTQ employees of federal contractors;
- Has verbally attacked women, immigrants, Muslims, people of color, people living with disabilities, asylum seekers and others for political gain.
Visit www.hrc.org/dumptrump to learn more about why Donald Trump is unfit for the presidency.
| Paid for by Human Rights Campaign Equality Votes and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. |
