Trump Administration Official Invites Anti-LGBTQ Activist & Russian Nationalist to Visit Texas, Speak at Rice University
GLAAD calls on Rice University to cancel speaking engagement
GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, today slammed the Trump Administration for inviting Russian politician Dmitry Rogozin to Houston, Texas, and giving him the opportunity to speak with students at Rice University. Rogozin is vehemently anti-LGBTQ and even called musician and LGBTQ ally Madonna a “whore” for promoting LGBTQ rights ahead of a concert in Russia seven years ago.
“Leave it up to the most anti-LGBTQ administration in recent memory to grant an anti-LGBTQ activist and Russian nationalist the opportunity to promote his hateful and out-of-touch rhetoric to students,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD. “Dmirty Rogozin has no business visiting our nation in the first place, much less being offered a speaking engagement at an academic institution. This sends an extraordinarily dangerous and discriminatory message to LGBTQ students and other marginalized groups. Rice University should not permit this appearance to take place.”
President Trump and his administration have worked to erase LGBTQ people from the fabric of this nation since the start of 2017. In fact, this invitation marks the 87th time the administration has authorized a direct attack on the LGBTQ community. GLAAD has tracked the Trump Administration and every anti-LGBTQ action with its Trump Accountability Project. For more about these, go to www.glaad.org/trump.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Trump Administration Invites Anti-LGBTQ Activist to the United States
- Tweets: “It’s not Russia that threatens the West. Its foundations will crash down under the pressure of ISIS and gays.”
- Called Madonna a “whore” for promoting LGBTQ rights.
- Attacked a Latvian politician’s coming out: “Is that his point of pride? But then if you’ve got nothing else to be proud of, you can take pride in that just as well…”
- Attacked the Eurovision win of openly LGBTQ singer Conchita Wurst, saying it “showed supporters of European integration their European future: a bearded girl”.
- Tweeted an apparent anti-gay attack line: “One shouldn’t confuse their own bum with Columbus…”
- Tweeted yet another anal sex “joke” about a gay couple: “now neither of them will have constipation problems”.
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