Choice comes after Mark Green, an anti-LGBTQ activist who withdrew his nomination after GLAAD exposed his anti-trans remarks

NEW YORK – GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, today released background information on the anti-LGBTQ record of Mark Esper, President Trump’s expected nomination for Secretary of the Army. Esper was the former chair of the National Security Policy subcommittee for the 2008 Republican Party Platform, which specifically targeted gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members. He has also worked closely with anti-LGBTQ politicians and organizations, including former U.S. Sen. Bill Frist of Tennessee and the Heritage Foundation – a notorious anti-LGBTQ organization.

This expected nomination comes after President Trump’s previous choice, Tennessee State Senator Mark Green, withdrew from consideration after GLAAD exposed audio of a radio interview in which Green said transgender Americans were an “evil” that must be “crushed.” GLAAD’s clip started a national backlash against Green, which prompted him to remove himself from consideration for the post.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Mark Esper’s Anti-LGBTQ Record

• Former Chief of Staff and Assistant to the President at the anti-LGBTQ Heritage Foundation. (Exact dates are unclear, but he is listed in both the 1996 and 1997 annual reports)
• Chair of the National Security Policy subcommittee for the 2008 Republican Platform. This platform explicitly affirmed “the incompatibility of homosexuality with military service.”
• Director of National Security Affairs for anti-LGBTQ Senator Bill Frist (at a time when the Majority Leader was leading his GOP caucus in anti-LGBTQ policy pushes, including fighting against the DADT repeal).
• Policy director for anti-LGBTQ candidate Fred Thompson’s short bid for the GOP presidential nomination of 2008.

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