Sarah Huckabee Sanders, much like Vice President Mike Pence, has a well-documented anti-LGBTQ record

NEW YORK – GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, today called attention to White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ extensive anti-LGBTQ record in response to reports that she will attend the Olympic closing ceremony as part of the U.S. delegation. Before joining the Trump administration, Sanders headed American Principles Fund, a super PAC with close ties to the National Organization for Marriage that ran attack ads against Republican candidates they deemed not anti-LGBTQ enough.

“This year America fell in love with LGBTQ Olympians as we watched them achieve their dreams while proudly and vocally living their truth,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD. “Acceptance and representation are key components of the legacy of the 2018 U.S. Olympic team – two core principles that are not embodied by the Trump White House and the anti-LGBTQ officials like Mike Pence and Sarah Huckabee Sanders they are sending to games.”

Sanders also attempted to defend Trump’s discriminatory transgender military ban bylying from the podium and citing talking points from the anti-LGBTQ Family Research Council over credible non-partisan studies.

Vice President Mike Pence, who attended the opening ceremony, faced wide-ranging criticism over his own anti-LGBTQ record including support for the dangerous and discredited practice of conversion therapy, after being called out by Olympic skater, Adam Rippon.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Press Secretary Sanders’ Own Anti-LGBTQ Record

• Headed the American Principles Fund, a Super PAC that attacks candidates for their support of LGBTQ rights and other social issues. The Fund is a spinoff of the American Principles Project, a conservative organization founded by National Organization For Marriage (NOM) cofounder and Federal Marriage Amendment author Robert George. The Fund has been largely financed by Sean Fieler, a major NOM donor.
• Led the American Principles Fund during their ad campaign attacking Senate candidate Liz Cheney for not being anti-LGBTQ enough, even though Cheney stood opposed to LGBTQ rights.
• Threatened pro-LGBTQ candidates that their support was on “the wrong side” and “could be fatal”: “Jobs and economy and spending are still the most important, but a candidate’s position on social issues such as life and marriage sends an extremely strong message about their values. That’s why taking the wrong side could be fatal.”
• Framed marriage equality and other social matters as an “attack” on “values”: “The unilateral truce on social issues within the GOP is bad for our party and wrong for our country — our core values are under attack, and we will stand for those who stand for what’s right,” she said in a statement.
• Shared a Facebook post in which an anti-LGBTQ writer criticizes football player Michael Sam for coming out as gay, saying the author made “great observations.”

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