Presidential nominee Donald Trump does not have the support of the Log Cabin Republicans. The LGBT political group made its announcement today (22 October).
‘Mr.
Trump is perhaps the most pro-LGBT presidential nominee in the history
of the Republican Party,’ the organization said in a statement. ‘His
unprecedented overtures to the “LGBTQ community”—a first for any
major-party candidate in our nation’s history—are worthy of praise, and
should serve as a clarion call to the GOP that the days of needing to
toe an anti-LGBT line are now a thing of the past.’
However, LCR is concerned about the people the GOP leader has at his side.
‘As
Mr. Trump spoke positively about the LGBT community in the United
States, he concurrently surrounded himself with senior advisers with a
record of opposing LGBT equality, and committed himself to supporting
legislation such as the so-called “First Amendment Defense Act” that Log
Cabin Republicans opposes.’
While not mentioned in the statement, Trump’s running mate Mike Pence
has a history of standing for anti-gay equality measures. Last year,
the Indiana governor signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act into
law. It allows businesses, and individuals, in the state to deny
services to LGBT people.
In 2000, when running for a seat in the
House of Representatives, Pence argued funds from the Ryan White HIV and
AIDS Program should be redirected to ‘gay cure’ organizations.
Last month the businessman/reality star named Rick Santorum
as an adviser. The former Pennsylvania senator’s entire political
career is based on an anti-LGBT agenda. In 2003, he argued consensual
sex that was not heterosexual could lead to a legal ruling allowing ‘man
on child, man on dog, or whatever the case may be.’
He’s railed against Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 US Supreme Court decision that made same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states.
The First Amendment Defense Act (FADA)
is intended to prevent federal government action against individuals
and businesses that oppose same-sex marriage on religious grounds. The
bill would also allow businesses to withhold benefits from LGBT employees; allow companies to deny time off to an employee to care for a
same-sex spouse; and permit housing discrimination against same-sex
couples.
If Trump wins the White House, LCR promises ‘to work with
his administration to ensure the advances in LGBT freedom we have
fought for and secured will continue. Until and unless that happens, our
trust would be misplaced.’
From now until Election Day, 8
November, the group promises to help the party hold majorities in the
House of Representatives and Senate.
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