Highlights:
VIDEO: Trump: “New York Is A Place With Lots Of Gays, And I Think It Is Great. But I'm Not In Favor Of Gay Marriage.” According to Fox News via YouTube, “HOST: Gay marriage? TRUMP: I am not in favor of gay marriage. HOST: You sort of hesitate when you say that. TRUMP: No, I’m not. No. HOST: Any doubt or any – TRUMP: No, I'm just not in favor of gay marriage. I live in New York. New York is a place with lots of gays, and I think it is great. But I'm not in favor of gay marriage.” [Fox News via YouTube, 2/14/11]
VIDEO: Trump On Marriage Equality: “I Just Don’t Feel Good About It. I Don’t Feel Right About It.” According to Fox News via YouTube, “HOST: Gay marriage, favor it? TRUMP: I’m against it. HOST: Why? TRUMP: I just don’t feel good about it. I don’t feel right about it. I’m against it and I take a lot of heat because I come from New York. You know, for New York it’s like, how can you be against gay marriage? But I’m opposed to gay marriage.” [Fox News via YouTube, 3/30/11]
AUDIO: Trump: “I’m Not” For Gay Marriage. According to the Howard Stern Show via YouTube, “HOST: Go on the record. You’re for gay marriage? TRUMP: Well, I’m not. HOST: Really? I’m shocked. TRUMP: Yeah. HOST: What does gay marriage do to marriage, Donald? TRUMP: It’s not an argument that I really want to – because it’s never been an argument that’s been discussed with me very much. People know it’s not my thing one way or the other.” [Howard Stern Show via YouTube, 2/6/13]
VIDEO: Trump Said He Would “Strongly Consider” Appointing Judges To Overturn Marriage Equality. According to Fox Broadcasting Co. via YouTube, “HOST: But just to button this up very quickly, sir, are you saying that if you become president, you might try to appoint justices to overrule the decision on same-sex marriage? TRUMP: I would strongly consider that, yes.” [Fox Broadcasting Co. via YouTube, 1/31/16]
VIDEO: Trump: “I Would Be Very Strong Putting Certain Judges On The Bench That I Think Maybe Could Change Things” On Marriage Equality. According to Fox Broadcasting Co. via YouTube, “TRUMP: It has been ruled up. It has been there. If I'm a, you know, if I'm elected, I would be very strong on putting certain judges on the bench that I think maybe could change things. But they've got a long way to go. I mean at some point, we have to get back down to business. But there’s no question about it. I mean most -- and most people feel this way. They have ruled on it. I wish that it was done by the state. I don't like the way they ruled. I disagree with the Supreme Court from the standpoint they should have given the state - it should be a states' rights issue. And that's the way it should have been ruled on, Chris, not the way they did it. This is a very surprising ruling. And I - I can see changes coming down the line, frankly. But I would have much preferred that they ruled at a state level and allowed the states to make those rulings themselves.” [Fox Broadcasting Co. via YouTube, 1/31/16]
VIDEO: Trump Said He Preferred Justices Who Stood Against The Obergefell Decision. According to ABC News via YouTube, “HOST: But just last Sunday, you said you would strongly consider appointing justices who would overturn [Obergefell]. TRUMP: I'm talking about bringing people together and we - I would appoint justices. It would take a long time, frankly, because I don't know how long it would take to appoint a... HOST: But you want them to overturn that Supreme Court decision? TRUMP: If they - if they -- I would appoint them and we will see how they will vote but I would... HOST: But how does that move us to equality? TRUMP: We'll find out. I mean we're going to find out. There's a lot of people that want to see that. But I would, I'd -- more important than anything else to me, this country is so divided right now, as per her question. This country is so totally divided, it's probably almost never been as divided as it is right now and we have to bring it together. HOST: But a majority of Americans now support the idea of gay marriage. Wouldn't it be divisive to try to overturn it? TRUMP: It has -- it has really been determined and we will see what happens. We're going to look at judges. They've got to be great judges. They've got to be conservative judges. We're going to see how they stand depending on -- on what their views are. But that would be my preference. HOST: See, that's what I mean. Where do you want them to stand? TRUMP: I would prefer that they stand against it, but we'll see what happens. It depends on the judge.” [ABC News via YouTube, 2/7/16]
Trump Opposed The Equality Act, Legislation That Would Have Added Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity To Federal Civil Rights Discrimination Law. According to NBC News, “President Donald Trump opposes the passage of the Equality Act, a proposed bill that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to federal civil rights law to prevent discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. In a statement shared with NBC News, a senior administration official confirmed the president's opposition, which was first reported by the Washington Blade. ‘The Trump administration absolutely opposes discrimination of any kind and supports the equal treatment of all,’ the official stated. ‘However, this bill in its current form is filled with poison pills that threaten to undermine parental and conscience rights.’” [NBC News, 5/14/19]
Lambda Legal: 40% Of Trump’s Judicial Appointments Had Anti-LGBTQ+ Histories. According to the 19th, “Nearly a third of the country’s circuit court judges, all lifetime appointments, are Trump selections. Of those, 40 percent have anti-LGBTQ+ histories, according to Lambda Legal, the country’s largest LGBTQ+ legal organization. The group released a report on Tuesday that breaks down how Trump’s judicial picks have reshaped the courts and what that could mean for LGBTQ+ equality over a generation. ‘For the most part, the best that we were able to hope for is some kind of neutrality or indifference on LGBT issues,’ said Sharon McGowan, legal director at Lambda Legal. ‘We looked at not only the cases that they litigated, but in many cases, it was even more important to us whether or not they had done personal speeches or had personal writings out there to indicate that they held hostility to LGBTQ people.’” [19th, 1/8/21]
2020: Trump Nominated Judge Barrett To The Supreme Court. According to CNN, “President Donald Trump on Saturday said he is nominating Amy Coney Barrett, a conservative federal appeals court judge, to succeed the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the US Supreme Court, setting off a fierce partisan battle in the waning days of a hotly contested presidential election.” [CNN, 9/26/20]
Barrett Gave A Presentation On Constitutional Law To A Legal Fellowship Program Sponsored By The Alliance Defending Freedom, A Religious Conservative Group Labeled A “Hate Group” By The Southern Poverty Law Center. According to the Indianapolis Star, “When she was a law professor, Barrett gave an hour presentation on constitutional law to a legal fellowship program sponsored by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative religious liberty advocacy group. The Southern Poverty Law Center has called Alliance Defending Freedom an ‘anti-LGBT hate group’ that supports recriminalization of homosexuality, has linked homosexuality to pedophilia and has worked on legislation that would allow gays and lesbians to be denied goods and services on the basis of religion.” [Indianapolis Star, 7/8/17]
Barrett Spoke At The Blackstone Legal Fellowship, A Program Run By The Alliance Defending Freedom, A Group Known For Representing The Colorado Baker Who Refused To Make A Wedding Cake For A Gay Couple At The Supreme Court. According to The New York Times, “Judge Barrett has also been a member of the Federalist Society, the conservative and libertarian legal group. She has spoken at the Blackstone Legal Fellowship, a program to train Christian law students that is run by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian legal firm that has successfully represented religious conservatives at the Supreme Court, including the Colorado baker who refused to create a wedding cake for a gay couple” [New York Times, 9/20/20]
Alliance Defending Freedom Supported Recriminalizing Homosexuality, Likened Homosexuality To Pedophilia, And Supported Legislation To Allow Businesses To Deny Services To Members Of The LGBT Community. According to the Indianapolis Star, “When she was a law professor, Barrett gave an hour presentation on constitutional law to a legal fellowship program sponsored by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative religious liberty advocacy group. The Southern Poverty Law Center has called Alliance Defending Freedom an ‘anti-LGBT hate group’ that supports recriminalization of homosexuality, has linked homosexuality to pedophilia and has worked on legislation that would allow gays and lesbians to be denied goods and services on the basis of religion.” [Indianapolis Star, 7/8/17]
Barrett Took Issue With The Southern Poverty Law Center’s Designation Of The Alliance Defending Freedom As A Hate Group
Barrett Said She Didn’t Know If Southern Poverty Law Center’s “Anti-LGBT Hate Group” Label Was Appropriate For Alliance Defending Freedom And That She Thought It Was A “Matter Of Public Controversy.” According to the Indianapolis Star, “When she was a law professor, Barrett gave an hour presentation on constitutional law to a legal fellowship program sponsored by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative religious liberty advocacy group. The Southern Poverty Law Center has called Alliance Defending Freedom an ‘anti-LGBT hate group’ that supports recriminalization of homosexuality, has linked homosexuality to pedophilia and has worked on legislation that would allow denial of goods and services on the basis of religion. Barrett told the Senate Judiciary Committee last year that she doesn't know whether the Southern Poverty Law Center's description is accurate and ‘I understand its characterization to be a matter of public controversy.’” [Indianapolis Star, 7/8/18]
2015: Barrett Signed A Letter To Catholic Bishops That Affirmed The Church’s Teaching That Marriage Was The “Indissoluble Commitment Of A Man And A Woman.” According to the Indianapolis Star, “In 2015, Barrett signed a letter to Catholic bishops that, among other things, affirmed the church’s teaching ‘on marriage and family founded on the indissoluble commitment of a man and a woman’ and on ‘the significance of sexual difference and the complementarity of men and women.’” [Indianapolis Star, 7/8/18]
2016: Barrett Said That It Was “[Straining] The Text” Of Title IX To Say That It Protected Transgender Bathroom Access. According to the Jacksonville University Public Policy Institute via YouTube, “BARRETT: When Title 9 was enacted, it’s pretty clear that no one, including the Congress that enacted that statute, would have dreamed of that result at that time. Maybe things have changed so that we should change Title 9. Maybe, you know, those arguing in favor of this kind of transgender bathroom access are right. That’s a public policy debate to have, but it does seem to strain the text of the statute to say that Title 9 demands it.” [Hesburgh Lecture 2016: Professor Amy Barrett at the JU Public Policy Institute via YouTube, 11/3/16]
2017: Trump Nominated Mateer To Serve As A Federal Judge In The Eastern District Of Texas. According to the Washington Post, “Mateer was nominated to serve as a federal judge in the Eastern District of Texas, while Talley was nominated for a federal district court seat in Alabama” [Washington Post, 12/13/17]
Mateer Said Transgender Children Were Part Of “Satan’s Plan.” According to the Texas Tribune, “Jeff Mateer, a high-ranking official in Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office whom President Donald Trump has nominated for a federal judgeship, said in speeches in 2015 that transgender children are part of ‘Satan's plan’ and argued same-sex marriage would open the floodgates for ‘disgusting’ forms of marriage, according to CNN. ‘In Colorado, a public school has been sued because a first grader and I forget the sex, she's a girl who thinks she's a boy or a boy who thinks she's a girl, it's probably that, a boy who thinks she's a girl,’ Mateer said in a May 2015 speech first reported by CNN, referencing a Colorado lawsuit that involved a transgender girl's parents suing her school for prohibiting her from using the restroom she preferred. ‘I mean it just really shows you how Satan's plan is working and the destruction that's going on.’” [Texas Tribune, 9/20/17]
Mateer Argued Same-Sex Marriage Could Lead To Polygamy And Bestiality. According to My San Antonio, “Mateer, who faces Senate confirmation for a federal judgeship in the Eastern District of Texas, also has argued that same-sex marriage can lead to polygamy and bestiality, views that are likely to get close scrutiny by Senate Democrats and others.” [My San Antonio, 9/21/17]
Mateer Said The Supreme Court Decision Allowing Marriage Equality Could Lead To “Disgusting” New Forms Of Matrimony. According to CNN, “In that same May 2015 speech, Mateer said that the Supreme Court decision allowing same-sex marriage could lead to what he called ‘disgusting’ new forms of matrimony. ‘I submit to you that there’ll be no line there,’ he said. ‘And actually in the arguments Chief Justice Roberts, who’s in the center there said, I mean, what is the limiting? Why couldn’t four 4 people wanna get married? Why not one man and three women? Or three women and one man? And we’re gonna spare you some of those slides. We actually have a presentation that we get into it. And I’ll tell you, we say it’s PG-13, it may be R, or what do they call the next one? NC-17 or whatever?’” [CNN, 9/20/17]
Grassley Announced That Mateer Would Not Be Confirmed After Urging The White House To “Reconsider” Him. According to the Washington Post, “The Senate Judiciary Committee’s top Republican said Wednesday that two of President Trump’s nominees for open seats on the federal bench will not be confirmed, just a day after urging the White House to ‘reconsider’ them. U.S. Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, said that based on his discussions with the White House, the nominations of Jeff Mateer and Brett Talley would not move forward through the confirmation process. The decision comes after reports that both nominees made public comments celebrating groups or policies that were discriminatory.” [Washington Post, 12/13/17]
2019: Kacsmaryk Was Confirmed As A U.S. District Judge For The Northern District Of Texas. According to NBC News, “The Senate voted Wednesday to confirm Matthew Kacsmaryk to the position of U.S. district judge for the Northern District of Texas, a lifetime appointment. His appointment riled Democrats and LGBTQ advocates who have opposed his nomination for almost two years. Kacsmaryk is the latest in a series of judicial nominations to elicit alarm from LGBTQ and civil rights advocates over what they consider anti-LGBTQ track records.” [NBC News, 6/19/19]
2015: Kacsmaryk Said The LGBTQ Movement Was “Typified By Lawlessness.” According to NBC News, “In 2015, Kacsmaryk said the LGBTQ movement ‘has been typified by lawlessness and just a complete refusal to obey basic rule of law principles,’ according to research compiled by the liberal Alliance for Justice.” [NBC News, 6/19/19]
Kacsmaryk Opposed LGBTQ Anti-Discrimination Protections And Marriage Equality. According to NBC News, “Among advocates, concerns about Kacsmaryk are his opposition to LGBTQ anti-discrimination protections and same-sex marriage, along with his remarks concerning transgender children and adults.” [NBC News, 6/19/19]
2015: Kacsmaryk Rejected The 2015 Ruling In Obergefell v. Hodges That Legalized Same-Sex Marriage. According to NBC News, “He [Kacsmaryk] also rejected the 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges that legalized same-sex marriage across the U.S., saying ‘traditionally and legally, we define sex according to chromosomes.’” [NBC News, 6/19/19]
Kacsmaryk Opposed Obama-Era Guidance That Mandated Schools Protect The Civil Rights Of Transgender Students. According to NBC News, “Kacsmaryk has repeatedly expressed animosity toward transgender people. He took issue with the Obama-era guidance that mandated schools protect the civil rights of transgender students and allow them to access facilities that conform to their gender identity, and he opposed the extension of anti-discrimination protections to transgender people in the Affordable Care Act.” [NBC News, 6/19/19]
Kacsmaryk Opposed The Extension Of Anti-Discrimination Protections To LGBTQ People. According to NBC News, “During his time at the First Liberty Institute, Kacsmaryk opposed the extension of anti-discrimination protections to LGBTQ people not only in health care, but also in legislation such as the Workplace Innovation and Opportunity Act, the Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act and the Violence Against Women Act of 2013 reauthorization bill, Alliance for Justice maintains.” [NBC News, 6/19/19]
Kacsmaryk Opposed The Equality Act And Called It The “Inequality Act.” According to NBC News, “Kacsmaryk has voiced opposition to the Equality Act, which would modify existing civil rights legislation to ban discrimination against LGBTQ people in employment, housing, public accommodations, jury service, education, federal programs and credit. He called it the ‘Inequality Act’ and claimed the legislation would ‘weaponiz[e] same-sex marriage’ to punish those who disagree with it.” [NBC News, 6/19/19]
2019: Trump Nominated Brasher To Sit On The U.S. Court Of Appeals. According to a press release from the U.S. District Court Middle District of Alabama, “Prior to the confirmation, he served as federal judge on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama. In November, President Donald J. Trump nominated Brasher to sit on the U.S. Court of Appeals, and he was confirmed in a 52-43 vote in the Senate Feb. 11.” [United States District Court Middle District of Alabama Press Release, 2/24/20]
2020: Brasher Was Confirmed To The 11th Circuit Court Of Appeals. According to a press release from the U.S. District Court Middle District Of Alabama, “The U.S. Senate has confirmed U.S. District Judge Andrew Brasher ’02 to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, which handles cases filed in Georgia, Florida and Alabama. He is a graduate of Howard College of Arts and Sciences and currently serves on Samford’s Board of Overseers.” [United States District Court Middle District Of Alabama Press Release, 2/24/20]
Brasher Worked With The Alliance Defending Freedom On An Amicus Brief That Argued That Marriage Equality Was “Harmful To Children.” According to NBC News, “Among them is Andrew Brasher, who was confirmed in February to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Previously, Brasher worked with the Alliance Defending Freedom on an amicus brief that argued that same-sex marriage was ‘harmful to children.’ In another amicus filing, Brasher claimed that a New Mexico wedding photographer had the right to turn down a gay couple because her involvement would suggest ‘approval, validation and celebration of the ceremony.’” [NBC News, 1/6/21]
2020: Trump Announced His Nomination Of Wilson To Serve As Circuit Judge On The U.S. Court Of Appeals Fifth Circuit. According to a press release from the Trump White House, “Today, President Donald J. Trump announced his intent to nominate: Cory T. Wilson of Mississippi, to serve as Circuit Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.” [Trump White House Press Release, 3/30/20]
2020: Wilson Was Confirmed To The U.S. Court Of Appeals For The Fifth Circuit. According to POLITICO, “In a 52-48 vote, the Senate approved Cory Wilson to the powerful U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine was the sole Republican to vote against his nomination, along with all Democrats.” [POLITICO, 6/24/20]
Wilson Called Marriage Equality “A Pander To Liberal Interest Groups.” According to NBC News, “Cory Wilson, who was appointed to the 5th Circuit court in June, called same-sex marriage ‘a pander to liberal interest groups’ in a 2012 op-ed for the Press-Register of Mobile, Alabama. In another piece the same year, he defended Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy's donations to anti-LGBTQ causes, complaining that private citizens were being ‘bashed, banned, and bankrupted, simply for expressing their views.’” [NBC News, 1/6/21]
2017: Sessions Issued A Memo That The U.S. DOJ Would No Longer Argue In Court That Transgender People Were Federally Protected From Employment Discrimination. According to NPR, “In October of 2017, then Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a memo that the U.S. Department of Justice would no longer argue in court that transgender people are federally protected from employment discrimination.” [NPR, 3/2/20]
2017: Trump Signed A Directive Reinstating A Ban On Transgender Individuals From Serving In The Military. According to POLITICO, “President Donald Trump on Friday signed a directive reinstating a ban on transgender individuals from serving in the military, although it defers to the Pentagon on whether to remove those now in uniform and leaves open the door for it to seek changes. Trump’s directive, issued to the Defense and Homeland Security Departments, reinstates a prohibition of transgender service members lifted last year, putting a formal stamp on a politically divisive change in military personnel policy that Trump first announced last month.” [POLITICO, 8/25/17]
2024: Trump Said He Would Ban Transgender Persons From Serving In The Military In A Potential Second Term. According to the Washington Examiner, “Former President Donald Trump announced several reforms he plans to implement for the military and the Department of Veterans Affairs if he is elected president in 2024, including banning transgender people from the armed forces. ‘I will ban the Department of Veterans Affairs from wasting a single cent to fund transgender surgeries or sex change procedures,’ Trump said to loud applause from a crowd in Windham, New Hampshire, on Tuesday. ‘Those precious taxpayer dollars should be going to care for our veterans in need, not to refund radical gender experiments for the communist Left.’ ‘I'll also restore the Trump ban on transgender in the military,’ he continued as the crowd cheered. In 2017, Trump, as president, announced a ban on transgender people serving in the military. In his first month in office, President Joe Biden overturned the measure.” [Washington Examiner, 8/8/23]
2020: The Trump Administration Issued A Regulation Designed To Allow Contractors To Claim A Religious Exemption Which Could Be Weaponized To Fire LGBTQ People. According to NBC News, “The Trump administration has issued new guidance on religious exemptions for federal contractors that critics say grants them carte blanche to discriminate against LGBTQ workers, women, religious minorities and others. The Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs released Monday its final rule on exemptions to ` VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and a related 1965 executive order instituting anti-discrimination requirements for federal contractors. The provision expands exceptions to any contractors — for-profit or nonprofit — who ‘hold themselves out to the public as carrying out a religious purpose.’’ [NBC News, 12/8/20]
LGBTQ Trump Administration Staffers Described Removing Their Wedding Rings Before Coming To Work And Otherwise Hiding Their Identities. According to POLITICO, “It’s also fostered a climate where six staffers who are LGBT described removing their wedding rings before coming to work in the morning, taking down photos of their partners and families or ultimately finding new jobs further away from certain political appointees. They did not want to be identified; two said they feared being reassigned for being gay. ‘When you have to hide a major part of who you are … it’s really debilitating,’ said one staffer. ‘I wish I had more courage to be out with these people.’” [POLITICO, 2/19/18]
The Trump Administration Finalized A DHHS Administrative Rule Rolling Back Health Care Anti-Discrimination Protections For LGBTQ People. According to Vox, “The Trump administration has finalized a Department of Health and Human Services administrative rule rolling back health care discrimination protections for LGBTQ people, according to an HHS press release. The rule was released Friday, June 12, the fourth anniversary of the Pulse shooting, which left 49 victims, including many queer and trans people, dead in an Orlando, Florida, nightclub. First proposed in May 2019, the rule reverses an Obama-era interpretation that sex discrimination under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act applied to discrimination against queer and trans people, as well as people who are seeking or have had an abortion. ‘HHS will enforce Section 1557 by returning to the government’s interpretation of sex discrimination according to the plain meaning of the word ‘sex’ as male or female and as determined by biology,’ reads the agency’s press release.” [Vox, 6/12/20]
The Trump Administration Rule Allowed Health Care Providers To Deny Care To Anyone They Perceived As Transgender Or Gay. According to Vox, “The Obama-era rule made it illegal for doctors, hospitals, and other health care workers to deny care to someone whose sexual orientation or gender identity they disapproved of. The new Trump administration rule allows health care providers to deny care to anyone they perceive as trans or gay.” [Vox, 6/12/20]
The Trump Administration Rule Would Allow Hospitals To House Transgender Women And Men According To Their Sex Assigned At Birth. According to Vox, “It will allow hospitals to house trans women and men according to their birth-assigned sex, or condition emergency treatment on the stoppage of cross-sex hormones.” [Vox, 6/12/20]
The Trump Administration Rule Would Allow Insurance Companies To Reinstate Blanket Bans On Transition-Related Care. According to Vox, “It would also allow insurance companies to reinstate blanket bans on transition-related care like gender-affirming surgery or hormone replacement therapy.” [Vox, 6/12/20]
2017: Trump Administration Withdrew Obama-Era Protections For Transgender Students In Public Schools. According to CNN, “The Trump administration on Wednesday night withdrew Obama-era protections for transgender students in public schools that let them use bathrooms and facilities corresponding with their gender identity. The announcement is a significant victory for opponents of the Obama administration’s guidelines who believe the federal government never should have gotten involved in the issue.” [CNN, 2/22/17]
Trump Administration Said Obama-Era Guidance Did Not Provide “Extensive Legal Analysis.” According to CNN, “In the two-page letter to public schools, the Trump administration said the Obama-era guidance did not provide ‘extensive legal analysis’ of how its position was consistent with Title IX. The letter cited ‘significant litigation’ caused by the guidance, showing the need for ‘due regard’ of the role of states and local school districts in shaping education policy. ‘As President Trump has clearly stated, he believes policy regarding transgender bathrooms should be decided at the state level,’ the White House said in a statement.” [CNN, 2/22/17]
2024: Trump Vowed To Reverse Transgender Student Protections “On Day One” Of A Second Administration. According to The Hill, “Former President Trump said Friday he would roll back transgender student protections enacted last month by the Biden administration ‘on day one’ of his presidency if he is reelected in November. The Education Department in April unveiled a final set of sweeping changes to Title IX, the federal civil rights law preventing sex discrimination in schools and education programs that receive government funding. The new regulations, which are slated to take effect Aug. 1, cover discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity for the first time. ‘We’re gonna end it on day one,’ Trump said Friday during an appearance on ‘Kayal and Company,’ a conservative talk radio show in Philadelphia. ‘Don’t forget, that was done as an order from the president. That came down as an executive order. And we’re gonna change it — on day one it’s gonna be changed.’” [The Hill, 5/10/24]
Trump Said He Would Abolish Title IX Protections For Transgender Students. According to the Heartlander, “Asked about Biden’s new Title IX rule requiring the inclusion of biological males who identify as female into girls’ and women’s sports, Trump was at his most adamant. ‘It’s hard to believe I even have to mention that, Chris, because it’s embarrassing even to bring it up. Who would think that men are competing against women in sports? A woman was hurt the other day in a volleyball contest. Whoever heard of that? She’s like an All-American player – and she said the ball was hit at a speed that she never saw before. And she was badly injured, actually. ‘You look at the swimming records, they’re being not just beaten, they’re being decimated. You know, a record that stood for years over an 1/8 of a second, and they’re being beaten by numbers that nobody ever heard. Weightlifting records, that’s the worst of all. ‘It’s just crazy. And they fight for it. They really believe it. ‘I thought at first, am I hearing things, or are they joking? But they’re not joking. They’re totally serious over it. And you wonder where this ideology comes from. It’s a sick ideology. And in that case, it’s so bad for women. It’s so demeaning to women. ‘But we’re going to handle it. First day I will write it out: no more men competing in women’s sports. I write it right off the books.’” [Heartlander, 6/24/24]
2018: Trump’s Department Of Education Announced It Would No Longer Investigate Transgender Student Bathroom Complaints. According to Slate, “A spokeswoman for the Department of Education told BuzzFeed News that the agency will no longer investigate complaints from transgender students barred from using school bathrooms that match their gender identity. This comes after a year of uncertainty about how the Trump administration was officially handling transgender issues in public schools.” [Slate, 2/13/18]
Trump Administration Pushed National 4-H Youth Organization To Withdraw A Policy Welcoming LGBT Members. According to the Des Moines Register, “The Trump administration pushed the national 4-H youth organization to withdraw a controversial policy welcoming LGBT members — a move that helped lead to the ouster of Iowa's top 4-H leader earlier this year, a Des Moines Register investigation found.” [Des Moines Register, 11/18/18]
The 4-H Had Introduced The New Guidance To Ensure LGBT Members Felt Protected By Their Local 4-H Programs. According to the Des Moines Register, “The international youth organization, with more than 6 million members, introduced the new guidance to ensure LGBT members felt protected by their local 4-H program. The document and their attempts to broaden membership in the LGBT community was a smaller part of a larger, multi-year effort to modernize the federally authorized group.” [Des Moines Register, 11/18/18]
Within Days Of The LGBT Guidance’s Publication, Chief Of Staff For U.S. Secretary Of Agriculture Sonny Perdue Requested That It Be Rescinded. According to the Des Moines Register, “Within days of the LGBT guidance's publication, Heidi Green, then-chief of staff for U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, requested that it be rescinded, Sonny Ramaswamy, then-director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the federal department that administers 4-H, told the Register.” [Des Moines Register, 11/18/18]
Trump Falsely Said That Children Were Undergoing Transition-Related Surgery At Schools. According to NBC News, “Former President Donald Trump repeated his false claim that children are undergoing transition-related surgery during their school day, worsening fears among some conservatives that educators are pushing children to become transgender and aiding transitions without parental awareness. ‘Can you imagine you’re a parent and your son leaves the house and you say, ‘Jimmy, I love you so much, go have a good day in school,’ and your son comes back with a brutal operation? Can you even imagine this? What the hell is wrong with our country?’ Trump said Saturday at a campaign rally in Wisconsin, a vital swing state. Trump made similar remarks — saying children were returning home from school after having had surgical procedures — the previous weekend at an event hosted by Moms for Liberty, a parent activist group that has gained outsized influence in conservative politics in recent years. Asked by one of the group’s co-founders how he would address the ‘explosion in the number of children who identify as transgender,’ Trump said: ‘Your kid goes to school and comes home a few days later with an operation. The school decides what’s going to happen with your child.’ There is no evidence that a student has ever undergone gender-affirming surgery at a school in the U.S., nor is there evidence that a U.S. school has sent a student to receive such a procedure elsewhere.” [NBC News, 9/9/24]
Trump Administration Moved To Repeal Protections For Transgender People In Homeless Shelters. According to NBC News, “The Department of Housing and Urban Development plans to move forward with a measure that would permit federally funded homeless shelters to house transgender clients according to their sex assigned at birth. The HUD proposal would reverse a 2016 measure implemented under the Obama administration that built on provisions enacted four years earlier. The 2012 Equal Access Rule mandated that shelters are ‘open to all eligible individuals and families regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status,’ and the administration issued further guidance clarifying that the rule barred shelters from denying access to trans people in accordance with their gender identity. HUD announced Wednesday that it intends to effectively strike the 2016 trans-inclusive guidelines. When it comes to housing transgender people in single-sex or sex-segregated shelters, HUD Secretary Ben Carson said in a statement that the Obama administration's guidelines ‘mandate a single approach that overrides local law and concerns.” [NBC News, 7/2/20]
April 2021: Biden Administration’s Department Of Housing And Urban Development Withdrew The Trump-Era Proposed Rule. According to POLITICO, “The Department of Housing and Urban Development is withdrawing a Trump-era proposed rule giving federally funded single-sex homeless shelters the choice to house only people whose biological sex, rather than gender identity, matches the sex of the shelter. The Trump rule, proposed last July, would have rolled back transgender protections included in HUD’s 2016 Equal Access rule, which mandated access to shelter based on a person’s self-expressed gender identity.” [POLITICO, 4/22/21]
The House Ways And Means Committee: The Trump Administration “Intentionally” Harmed LGBTQ Americans After It Permitted South Carolina’s Government-Funded Adoption And Foster Care Agencies To Turn Away Same-Sex Prospective Parents. According to NBC News, “The House Ways and Means Committee issued a scathing, 34-page report this week accusing the Trump administration of ‘intentionally’ harming LGBTQ Americans and violating a congressional mandate to act in the best interest of children by permitting South Carolina’s government-funded adoption and foster care agencies to turn away same-sex prospective parents.” [NBC News, 8/22/20]
Trump’s HHS Issued A Waiver To Miracle Hill Ministries After South Carolina’s Governor Requested An Exception To The Department’s Nondiscrimination Regulations. According to NBC News, “The Health and Human Services Department, which regulates child welfare agencies, issued the waiver to Miracle Hill Ministries in January 2019 after South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster requested an exception to the department’s nondiscrimination regulations. At the time, McMaster praised President Donald Trump for protecting the religious liberty of the evangelical Protestant organization, which handles up to 15 percent of the foster placements in the state.” [NBC News, 8/22/20]
2018: The Trump Administration Denied Visas To Some Same-Sex Domestic Partners Of Foreign Diplomats And United Nations Employees. According to Foreign Policy, “The Trump administration on Monday began denying visas to same-sex domestic partners of foreign diplomats and United Nations employees, and requiring those already in the United States to get married by the end of the year or leave the country.” [Foreign Policy, 10/1/18]
Same-Sex Partners Of Foreign Diplomats And U.N. Workers Were Given Until The End Of The Year To Get Married Or Leave The Country. According to USA Today, “The policy shift gives the same-sex partners of foreign diplomats and U.N. workers until the end of the year to get married or leave the country.” [USA Today, 10/2/18]
A Same-Sex Couple Sued The State Department Over Its Refusal To Grant Birthright Citizenship To Their Infant Daughter Who Was Born Via Surrogacy In Canada. According to NBC News, “Roee and Adiel Kiviti, a Tame-sex couple from Maryland, are suing the State Department over its refusal to grant birthright citizenship to their infant daughter, Kessem, who was born via surrogacy in Canada. The fathers say their daughter is being denied the birthright citizenship she is entitled to as the child of American parents because her parents are a same-sex married couple. The Kiviti family join other same-sex couples in a string of lawsuits accusing the Trump administration of enforcing the Immigration and Nationality Act in a way that disenfranchises same-sex parents who use surrogacy abroad.” [NBC News, 8/13/19]
The Trump State Department Appealed A Federal Judge’s Decision That It Must Recognize The Citizenship Of A Young Girl Born Via Surrogate To A Gay Couple. According to ABC News, “The State Department is appealing a federal judge's decision that it must recognize the U.S. citizenship of a young girl born via surrogate to a gay couple -- prolonging one of many legal fights over its controversial policy that was deemed unconstitutional in June. Roee Kiviti and Adiel Kiviti of Chevy Chase, Maryland, are legally married and both U.S. citizens. Their daughter Kessem was born in Canada via a surrogate, so the State Department has argued in federal court that she is ‘born out of wedlock’ and not entitled to birthright citizenship.” [ABC News, 8/20/20]
The State Department Policy Deemed A Child Born To A Surrogate Abroad To Be “A Person Born Out Of Wedlock.” According to ABC News, “Specifically, the department's policy on ‘assisted reproductive technology’ says, ‘A child born abroad to a surrogate, whose genetic parents are a U.S. citizen father and anonymous egg donor, is considered for citizenship purposes to be a person born out of wedlock.’” [ABC News, 8/20/20]
2017: The Trump Administration Removed Nearly All Mentions Of The Acronym “LGBT” From The State Department Website. According to NBC News, “On Tuesday, it appeared that nearly all mentions of the acronym ‘LGBT’ had been taken off the State Department website (the department typically did not include the acronym's ‘Q,’ which is used by some—though not all—in the LGBTQ community). Entering ‘LGBT’ into the website’s search field resulted in numerous dead links where webpages used to house information about LGBTQ Pride month, LGBTQ refugees, LGBTQ human rights issues, human trafficking of LGBTQ people and the Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBT Persons.” [NBC News, 1/24/17]
A U.S. Department Of Labor Report Titled “Advancing LGBTQ Workplace Rights” Was Removed From The Website. According to NBC News, “In addition to the State Department and White House removals, LGBTQ content has also been scrubbed from other federal agency websites. A report titled ‘Advancing LGBT Workplace Rights’ was removed from the U.S. Department of Labor website, while other LGBTQ-themed webpages remained.” [NBC News, 1/24/17]
The State Department Removed An Apology From Secretary Kerry For The “Lavender Scare” From Its Website. According to the Human Rights Campaign, “HRC released the following statement after it was discovered that the Trump Administration has removed from the State Department website former Secretary of State John Kerry’s apology for the infamous ‘Lavender Scare’ witch hunt in the 1950s and 1960s.” [Human Rights Campaign, 1/23/17]
The Lavender Scare Occurred Under President Eisenhower When LGBTQ People Were Removed From The Federal Government. According to Time, “Under President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Executive Order 10450, the investigation, interrogation and systematic removal of gay men and lesbians from the federal government became policy. Known as the ‘Lavender Scare,’ the policy was based on the unfounded fear that gay men and lesbians ‘posed a threat to national security because they were vulnerable to blackmail and were considered to have weak moral characters,’ says historian David K. Johnson. According to him, this aspect of American history has largely been overlooked.” [Time, 12/22/20]
The State Department Removed Content About Pride Month And The Special Envoy For The Human Rights Of LGBT Persons From Their Website, As Well. “Today, HRC released the following statement after it was discovered that the Trump Administration has removed from the State Department website former Secretary of State John Kerry’s apology for the infamous ;Lavender Scare’ witch hunt in the 1950s and 1960s, as well as other content regarding LGBTQ pride month observances and the State Department’s Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBT Persons.” [Human Rights Campaign, 1/23/17]
Trump Officials “Did Not Want” Census To Ask About Sexual Orientation. According to NPR, “Plans to add questions about sexual orientation and gender identity to the largest survey in the U.S. — the Census Bureau's American Community Survey — stalled after President Trump entered the White House last year. The newly released testimony of an official at the Commerce Department, which oversees the Census Bureau, points to a possible reason. Earl Comstock, who heads the department's Office of Policy and Strategic Planning, was recently deposed for the lawsuits over the 2020 census citizenship question. Asked by Matthew Colangelo, an attorney for the plaintiffs, if sexual orientation and gender identity questions were not included ‘because you came to the policy position you did not want to ask’ them, Comstock replied: ‘That was the administration's conclusion, yes.’” [NPR, 9/20/18]
Trump Omitted Any Recognition OF LGBTQ People In His 2017, 2018, and 2019 World AIDS Day Addresses. According to the Washington Blade, “In a proclamation Wednesday recognizing World AIDS Day, President Trump again has omitted any recognition of LGBTQ people as among the groups primarily affected by the epidemic. Such was the case in proclamations issued in 2017 and 2018. But the latest absence of LGBTQ people stands out even more because Trump takes the occasion to tout his administration’s plan to beat HIV by 2030.” [Washington Blade, 11/27/19]
Trump Administration Rejected Requests From U.S. Embassies To Fly The Rainbow Pride Flag On Embassy Flagpoles During Pride Month. According to NBC News, “The Trump administration is rejecting requests from U.S. embassies to fly the rainbow pride flag on embassy flagpoles during June, LGBTQ Pride Month, three American diplomats told NBC News. The U.S. embassies in Israel, Germany, Brazil and Latvia are among those that have requested permission from Trump's State Department to fly the pride flag on their flagpoles and have been denied, diplomats said.” [NBC News, 6/7/19]
Trump’s Campaign Called On The Biden Administration To Apologize To “Catholics And Christians” For Acknowledging March 31 As “Transgender Day Of Visibility.” According to the Associated Press, “President Joe Biden is facing criticism from Donald Trump’s campaign and religious conservatives for proclaiming March 31 — which corresponds with Easter Sunday this year — as ‘Transgender Day of Visibility.’ The Democratic president issued the proclamation on Friday, calling on ‘all Americans to join us in lifting up the lives and voices of transgender people throughout our Nation and to work toward eliminating violence and discrimination based on gender identity.’ But in 2024, the March 31 designation overlaps with Easter, one of Christianity’s holiest celebrations. Trump’s campaign accused Biden, a Roman Catholic, of being insensitive to religion, and fellow Republicans piled on. ‘We call on Joe Biden’s failing campaign and White House to issue an apology to the millions of Catholics and Christians across America who believe tomorrow is for one celebration only — the resurrection of Jesus Christ,’ said Karoline Leavitt, the Trump campaign’s press secretary. She assailed what she called the Biden administration’s ‘years-long assault on the Christian faith.’” [Associated Press, 3/30/24]
2023: Trump Said He Would Seek To Pass Legislation Banning Gender-Affirming Care In All 50 States. According to Trump’s campaign website, “Today, President Donald J. Trump announced his plan to stop the chemical, physical, and emotional mutilation of our youth because no serious country should be telling its children that they were born with the wrong gender. […] Pass a law prohibiting child sexual mutilation in all 50 states.” [Donald J. Trump For President 2024, 2/1/23]
2023: Trump Said He Would Ask Federal Agencies To Police And “Stop” Gender-Affirming Care. According to NBC News, “In a straight-to-camera video posted on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he would task several federal agencies to police and ultimately ‘stop’ gender-affirming care for minors, which he equated to ‘child abuse’ and ‘child sexual mutilation.’” [NBC News, 1/31/23]
Trump Called Allowing Children To Undergo Gender Transitions “Child Abuse” And “Emotional Mutilation Of Our Youth.” According to the Daily Mail (UK), “'The left-wing gender insanity being pushed on our children is an act of child abuse, very simple. Here is my plan to stop the chemical, physical, and emotional mutilation of our youth,' Trump said in a campaign speech on February 1.” [Daily Mail (UK), 6/4/23]
Trump Said He Would Make It Easier For Those Who Received Gender-Affirming Care As Minors To Sue Their Doctors
Trump Said He Would Make It Easier For Those Who Received Gender-Affirming Care As Minors To Sue Their Doctors. According to NBC News, “In addition, he said he would make it easier for patients who later regret having received gender-affirming care as minors to sue their doctors, calling the procedures ‘unforgivable.’” [NBC News, 1/31/23]
Trump Said He Would Ban Gender-Affirming Care Policies From All Federal Agencies
Trump Said He Would Ban Gender-Affirming Care Policies From All Federal Agencies. According to Trump’s campaign website, “President Trump will immediately reverse Joe Biden’s barbaric ‘gender-affirming care’ policies, and he will sign an executive order instructing every federal agency, including the Department of Education, to cease all programs that promote the concept of sex and gender transition, at any age.” [Donald J. Trump For President 2024, 9/13/23]
Trump Said He Would Revoke Medicaid And Medicare For Any Health Care Provider Which Provided Gender-Affirming Care For Minors
Trump Said He Would Revoke Medicaid And Medicare For Any Health Care Provider Which Provided Gender-Affirming Care For Minors. According to Trump’s campaign website, “President Trump will declare any hospital or healthcare provider that participates in the chemical or physical mutilation of minor youth will no longer meet federal health and safety standards for Medicaid and Medicare.” [Donald J. Trump For President 2024, 9/13/23]
Trump Said He Would Punish Teachers Who Talked With Students About Transitioning And Would Promote Nuclear Families In Schools
Trump Said He Would Create A “New Credentialing Body For Teachers” Which Would Promote Teaching About The Nuclear Family, And The Roles Of Mothers And Fathers. According to NBC News, “Trump also said his policy changes would extend to education. He has already vowed to create a ‘new credentialing body for teachers’ regarding the teaching of race history, adding that the panel would ‘promote positive education about the nuclear family, the roles of mothers and fathers and celebrating, rather than erasing, the things that make men and women different.’” [NBC News, 1/31/23]
Trump Said He Would Have His Department Of Education Impose “Severe Consequences” On Any Teacher Who Suggested To A Child That “They Could Be Trapped In The Wrong Body.” According to NBC News, “He said his Education Department would impose ‘severe consequences’ on any teachers or school officials who ‘suggest to a child that they could be trapped in the wrong body,’ which could include civil rights penalties for the individuals and a loss of federal funding for schools.” [NBC News, 1/31/23]
Trump Claimed He Would Block Federal Funds From Hospitals They Offered Transitional Hormones Or Surgery. According to the Associated Press, “As part of his crackdown on gender-affirming care, he will declare that hospitals and health care providers that offer transitional hormones or surgery no longer meet federal health and safety standards and will be blocked from receiving federal funds, including Medicaid and Medicare dollars.” [Associated Press, 11/12/23]
TRUMP SAID HE WOULD ASK CONGRESS TO PASS A BILL ESTABLISHING ONLY TWO GENDERS
Trump Said He Would Ask Congress To Pass A Bill Establishing Only Two Genders, Male And Female. According to Trump’s campaign website, “President Trump will ask Congress to pass a bill establishing that the only genders recognized by the United States government are male and female—and they are determined at birth.” [Donald J. Trump For President 2024, 9/13/23]