‘MOST PRO-GAY PRESIDENT’
What are Trump’s views on the LGBTQ community and gay marriage?
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19:29, 3 Nov 2020
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Updated: 1:57, 4 Nov 2020
DONALD Trump has shifted his focus to LGBTQ voters in a push to earn their support for a second stint in the White House.
The president’s LGBTQ supporters say that the Trump administration has made gay rights a “non-issue,” citing his friendships with gay men and his appointment of at least two openly gay federal judges
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Donald Trump has recently shifted his focus to recruiting LGBTQ voters Credit: Rex Features
What is Trump’s position on LGBTQ rights?
The president has had a spotty track record when it comes to LGBTQ rights.
Days after he was sworn into office, Trump said on January 30 that he would keep in place a 2014 Obama-era executive order that created federal workplace protections for LGBTQ people.
But weeks later, he rolled back key components of the Obama administration’s workplace protections for LGBTQ Americans.
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The Trump administration rolled back requirements that made federal contractors prove they’re complying with the protections, which makes it harder to track workplace discrimination against LGBTQ employees.
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President Trump has had a spotty record when it comes to LGBTQ rightsCredit: Rex Features
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Trump said in 2017 that he’d keep Obama-era federal workplace protections for LGBTQ peopleCredit: AP:Associated Press
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But months later, the DOJ argued that federal law doesn’t protect employers from discriminating against workers because of their sexual orientation Credit: Reuters
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Supporters of the president wave Trump banners at a rallyCredit: Rex Features
In July 2017, the Department of Justice argued in court that federal civil rights law doesn’t prohibit employers from discriminating against workers based on sexual orientation.
The Trump administration argued to the Supreme Court in 2019 that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 doesn’t include sexual orientation or gender identity.
Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act bans employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin.
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The Trump administration argued in 2019 that the 1964 Civil Rights Act doesn’t include discrimination against LGBTQ peopleCredit: Reuters
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Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 bans employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national originCredit: The Associated Press
What has Trump done for the LGBTQ community?
Trump pick and former Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grennell claimed Trump is the “most pro-gay president in history” in a campaign ad released on Twitter in August.
In the ad, he cites Trump’s efforts to help the gay community, including fight against the “homophobic regime” of Islamic terrorist group Hezbollah.
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Former Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grennell appeared in a pro-LGBTQ Trump campaign adCredit: Log Cabin GOP
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Grennell, who is openly gay, listed the ways that President Trump has supported the LGBTQ community Credit: Log Cabin GOP
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Grennell, who was selected by Trump, said his sexual orientation ‘didn’t even faze’ the presidentCredit: Log Cabin GOP
Grennell, who is gay, also noted that his sexual orientation “didn’t even faze” the president.
“President Trump is the most pro-gay president in history and I can prove it,” he says.
“I’m Ric Grennell. I’m America’s first openly gay cabinet member.”
First lady Melania Trump released a video of her own on Thursday, in which she details what her husband has done for the LGBTQ community.
“I was shocked to discover that some of these powerful people have tried to paint my husband as anti-gay or against equality. Nothing could be further from the truth,” she said.
Mary Rowland, an openly lesbian judge nominated by President Trump, was confirmed as a federal district judge for the US District Court of Northern Illinois in August 2019.
Patrick Bumatay, an openly gay Filipino-American judge also selected by Trump, was confirmed to the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in December 2019.
The Trump campaign threw a “Trump pride” event in October to try and win over LGBTQ voters in Minnesota.
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Trump has appointed at least two openly gay judges to the federal courtsCredit: Reuters
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A man sports a ‘Gays for Trump 2020’ t-shirtCredit: Rex Features
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The Trump campaign hosted a “Trump pride” event in October to win over LGBTQ voters in MinnesotaCredit: Twitter/Jennifer Carnahan
Does Trump support gay marriage?
Before he was elected president, Trump told CNN’s Jake Tapper in 2015 that he is “just for traditional marriage.”
But after being elected president in November 2016, he said in an interview that he considers the nationwide legality of same-sex marriage “settled.”
Trump also said he was “fine” with the Supreme Court’s decision to legally recognize gay marriage.
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Trump said in 2016 that he considers the nationwide legality of same-sex marriage 'settled’Credit: Getty Images - Getty
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Trump has said he’s ‘fine’ with the Supreme Court’s decision to legally recognize gay marriageCredit: AP:Associated Press
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A gay Trump supporter attends an evening rallyCredit: Rex Features
Is Trump going to ban gay marriage?
President Trump said he has no plans to take away same-sex marriage rights.
During a 60 Minutes interview in 2016, he said that debating the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision to make same-sex marriage a right nationwide wouldn’t happen because it’s been written into law.
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Trump said in a 2016 60 minutes interview that he had no plans to roll back same-sex marriage rightsCredit: 60 minutes Twitter
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He said he wouldn’t challenge the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize gay marriage because it’s already written into lawCredit: Getty - Contributor