President Trump Has Taken Unprecedented Steps To Protect The LGBTQ Community

During His Time In Office, President Trump Has Pushed Policies To Help Protect The LGBTQ Community At Home And Abroad

The Facts:

FROM CANDIDATE TO PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP HAS KEPT HIS PROMISE TO PROTECT LGBTQ CITIZENS

• During his time as a candidate, President Trump became the first Republican nominee “to mention LGBTQ rights in his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention.”
• During his acceptance speech for the Republican nomination then-candidate, Donald Trump said, “as your president, I will do everything in my power to protect LGBTQ citizens .”
• Three other RNC speakers followed then-candidate Trump’s call for LGBTQ equality.
• PayPal Co-Founder, Peter Thiel, became the first openly gay man to speak at the Republican National Convention.
  • Thiel said that then-President-Elect Trump was very supportive of gay rights and he wouldn’t have been a supporter of him if he thought otherwise.
• President Trump picked Richard Grenell to be the acting Director of National Intelligence making Grenell the first openly gay person to hold a cabinet-level position.
  • Grenell previously served as the first openly gay Ambassador nominated by President Trump.
• Earl Fowlkes, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee’s LGBTQ Caucus, praised the appointment of Grenell by the President, stating that the move “speaks volumes to the influence” the LGBTQ community has in the United States.
• The Victory Institute, which trains and advocates for openly LGBTQ leaders said that Grenell will be a voice for the LGBTQ community “at home and abroad.”
• In Grenell’s position as Ambassador, he worked with other LGBTQ activists around Europe to discuss a “specific push” to decriminalize homosexuality worldwide.
• In 2019, President Trump’s first LGBTQ judicial nominee, Mary Rowland was confirmed to the District Court Of the Northern District of Illinois.
  • The President had originally tapped Rowland in 2018, “but the vote on her appointment stalled” even though she received a “well qualified” rating from The American Bar Association.
• In 2018, President Trump nominated his second LGBTQ judicial nominee, Patrick J. Bumatay to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
  • In 2019, Bumatay was confirmed to become the ” first openly gay appellate judge appointed by President Trump and the first of Filipino descent.”
• In January 2017, The Trump Administration reiterated their continued support by continuing to ” enforce regulations ” that protect the rights of the LGBTQ community.
• This announcement uses stronger language than any Republican administration has used before in favor of equal protection for the LGBTQ community.
• President has vowed to continue to protect the LGBTQ community from violence and oppression, the same pledge he made during his nomination acceptance speech in 2016.
• Recently, the Trump Administration has announced a new policy that will allow “tens of thousands more Americans to give blood, including gay and bisexual men .”
• The FDA’s new policy will change the disqualifying time period to three months, and potentially “remove the once-lifetime ban” altogether after the pandemic ends.
• The Obama Administration only brought restrictions on blood donations down to 1 year.

PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS TAKEN THE LEAD ON INCREASING HIV SUPPORT AT HOME AND ABROAD

• In 2017, the Trump Administration said sustained funding for HIV/AIDS programs is among the ” highest priorities ” in the budget.
• The Trump Administration launched a plan to end the HIV epidemic, “a commitment that, when achieved, will save LGBTQ lives across the country.”
• In 2019, during the President’s State of the Union, he announced a goal to end the HIV epidemic in the United States within 10 years.
• The Plan For America (EHE) is an operational plan led by the Trump Administration to pursue the end of HIV.
• In March 2019, the Trump Administration requested $291 million in the White House’s annual budget for an HIV initiative.
• In 2019, the Trump Administration announced another program that will provide an HIV prevention drug for free to uninsured people who need it.
• The medication which is being made by drugmaker Gilead will donate enough supplies to ” protect up to 200,000 people a year for the next 11 Years.
• The Trump Administration’s program is part of a large federal initiative to reduce new HIV infections each year in the U.S by 90% by 2030.
• In 2017, the Trump Administration launched the PEPFAR Strategy For Accelerating HIV/AIDS Epidemic Control (2017-2019), which will support efforts in more than 50 countries “to ensure access to life-saving services.”
• The Trump administration’s strategy will assist in controlling HIV/AIDS and achieve epidemic control by 2020.
• As Of 2019, the strategy has provided testing services to nearly 79.6 million people, prevented more than 2.6 million babies from being born with HIV, provided care for more than 6.3 million orphans, supported training for more than 280,000 new health workers, and supported antiretroviral treatment to more than 15.7 million people.

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN FIGHTING TO DECRIMINALIZE HOMOSEXUALITY ABROAD

• Since being elected, President Trump has selected five openly gay persons for a position as U.S. Ambassador, including Robert Gilchrist, Richard Grenell, Randy Berry, Eric Nelson, And Jeff Daigle.
• The Trump Administration has called on politicians, U.N. democratic governments, diplomats, and people everywhere stating that they should speak up loudly on the decriminalization of homosexuality.
• In 2017, U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley called on Chechnya to stop an anti-LGBTQ campaign, where people were being kidnapped and harmed based on their sexual orientation.
• The Trump administration put pressure on Russian federal authorities to speak out on the campaign and to take steps ” to ensure the release of anyone wrongfully detained .”
• Secretary Of State, Mike Pompeo, has been actively supporting “the work by U.S. Embassies to fight violence and discrimination against LGBTQ people .”
• In September 2019, President Trump gave a speech before the United Nations calling for a global initiative to “decriminalize homosexuality in more than 70 countries where it remains illegal.”
• The Trump administration said that the United States would not stand for other countries criminalizing homosexuality.
• The Trump Administration launched a global campaign ” to end the criminalization of homosexuality,” as dozens of nations still criminalize people for their sexuality.
• The initiative will be pushed by the Trump Administration to encourage other countries to implement safe laws for the LGBTQ community.

FROM CANDIDATE TO PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP HAS KEPT HIS PROMISE TO PROTECT LGBTQ CITIZENS

During President Trump’s Campaign, He Expressed His Support For LGBTQ Rights

During His Time As a Candidate, President Trump Became The First Republican Nominee “To Mention LGBTQ Rights In His Acceptance Speech At The Republican National Convention.” “As a candidate, Trump was ambiguous about his position on many gay rights issues, but notably became the first Republican nominee to mention LGBT rights in his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention. His convention also featured another first: PayPal founder Peter Thiel became the first gay person to acknowledge his sexuality in a speech to the GOP convention, declaring he was ‘proud to be gay.'” ( NBC News, 2/19/19)

During His Acceptance Speech For The Republican Nomination, Then Candidate Donald Trump Said, “As Your President, I Will Do Everything In My Power To Protect LGBTQ Citizens.” “Trump said during his acceptance speech, which also made history by being 76 minutes long. ‘As your president, I will do everything in my power to protect LGBTQ citizens.’ The line was as unexpected as the reaction it got from the thousands of conservative delegates who are more accustomed to hearing their representatives oppose marriage equality than embrace the gay community.” ( The Wrap, 7/21/16)

Three Other RNC Speakers Followed Then-Candidate Trump’s Call For LGBTQ Equality. On Wednesday, three different RNC speakers spoke about LGBT equality in their speeches. Lynne Patton, the vice president of the Eric Trump Foundation, shocked delegates with three short words: ‘LGBTQ lives matter.’ Ted Cruz, who disappointed delegates when he failed to endorse Trump during his speech, raised more than a few eyebrows when he gave LGBT rights a shout-out, telling the audience, ‘Freedom means religious freedom, whether you are Christian or Jew, Muslim or atheist, gay or straight.’ And former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who was on Trump’s shortlist for VP, made an unusual appeal to LGBT people, saying: ‘If our enemies had their way, gays, lesbians, and transgender citizens would be put to death, as they are today in the Islamic State and Iran.'” ( The Wrap, 7/21/16)

PayPal Co-Founder, Peter Thiel, Became The First Openly Gay Man To Speak At The Republican National Convention. “And on Thursday night, openly gay billionaire and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel became the first openly gay man to speak at the Republican National Convention in 16 years, and the only gay speaker at the Cleveland gathering. ‘I’m proud to be gay, I’m proud to be a Republican. But most of all I’m proud to be an American,’ Thiel said.” ( The Wrap, 7/21/16)

Thiel Said That Then President-Elect Trump Was Very Supportive On Gay Rights And Wouldn’t Have Been A Supporter Of Him If He Thought Otherwise. “The reaction from the gay community has been harsh, with one writer in The Advocate going so far as to suggest that Mr. Thiel was not even a gay man, because he did not ’embrace the struggle.’ ‘I think Trump is very good on gay rights,’ Mr. Thiel says. ‘I don’t think he will reverse anything. I would obviously be concerned if I thought otherwise.'” ( The New York Times, 1/11/17)

On The Campaign Trail, Then Candidate Trump Displayed His Support For The LGBTQ Community By “Displaying A Rainbow Flag” At A Campaign Rally. “A crowd of Colorado Republicans cheered as presidential candidate Donald Trump took the stage Sunday in Greeley – displaying a rainbow flag as he paced the stage. ‘LGBTs for Trump’ was written in black marker on the flag as Trump, smiling, displayed the flag to cheers.” ( The Advocate, 10/31/16)

Since President Trump Has Been Elected He Has Nominated LGBTQ People To Judicial Positions

President Trump’s First LGBTQ Nominee Was Confirmed In 2019, Mary Rowland To The District Court Of the Northern District Of Illinois. “Last week, the Senate approved the nomination of Mary Rowland to the District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the first LGBT judicial nominee from Donald Trump to be confirmed by the Senate.” ( Newsweek, 8/8/19)

• The President Had Originally Tapped Rowland In 2018, “But The Vote On Her Appointment Stalled” Even Though She Received A “Well Qualified” Rating From The American Bar Association. Trump initially announced his intent to nominate Rowland, 57, back in June 2018. But the vote on her appointment stalled, along with several others, even though she sailed through her Senate Judiciary Committee hearing and got a ‘well-qualified rating from the American Bar Association. She was unanimously approved by a voice vote on July 31 and now awaits her judicial commission.” ( Newsweek, 8/8/19)

In 2018, President Trump Nominated His Second LGBTQ Judicial Nominee, Patrick J. Bumatay To The 9^th U.S. Circuit Court Of Appeals. “President Donald Trump announced an ’18th wave’ of judicial appointments last week, among them Patrick J. Bumatay, a federal prosecutor who is the second openly gay person Trump has nominated to become a federal judge, according to the Washington Blade. Bumatay is nominated to sit on the powerful 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.” ( USA Toda y , 10/ 17/18)

• In 2019, Bumatay Was Confirmed To Become The “First Openly Gay Appellate Judge Appointed By President Trump And The First Of Filipino Descent.” “Confirmed in a 53-40 vote Tuesday, Bumatay becomes the first openly gay appellate judge appointed by President Donald Trump and the first of Filipino descent. Bumatay also becomes the ninth Ninth Circuit judge appointed by the president to fill one of the court’s 29 active judge seats.” ( The Recorder, 12/10/19)

In January 2017, The Trump Administration Announced Policies That Will Support The LGBTQ Community, Committing To His Pledge To Protect LGBTQ Citizens

In January 2017, The Trump Administration Reiterated Their Continued Support By Continuing To “Enforce Regulations” That Protect The Rights Of The LGBTQ Community. “The Trump administration on Tuesday said it will continue to enforce regulations protecting the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender employees in federal agencies. ‘President Trump continues to be respectful and supportive of LGBTQ rights, just as he was throughout the election,’ read a news release issued by the White House press office. ‘The President is proud to have been the first ever GOP nominee to mention the LGBTQ community in his nomination acceptance speech, pledging then to protect the community from violence and oppression.'” ( The Boston Globe, 1/31/17)

• This Announcement Uses Stronger Language Than Any Republican Administration Has Used Before In Favor Of Equal Protection For The LGBTQ Community. “The decision to keep the order, the statement added, was Mr. Trump’s. It uses stronger language than any Republican president has before in favor of equal legal protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people, though that is not likely to quiet Mr. Trump’s critics on the left.” ( The New York Times, 1/30/17)

The Trump Administration Said That The President Will Continue To Protect The LGBTQ Community From Violence And Oppression, The Pledge He Made During His Nomination Acceptance Speech In 2016. ” In a statement issued in response to growing questions about whether Mr. Trump would reverse the Obama order, the White House said the president was proud to embrace gay rights. ‘President Trump continues to be respectful and supportive of L.G.B.T.Q. rights, just as he was throughout the election,’ the statement said. ‘The president is proud to have been the first ever G.O.P. nominee to mention the L.G.B.T.Q. community in his nomination acceptance speech, pledging then to protect the community from violence and oppression.'” ( The New York Times, 1/30/17)

In 2020, The Trump Administration Changed An FDA Policy Which Will Allow “Tens Of Thousands More Americans” to Give Blood Including The LGBTQ Community

Recently, The Trump Administration Has Announced A New Policy Which Will Allow “Tens Of Thousands More Americans To Give Blood, Including Gay And Bisexual Men.” “The Food and Drug Administration’s new policy aims to allow tens of thousands more Americans to give blood, including gay and bisexual men and people with recent tattoos and piercings. ‘We want and we need healthy people – all healthy people – to give blood,’ said Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams, who announced the changes in a media briefing with the FDA.” ( Local 10, 4/2/20)

The FDA’s New Policy Will Change The Disqualifying Time Period To Three Months, And Potentially “Remove The Once-Lifetime Ban” Altogether After The Pandemic Ends. “Under the new policy, the disqualifying time period was reduced to three months. FDA officials said the move to three months matches recent changes in the United Kingdom and other developed countries. The FDA on Thursday made similar changes to restrictions for people who have recently traveled to countries where malaria exposure is a risk. The agency said it expects the changes to remain in place after the pandemic ends.” (Local 10, 4/2/20)

The FDA Revealed They Are Working On A Commence Pilot Study Which Would Determine If The FDA Will Move To An Individual Risk-Based Assessment Which Would “Inevitably Remove The Once-Lifetime Ban On Gay And Bisexual Men.” “In a statement, an FDA spokesperson told ‘GMA,’ ‘the FDA is committed to considering alternatives to the time-based deferral for men who have sex with men by generating the scientific evidence that will support an effective individual risk assessment-based blood donor questionnaire.’ The FDA goes on to reveal to ‘GMA’ they are, ‘working to commence a pilot study that will enroll about 2000 men who have sex with men and who would be willing to donate blood.’ ‘This study, being conducted at community health centers in key locations across the United States, could generate data that will help the FDA determine if a donor questionnaire based on individual risk assessment would be as effective as time-based deferrals in reducing the risk of HIV.’ This is the first time the FDA has made public mention of a study to work toward moving to an individual risk-based assessment for blood donors and this would inevitably remove the once-lifetime ban on gay and bisexual men from giving blood or blood products and any deferral period thereafter.” (ABC News, 4/24/20)

The FDA Said That The Guidance Can Be Revised And Replaced With Updated Guidance Based On The Comments Received With The “Agency’s Experience With Implementation.” “Therefore, within 60 days following the termination of the public health emergency, FDA intends to revise and replace this guidance with an updated guidance that incorporates any appropriate changes based on comments received on this guidance and the Agency’s experience with implementation.” (FDA, Accessed 6/11/20)

The Obama Administration Only Brought Restriction On Blood Donations Down To 1 Year.“The Food and Drug Administration has lifted its lifetime ban on accepting blood donations from men who have had sex with men. ‘The FDA is changing its recommendation that men who have sex with men (MSM) be indefinitely deferred . . . to 12 months since the last sexual contact with another man,’ the administration announced Monday.” ( CNN, 12/21/15)

PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS TAKEN THE LEAD ON INCREASING HIV SUPPORT AT HOME AND ABROAD

Through Out Donald Trump’s Presidency, HIV Initiatives Have Been A High Priority For His Administration

In 2017, The Trump Administration Said Sustained Funding For HIV/AIDS Programs Is Among The “Highest Priorities” In The Budget. “One surprise winner in the proposed Trump administration budget will be HIV/AIDS funding, despite a nearly 18 percent cut to the Department of Health and Human Services. Though activists were preparing to work with a smaller, even debilitating amount of federal funding, the budget states that programs like Ryan White HIV/AIDS providers are the Department of Health and Human Services ‘highest priorities.'” ( NBC, 3/17/17)

The Trump Administration Has Launched A Plan To End The HIV Epidemic, “A Commitment That, When Achieved, Will Save LGBTQ Lives Across The Country.” “The Trump administration has also launched a plan to end the HIV epidemic – “a commitment that, when achieved, will save LGBT lives across the country,” Deere says.” ( NPR, 3/2/20)

President Trump Has Lead An HIV Initiative To End The Epidemic In The United States Within 10 years

In 2019, During The President’s State Of The Union, He Announced A Goal To End The HIV Epidemic In The United States Within 10 Years. “Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America (EHE) is a bold plan that aims to end the HIV epidemic in the United States by 2030. In the State of the Union Address on February 5, 2019, President Donald J. Trump announced his Administration’s goal to end the HIV epidemic in the United States within 10 years.” ( HIV, Accessed 6/9/20)

The Plan For America (EHE) Is An Operational Plan Lead By The Trump Administration To Pursue The End Of HIV. “EHE is the operational plan developed by agencies across the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to pursue that goal.” ( HIV, Accessed 6/9/20)

In March 2019, The Trump Administration Requested $291 Million In The White House’s Annual Budget For An HIV Initiative. “The Trump administration took another step toward fulfilling its goal of ending the HIV epidemic in the United States Monday by requesting $291 million for its initiative in the White House’s annual budget.” ( KHN, 3/12/19)

In An Effort To Reduce HIV Infections, The Trump Administration Has Partnered With A Drug Maker To Provide An HIV Prevention Drug To The Uninsured

In 2019, The Trump Administration Announced Another Program Which Will Provide A HIV Prevention Drug For Free To Uninsured People Who Need It. “The Trump administration on Tuesday detailed how it will roll out the delivery of donated HIV prevention drugs to people who should be taking them but do not have prescription drug coverage. Pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP drugs, which are taken daily, have been shown to be highly effective at preventing infection, but they are expensive, and too few people at risk use them. The goal of the new program, called ‘Ready, Set, PrEP’ and unveiled by Alex Azar, secretary of health and human services, is to expand both access and use.” ( Stat News, 12/3/19)

• The Medication Is Being Made By Drug Maker Gilead Will Donate Enough Supplies To “Protect Up To 200,000 People A Year For The Next 11 Years.” “The medication is being made available by the drug maker Gilead, which announced in May that it would donate to the government enough supplies to protect up to 200,000 people a year over the next 11 years. The cost of medical appointments and lab tests needed to qualify is not covered.” ( Stat News, 12/3/19)

The Trump Administration Program Is Part Of A Large Federal Initiative To Reduce New HIV Infections Each Year In The U.S. By 90% By 2030. “The program is part of a larger federal initiative to reduce the number of new HIV infections each year in the country by 90% by the year 2030. In recent years roughly 38,000 people are infected annually with the virus.” ( Stat News, 12/3/19)

The Trump Administration Has Taken Steps To Support More Than 50 Countries In Their Efforts To Reduce HIV Infections

In 2017, The Trump Administration Launched The PEPFAR Strategy For Accelerating HIV/AIDS Epidemic Control (2017-2019), Which Will Support Efforts In More Than 50 Countries “To Ensure Access To Life-Saving Services.” “At the 2017 United Nations General Assembly, former U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson launched the PEPFAR Strategy for Accelerating HIV/AIDS Epidemic Control (2017-2020) . This Strategy reaffirms the U.S. government’s leadership and commitment, through PEPFAR, to support HIV/AIDS efforts in more than 50 countries. PEPFAR continues to ensure access to life-saving services for all populations, including those most vulnerable and at-risk.” ( PEPFAR Solutions, Accessed 6/9/20)

The Trump Administration Strategy Will Assist In Controlling HIV/AIDS And Achieve Epidemic Control By 2020. “With this Strategy, PEPFAR support will assist countries in achieving epidemic control by 2020. In the context of controlling HIV/AIDS, epidemic control would be reached when the total number of new HIV infections falls below the total number of deaths from all causes among HIV-positive individuals” ( PEPFAR Solutions, Accessed 6/9/20)

As Of 2019, The Strategy Has Provided Testing Services To Nearly 79.6 Million People, Prevented More Than 2.6 Million Babies From Being Born With HIV, Provided Care For More Than 6.3 Million Orphans, Supported Training For More Than 280,000 New Health Workers, And Supported Antiretroviral Treatment To More Than 15.7 Million People. “The latest results reported by PEPFAR indicate that it has, as of September 2019: supported testing services for nearly 79.6 million people in FY 2019; prevented more than 2.6 million babies from being born with HIV, who would have otherwise been infected; provided care for more than 6.3 million orphans and vulnerable children (OVC); supported training for more than 280,000 new health care workers; and supported antiretroviral treatment for more than 15.7 million people.” ( KFF, 5/27/20)

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN FIGHTING TO DECRIMINALIZE HOMOSEXUALITY ABROAD

The President’s Openly Gay U.S. Ambassador To Germany Has Fought For The Decriminalization Of LGBTQ People Across The World

Since being Elected President Trump Has Selected Five Openly Gay Persons For A Position As U.S. ambassadors, Including Robert Gilchrist, Richard Grenell, Randy Berry, Eric Nelson, And Jeff Daigle. “Gilchrist is at least the fifth openly gay person Trump has selected for a position as U.S. ambassador. Others are U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell; U.S. Ambassador to Nepal Randy Berry; U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia Eric Nelson and U.S. Ambassador to Cabo Verde Jeff Daigle.” ( Washington Blade, 12/21/19)

Confirmed In 2018, Richard Grenell Was President Trump’s First Openly Gay Ambassador Nominee. “The Senate confirmed Richard Grenell, a gay Republican, as the U.S. ambassador to Germany on Thursday, filling the high-profile diplomatic position just in time for a White House visit this week by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Grenell, who was confirmed by a vote of 56-42, was the first openly gay ambassador nominated by President Donald Trump.” ( NBC, 4/27/18)

• Grenell Was Also The First Openly Gay Person To Hold A Cabinet Level Position As Acting Director Of National Intelligence. “President Trump became the first president to name an openly gay person to a Cabinet-level position this week with the appointment of Richard Grenell as acting director of national intelligence.” ( The Hill, 2/21/20)

Earl, Fowlkes, Chairman Of The Democratic National Committee’s LGBTQ Caucus, Praised The Appointment Of Grenell By The President, Stating That The Move “Speaks Volumes To The Influence” The LGBTQ Community Has In The United States. “Earl Fowlkes, chairman of the Democratic National Committee’s LGBT Caucus, called Grenell’s appointment a ‘good sign’ and a show of ‘political wisdom’ on the part of the Trump administration, which he said has been ‘hostile” toward the LGBTQ community ‘Having a Republican president appoint an openly gay man as an ambassador to one of our important allies such as Germany speaks volumes to the influence that the LGBTQ [community] has in politics in the United States,’ Fowlkes told NBC News via email. ( NBC, 4/27/18)

The Victory Institute, Which Trains And Advocates For Openly LGBTQ Leaders Said That Grenell Will Be A Voice For The LGBTQ Community “At Home And Abroad.” “The Victory Institute, which trains and advocates for openly LGBTQ leaders at all levels of government, issued a statement to NBC News saying it hopes ‘Grenell will use his position to defend LGBTQ people at home and abroad.’ Ambassador-designate Grenell could be a voice for equality within the Trump administration,’ the statement continued. ‘We hope this reflects a newfound understanding within the Trump administration that there are hundreds of openly LGBTQ people who are talented, believe in equality for all Americans, and are ready to serve our country.'” ( NBC, 4/27/18)

In Grenell’s Position As Ambassador He Has Worked With Other LGBTQ Activists Around Europe To Discuss A “Specific Push” To Decriminalize Homosexuality Worldwide. The American ambassador to Germany plans to lead what his embassy said Wednesday was a new and ‘specific push’ to decriminalize homosexuality worldwide. The ambassador, Richard Grenell, rumored to be a candidate as the next American ambassador to the United Nations, invited about a dozen gay and transgender activists from around Europe to a dinner at his Berlin residence Tuesday night where the effort was discussed. ( The New York Times, 2/20/19)

The Trump Administration Has Used Their Position To Pressure Other Countries Who Have Been Found To Criminalize People Based On Their Sexual Orientation

The Trump Administration Has Called On Politicians, U.N. Democratic Governments, Diplomats, And People Everywhere Should Speak Up Loudly On The Decriminalization Of Homosexuality. “Grenell wrote. ‘Barbaric public executions are all too common in a country where consensual homosexual relationships are criminalized and punishable by flogging and death.’ He added that ‘politicians, the U.N., democratic governments, diplomats and good people everywhere should speak up – and loudly.'” ( NBC News, 2/19/19)

In 2017, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley Called On Chechnya To Stop An Anti-LGBTQ Campaign, Where People Were Kidnapped And Harmed Based On Their Sexual Orientation. “U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley spoke out late Monday afternoon against a reported anti-LGBTQ campaign in Chechnya. ‘We continue to be disturbed by reports of kidnapping, torture, and murder of people in Chechnya based on their sexual orientation and those persecuted by association,’ Haley said in a statement. ‘If true, this violation of human rights cannot be ignored,’ Haley continued. ‘Chechen authorities must immediately investigate these allegations, hold anyone involved accountable, and take steps to prevent future abuses.'” ( NBC, 4/18/17)

• The Trump Administration Put Pressure On Russian Federal Authorities To Speak Out On The Campaign And To Take Steps “To Ensure The Release Of Anyone Wrongfully Detained.” “‘We are increasingly concerned about the situation in the Republic of Chechnya, where there have been numerous credible reports indicating the detention of at least 100 men on the basis of their sexual orientation,’ State Department spokesperson Mark Toner said. ‘We urge Russian federal authorities to speak out against such practices, take steps to ensure the release of anyone wrongfully detained, conduct an independent and credible investigation into these, reports and hold any perpetrators responsible,’ Toner continued.” ( NBC, 4/18/17)

Secretary Of State, Mike Pompeo, Has Been Actively Supporting “The Work By U.S. Embassies To Fight Violence And Discrimination Against LGBTQ People.” “U.S. officials said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is supporting the work by U.S. embassies and consulates to fight violence and discrimination against LGBT people. In his Senate confirmation hearing, Pompeo asserted: ‘I deeply believe that LGBTQ persons have every right that every other person in the world would have.'” ( NBC News, 2/19/19)

President Trump Launched A Campaign To End The Criminalization Of Homosexuality Across The World

In September 2019, President Trump Gave A Speech Before The United Nations Calling For A Global initiative To “Decriminalize Homosexuality In More Than 70 Countries Where It Remains Illegal.” “In a surprise move, President Trump included in his speech before the United Nations on Tuesday his administration’s global initiative to decriminalize homosexuality in the more than 70 countries where it remains illegal. ‘My administration is working with other nations to stop criminalizing homosexuality,’ Trump said. ‘And we stand in solidarity with LGBT people who live in countries that punish, jail and execute people based upon sexual orientation.'” ( The Washington Blade, 9/24/19)

• The Trump Administration Said That The United States Would Not Stand For Other Countries Criminalizing Homosexuality. “White House Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere echoed the President’s message in response to the Washington Blade’s request seeking background on the decision-making that led to the inclusion of those words in Trump’s speech and what comes next. ‘It was an opportunity to deliver an important message to world leaders and a global audience that the U.S. will not stand for the criminalizing of homosexuality,’ Deere said.” ( The Washington Blade, 9/24/19)

The Trump Administration Has Launched A Global Campaign “To End The Criminalization Of Homosexuality,” As Dozens Of Nations Still Criminalize People For Their Sexuality. “The Trump administration is launching a global campaign to end the criminalization of homosexuality in dozens of nations where it’s still illegal to be gay, U.S. officials tell NBC News, a bid aimed in part at denouncing Iran over its human rights record.” ( NBC News, 2/19/19)

The Initiative Will Be Push By The Trump Administration To Encourage Other Countries To Implement Safe Laws For The LGBTQ Community. “But Mr. Grenell has been careful to try to use aid as an incentive to alter laws, not a sanction against countries. ‘While the U.S., or any other country, cannot influence how other countries process their domestic affairs, the U.S. can push toward change through the voice of its officials and through the implementation of its programs,’ Mr. Damien said.” ( The New York Times, 4/22/20)