POLITICAL VIEWS AND POLICY FOR THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY
More than ever, all members of the LGBT community need to get involved in the national and state governments and their policies. Some LGBT members feel that President Elect Donald Trump will try to reverse gay marriage or reinstate the ādonāt ask, donāt tellā, the ban on openly gay and lesbian service members. Even though Mr. Trump has no real reputation for animosity toward the LGBT community beside the 2012 removal of Jenna Talackova from a pageant owned and operated by Mr. Trump. Talackova is a transgender beauty pageant contestant removed from the Miss Universe Canada pageant for being born a male. Trump has also been heard stating that transsexuals should āuse the bathroom they feel is appropriateā, he is bow to be held at the GOP platform. This platform has been called the most anti- LGBT platform by the executive director of the National LGBTQ task force.
On the GOP official website it states, āThe Republican party is energized to lead a turnaround from the failed policies of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, and this platform provides a thorough look at how we will restore prosperity and security to our countryā.
Its provisions shows an opposition to same-sex marriage, support for state laws limiting which public bathrooms transgender people can use, and support for a parentās right to subject gay and transgender children to āconversion therapyā to change their sexual orientation or gender identity, which Obamaās administration had said should be banned for minors.
DONALD TRUMPāS POLICIES AGAINST THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY
Donald Trump has been confusing many people on his conflicting views. For one he has said he would repeal the Affordable Care Act, which protects transgender people from discrimination in accessing health care. Another statement shows he considers appointing conservative judges to the US Supreme Court who could reverse same-sex marriage. He also promised to nullify Obamaās executive orders, including one that bans anti-LGBTQ discrimination by federal contractors and another that protects rights of transgender students. However later in the campaign, you can see Donald Trump holding a LGBTQ flag and calling himself gay friendly.
Another major concern for the LGBTQ community is the chosen Vice President for Trumpās term, Governor of Indiana, Mike Pence. Pence seems to contradict Trumpās earlier claims of being gay friendly because Pence first became a household name during the signing of a religious freedom bill into law in 2015. The bill would provide legal protection for business owners who didnāt want to participate in same-sex weddings, citing their religious beliefs; opponents argued that he was sanctioning discrimination. He also voted against employment nondiscrimination protections for gay and transgender people and voted against the repeal of ādonāt ask, donāt tellā.
