Trump fails to mark Pride Month… again
US President Donald Trump and US Vice President Mike Pence (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty)
Donald Trump has again failed to issue a traditional proclamation to mark Pride Month.
.From 2009 until 2016, President Obama had issued annual Proclamations recognising the month of June as LGBT Pride Month and hosted LGBT festivities inside the White House.
Obama’s Proclamations recognised “the fight for dignity and equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people”, as well as marking the government’s role in “working to broaden opportunity, advance equality, and level the playing field for LGBT people and communities”.
However, all Pride celebrations in the White House firmly ceased when Trump took power.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence (Win McNamee/Getty)
Trump this week conspicuously failed to sign the traditional Proclamation marking Pride Month, leading to criticism from LGBT activists.
The Republican billionaire signed documents formally recognising June as African-American Music Appreciation Month, National Homeownership Month, National Caribbean-American Heritage Month and National Ocean Month – but LGBT issues were nowhere to be found.
No Pride celebrations are expected to take place at the White House this year.
The news comes after several Trump administration departments faced allegations of axing programmes directed at LGBT people, and removing references to LGBT issues from US government websites.
The US State Department did issue a statement marking Pride Month, despite the White House’s failure to do so.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as Vice President Mike Pence looks on (Alex Wong/Getty)
The pro-LGBT Human Rights Campaign has vowed to use Pride Month to launch a “nationwide Summer of Action” across battleground states ahead of the 2018 midterm elections.
As part of the drive HRC will “support voter registration efforts, phone banking, candidate events, grassroots advocacy trainings, and step up visibility and outreach at LGBTQ Pride parades, festivals and other events.”
HRC President Chad Griffin said: “Donald Trump and Mike Pence have awakened a sleeping giant. Never before have Americans been more eager to participate, advocate and fight back against this administration’s hateful policies and rhetoric.
“HRC’s grassroots army of more than 3 million members and supporters are already organising and mobilising to support pro-equality candidates up and down the ballot who will help us pull the emergency brake on the Trump-Pence agenda in November.”
Donald Trump (Andrew Harrer-Pool/Getty)
GLAAD has also launched a voter registration campaign aimed at undermining Trump’s grip on Congress.
Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD said: “Young people in this country are at the forefront of articulating the connection between the perilousness of their rights and safety under Trump Administration and the power of their own voices to create change.
“GLAAD’s Amp Your Voice campaign will further empower young people, especially LGBTQ youth and allies, in their leadership roles.”
