The Log Cabin Republicans group is losing members after Trump endorsement
President Donald Trump was endorsed by the Log Cabin Republicans (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
The LGBT+ Log Cabin Republicans group has been losing members after its controversial endorsement of Donald Trump’s re-election campaign.
The group, which claims to advocate for LGBT+ equality within the Republican Party, announced the controversial endorsement on August 16.
In an op-ed for the Washington Post, the group’s leaders claimed that Trump had taken “bold actions that benefit the LGBTQ community,” despite the administration’s trans rights rollbacks and opposition to discrimination protections for LGBT+ people.
Log Cabin Republicans face resignations and protests over Trump endorsement
The decision to endorse Trump has sparked dissent among the group’s membership, with a number of high-profile resignations.
Jordan Evans, the only out transgender Republican official, announced their resignation in The Advocate, saying: “This endorsement ignores the reality of what it means to be queer in our current political climate.
“It speaks more to a mentality of partisan tribalism than a sincere commitment to fostering inclusion within the Republican Party.”
President Donald Trump was endorsed by the Log Cabin Republicans (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Evans added: “With this endorsement, we turn a blind eye to the plights and fears of our colleagues in the queer movement and embrace an administration that has consistently antagonised the LGBTQ+ community through an endless array of rollbacks and rule changes.”
Announcing his resignation on Facebook, former DC Log Cabin Republicans president Robert Turner wrote: “There’s no more fight left. The national board’s endorsement of Trump, and their subsequent and hollow WaPo op-ed, is a step too far. And this leaves me sad.”
Endorsement of Trump is ‘a contradiction’
Jennifer Horn, the former chair of the New Hampshire Republican Party, also cut ties with the group.
She told Slate that the endorsement was “too big of a contradiction for me to stand by” given Trump’s policy stances on LGBT+ issues adding: “I’m not going to excuse or defend any elected Republican who is unwilling to speak up to and stand up to the president.
“I think it is a failure in leadership. I can understand politically and logically why they are doing it, but I think that it’s wrong.”
The Log Cabin Republicans did not endorse Trump in 2016, opting to make no endorsement in the race due to his lack of pro-LGBT policies.
However, the group later lobbied for the confirmation of Trump administration officials, including Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who has gone on to gut protections for LGBT+ children.
Zero out LGBT+ Republicans currently serve in Congress or Trump’s cabinet, and the President has appointed fewer out ambassadors to senior roles than predecessor Barack Obama.
