This Republican hilariously thinks Donald Trump is the most ‘pro-gay’ president in history. Yes, really
Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty
A Republican has written an article claiming that Donald Trump is the most “pro-gay” president in the history of the United States.
Andrew R Brett, who is president of the Broward Log Cabin Republicans, made the claim in an article for the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
“Without a doubt, president Donald Trump is the most pro-gay president in history,” Brett writes.
“As a matter of fact, Trump has been more openly supportive of gay rights than former president Barack Obama was when he was first elected in 2008, or president Bill Clinton during his eight years in office,” he continues.
He correctly asserts that LGBT+ activists and their media allies will “never openly accept” his view on Trump. He goes on to heap praise on the Log Cabin Republicans – an organisation of which he is a member – for its “courage” in refusing to endorse anti-LGBT+ candidates.
“Aside from his pro-gay record, the president has led us through one of the strongest economies in modern times. And this is of great importance to every LGBT individual and family living in America,” Brett adds.
He claims that many LGBT+ people in Florida support Trump as they “do not want to get bullied and harassed by these extreme and intolerant activists.”
Donald Trump has rolled back LGBT+ rights during his presidency.
Needless to say, Donald Trump doesn’t have the best track record with the gay or LGBT+ community as a whole, for obvious reasons.
In July 2017, the president announced on Twitter that he would be introducing a ban on transgender people serving in the US military “in any capacity.”
“Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail,” he added.
The trans military ban came into force in April of last year and pushed countless trans people out of the military, and likely forced many more to live in the wrong gender to keep their jobs.
As a matter of fact, Trump has been more openly supportive of gay rights than former President Barack Obama was when he was first elected in 2008, or President Bill Clinton during his eight years in office.
Furthermore, a number of federal departments have violated the rights of LGBT+ people under the Trump administration. Last year, the Department of Justice filed a brief in the lead-up to a Supreme Court hearing on anti-LGBT+ discrimination in the workplace that claimed “sex stereotyping by itself is not a Title VII violation” – essentially saying that it’s legal to fire trans workers because of their gender identity.
The same department later filed a brief arguing that it’s legal for employers to discriminate against staff based on sexual orientation.
Meanwhile, research shows that hate crimes – including those against LGBT+ people – have reached a decade high in the United States.
Trump’s administration has also allegedly drained HIV/AIDS funding to pay for child migrant detention, considered ways to legally erase trans people, and been linked to numerous anti-LGBT+ hate groups.
There is an epidemic of murders of trans people in the United States.
In February 2018, the Trump government officially revoked guidance protecting transgender students in public schools and, in May of the same year, the president reversed rules allowing transgender prisoners to use facilities matching their gender identity.
There is also an epidemic of murders of trans people in the United States – particularly trans women of colour – but the Trump administration remains unbothered.
Furthermore, late last year, Trump managed to avoid mentioning LGBT+ people once in his World AIDS Day proclamation, despite the fact that the queer community is disproportionately impacted by the virus.
The Trump administration did win some praise when they announced that they will be providing HIV-preventing drug PrEP to 200,000 people in the United States who don’t have health insurance free of charge.
However, issues have since emerged, with activists suggesting that the plans fail to address other medical costs incurred in the process of obtaining PrEP that can amount to $1,000 per year.
Andrew Brett’s bizarre article isn’t even his first bad take of the year. Just two weeks ago, South Florida Gay News reported that Brett accused Democrats Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib of supporting Sharia law and the executions of LGBT+ people in a bizarre, conspiracy-laden rant.
Andrew Brett also proclaimed Donald Trump an LGBT+ ally and invoked Hitler in a tangent about gun rights during his speech at a rally in Florida.
