Where does Trump’s attorney general pick Pam Bondi stand on LGBTQ+ issues?
Where does Trump’s attorney general pick Pam Bondi stand on LGBTQ+ issues? (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, Pam Bondi, has been testifying before congress as part of her confirmation hearing, leaving many wondering where she stands on LGBTQ+ issues.
As attorney general, Pam Bondi would serve as the head of the Department of Justice and give advice to the president, which means her role could have an impact on anti-LGBTQ+ laws across the country.
She was picked by the president-elect after controversial former congressman Matt Gaetz withdrew his candidacy, and the BBC understands that Bondi is now likely to be confirmed in the role.
But who is she, and what is her record on LGBTQ+ rights?
Who is Pam Bondi?
Republican Pam Bondi served as Florida’s attorney general from 2011 to 2019 and was shortlisted for attorney general by Donald Trump during his first presidency.
The attorney and corporate lobbyist was one of Trump’s defence lawyers during his first impeachment trial in 2020.
A Democrat until 2000, Bondi supported Trump’s challenge to his loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, claiming there was evidence of “cheating” and “fake ballots” in Pennsylvania.
As the next Attorney General, @PamBondi will help President Trump Make America Safe Again! pic.twitter.com/Sq9B6Ta2em
— GOP (@GOP) December 17, 2024
Pam Bondi has a poor record on LGBTQ+ issues
Bondi, who is 59, has a poor record on LGBTQ+ rights, notably fighting against same-sex marriage in Florida up until the week weddings came into effect. Branded “Cruella De Vil”, she claimed in 2014 that legalising gay marriage would cause “significant public harm”.
Before that, she said she would “vigorously defend Florida’s law banning gay adoption in our state”.
More recently, she backed the strengthening of workplace protections for LGBTQ+ people, and vocally supported the queer community after the Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016.
“Anyone who attacks our LGBT community, anyone who attacks anyone in our state, will be gone after with the full extent of the law,” she said, leading CNN’s Anderson Cooper to brand her a hypocrite because of her stance on marriage equality.
Since then, Bondi has been relatively quiet on LGBTQ+ issues, deciding not to weigh in on a proposed trans toilet ban in the Sunshine State and saying little publicly about the queer community in the past eight years.
During her senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday (15 January), Bondi promised to respect the law and protect same-sex marriage if she becomes the nation’s top law officer.
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