"I’m extremely concerned by President’s Trump’s nomination of Neil Gorsuch to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. His judicial philosophy and record is as out of the mainstream as any nominee could be and the fact that he describes himself as the 'second coming of Antonin Scalia'—the most notoriously anti-LGBT Justice to ever serve on the nation’s highest court—should be alarming to all," said Los Angeles LGBT Center CEO Lorri L. Jean.
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TRUMP POISED TO ISSUE NEW ANTI-LGBT ORDER?
Multiple media outlets are now reporting on expectations that President Trump is poised to sign an executive order that specifically targets the civil rights of LGBT people.
During his campaign, Trump promised to sign the so-called First Amendment Defense Act, a bill that would allow for discrimination against LGBT people—even by government officials—based on an individual’s religious beliefs. But according to reports, he’s not waiting for Congress to overturn protections for LGBT people.
It’s believed Trump’s executive order would repeal the protections President Obama put in place to prohibit federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity and could go even further, allowing for widespread discrimination against LGBT people based on “religious freedom.”
LOS ANGELES LGBT CENTER DECRIES TRUMP BAN ON REFUGEES
In response to President Trump’s order to ban immigrants and refugees from seven countries from entering the United States, Los Angeles LGBT Center CEO Lorri L. Jean said:
“Banning refugees from coming to the U.S. is not only heartless, it’s un-American and clearly unconstitutional. Those who are fleeing violence, persecution and war in their home countries are already the most vetted people who enter the U.S., undergoing background and screening processes that take at least 18 months. Among those who will be particularly harmed by this order are LGBT people in the countries that are banned because in that part of the world they’re likely to face persecution, violence and even death because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Major Setback for LGBT Students: DeVos Nomination Moved Forward by Senate Committee
The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) voted for Betsy DeVos, nominee for Secretary of Education and billionaire pro-voucher and school choice advocate, to be moved out of committee to be confirmed by the full Senate. This is a major setback for LGBT students across the country. The vote was 12 to 11, along party lines. The HELP Committee heard comments from senators from both sides of the aisle discussing her lack of experience. DeVos and her family have a dedicated history to anti-LGBT bigotry and have donated over $200 million to GOP causes.
We Stand In Solidarity with the Muslim Community
The Los Angeles LGBT Center stands in solidarity with the Muslim community. President Trump's Executive Order banning refugees and Muslims is an outrage and unconstitutional. Refugees that come to the United States are already some of the most vetted people entering the country. The LGBT community will not stand by while we are being used to justify the targeting of another community. The president needs to look no further than his own actions to see the true threat to our community and nation.