Trump's Global Attack On LGBTQ Equality

The Trump-Pence Administration has weakened the United States' leadership role on LGBTQ rights around the world. From its global disengagement on LGBTQ issues to its silence in the face of human rights violations to its abandonment of LGBTQ people here at home, the Trump-Pence Administration has made clear that they are not interested in assuming America's traditional global leadership role.

The Trump-Pence State Department has abandoned its leadership role on human rights abroad

• The U.S. pulled out of the U.N. Human Rights Council in 2018, leaving behind a leadership vacuum. The Trump-Pence administration has also failed to appoint a Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTQ people.
• For the first time in many years, the State Department leaders turned down requests from embassies to fly the Pride flag.
• In 2019, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo created the Orwellian "Commission on Unalienable Rights" in a dangerous attempt to repudiate the longstanding international consensus around human rights.
• The Trump-Pence administration refused to sign a statement in support of an Inter-American Court of Human Rights' ruling on marriage equality and transgender rights.

Trump's White House has been silent on human rights violations around the world

• From Brunei and Chechnya to Egypt and Central America, both the White House and Pompeo's silence has been deafening when it comes to strongly condemning human rights violations targeting the LGBTQ community -- despite repeated calls from groups including HRC to speak out.

Trump has abandoned LGBTQ refugees and asylum seekers, introducing discriminatory bans on entry into the U.S.

• Over the last two years the Trump-Pence administration has more than halved the number of refugees per year it is allowing to resettle in the U.S. and has put thousands of refugee resettlement applications on hold. The administration's "travel ban" on people from eleven Muslim-majority countries has created an uncertain future for thousands.
• Many LGBTQ asylum seekers are among those seeking safety and shelter in the U.S., which must continue to be a beacon of hope for many around the world.