{"id":51278,"date":"2017-03-17T16:00:44","date_gmt":"2017-03-17T20:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/trumps-u-n-appointment-exposes-platform-administration-is-giving-anti-lgbtq-hate-groups\/"},"modified":"2017-03-17T16:00:44","modified_gmt":"2017-03-17T20:00:44","slug":"trumps-u-n-appointment-exposes-platform-administration-is-giving-anti-lgbtq-hate-groups","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/trumps-u-n-appointment-exposes-platform-administration-is-giving-anti-lgbtq-hate-groups\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump's U.N. appointment exposes platform administration is giving anti-LGBTQ hate groups"},"content":{"rendered":"

Trump's U.N. appointment exposes platform administration is giving anti-LGBTQ hate groups<\/b><\/p>\n

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The Trump Administration this week selected the Center for Family and Human Rights (C-FAM) and the Heritage Foundation, two anti-LGBTQ organizations, to lead the United States\u2019 effort to help the United Nations promote gender equality and the empowerment of women<\/a> across the globe.<\/p>\n

This selection further highlights the ongoing attack the Trump Administration has had on the LGBTQ community the moment the president was sworn into office.<\/p>\n

Since the Trump Administration began, it has provided a platform to legitimize and provide an echo chamber for dangerous and virulent anti-LGBTQ organizations \u2013 including C-FAM and the Heritage Foundation. These organizations are now using this new-found bully pulpit to reiterate outdated talking points that have been consistently debunked by medical professionals and the media.<\/p>\n

C-FAM\u2019s President Austin Ruse has said homosexuality is \u201charmful to public health and morals<\/a>.\u201d The president of this organization, Austin Ruse, has one of the most extreme quote banks of anyone we track in GLAAD\u2019s Commentator Accountability Project<\/a>. He has many times advocated for laws barring homosexuality, frames homosexuality as harmful to public health, and much, much more<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Heritage Foundation is no better. This organization has said pro-LGBTQ bills and laws \u201cthreaten freedom<\/a>.\u201d The organization\u2019s chief surrogate on LGBTQ issues, Ryan Anderson, has called marriage equality a \u201clie,\u201d has advocated for \u201cconversion therapy\u201d programs, and is a vocal opponent of transgender rights. More on Ryan can be found in GLAAD\u2019s Commentator Accountability Project<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Outside of these organizations, other anti-LGBTQ activist groups have returned to mainstream media outlets to defend the Trump Administration.<\/p>\n

The Family Research Council (where Austin Ruse\u2019s wife, Cathy Ruse<\/a>, is a senior official) has been at the forefront of this surge of anti-LGBTQ revival. Not only did this hate group (as defined by the Southern Poverty Law Center<\/a>) receive an invitation to the White House\u2019s grand reveal of Trump\u2019s U.S. Supreme Court Nominee<\/a>, but this anti-LGBTQ group has been on cable television at minimum eight times since the turn of the new year. Further, FRC was a part of an ABC News investigation on the controversial and discredited \u201cconversion therapy<\/a>\u201d practices occurring in the Southern United States. Considering one of FRC\u2019s most virulent senior officials, Ken Blackwell<\/a>, served on the Trump transition team, FRC\u2019s new prominence should not be so surprising.<\/p>\n

The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) and the American Family Association (AFA) have taken a less up front approach, but both have started once again promoting their anti-LGBTQ agenda. Following Donald Trump\u2019s election victory, NOM has deemed the president as their \u201chope and change<\/a>\u201d candidate \u2013 going as far as to publishing a web video<\/a> in support of the rumored \u201creligious freedom<\/a>\u201d executive order. The AFA also praised<\/a> the rumored executive order while also holding behind-closed-door meetings<\/a> with President Trump himself.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, it doesn\u2019t stop there. From Alliance Defending Freedom saying they were \u201cthankful<\/a>\u201d for the president\u2019s choice to rescind transgender protections in our schools (as did the Liberty Counsel<\/a>) to Focus on the Family actively campaigning<\/a> for the confirmation of anti-LGBTQ public officials Betsy DeVos, Ben Carson, and Jeff Sessions to top cabinet positions, anti-LGBTQ groups are on a full-scale, all-approach assault to make sure full equality is set back a generation.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no sugarcoating the fact that President Trump has repeatedly proven his actions far outweigh the sales pitch he gave to the public during the 2016 election campaign.<\/p>\n

So what can we do to fight back? For starters, educate yourself and your friends on what is happening each day in the Trump Administration\u2019s attack on the LGBTQ community. These moves may not grab headlines, but we must stay informed.<\/p>\n

Also, it\u2019s time to finally discredit the choice by anti-LGBTQ Trump Administration and outside organizations to use \u201creligious freedom\u201d as a shield for legalizing discrimination against people who are marginalized and are in most need.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s this \u201creligious discrimination\u201d agenda that is driving Washington, D.C. and statehouses across the nation to do whatever possible to pass openly anti-trans<\/a> \u201cbathroom bills\u201d and shove through measures that relegate LGBTQ families as second-class citizens, permitting a \u201clicense to discriminate\u201d against the entire community.<\/p>\n

As the Trump Administration continues to use outside hate groups like C-FAM and the Heritage Foundation to validate their anti-LGBTQ agenda, GLAAD will continue to push back, hold this administration accountable, and advocate for full equality for all LGBTQ Americans.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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March 17, 2017<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Issues:\u00a0<\/div>\n