Thursday, March 29, 2018

Trump Administration's cozy relationship with anti-LGBT hate groups is being ignored . . . and that's not good

If the Family Research Council's Tony Perkins had said these lies about any other group of Americans, neither he nor his group would have hardly any influence in the Trump Administration

Editor's note - Just one news brief today because it's an important one:

The trans military ban is yet another example of the White House's cozy relationships with anti-LGBTQ hate groups - Trump's attempt to ban transgender troops is only part of the story about his cozy relationship with the Alliance Defending Freedom, the Family Research Council, and other anti-LGBTQ hate groups who are attempting to undermine LGBTQ safety and equality:

 After consulting with ADF, Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions released religious exemptions guidance making it easier for individuals and businesses to discriminate against LGBTQ people. 
 The Justice Department issued an unusual brief on behalf of ADF’s client in the Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission Supreme Court court case.
 ADF is reportedly in “negotiations” with the Trump administration to undo protections for incarcerated transgender people. 
 Perkins has bragged about how many times he has visited the White House. 
 Trump is nominating attorneys with ties to ADF for federal judgeships. 
 Former ADF legal counsel Matt Bowman works in the Health and Human Services Department (HHS), which has been employing more right-wing religious activists and has started a Conscience and Religious Freedom Division that makes it easier for health care providers to deny services to LGBTQ people, among others.
Roger Severino, who wrote an anti-trans report with Ryan Anderson at the Heritage Foundation, runs the HHS Office of Civil Rights. Former Family Research Council Chief of Staff Shannon Royce has emerged “as a pivotal player” at HHS as director of its Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. 
Former ADF Communications Director Kerri Kupec is a Department of Justice spokesperson. 
ADF client Sara Hellwege spoke at the HHS announcement of its anti-LGBTQ rule granting religious exemptions for health care providers to deny services to LGBTQ people.  
At least four people who have worked for the Family Research Council were on Trump’s transition team.

Consider this fact - these groups who have a cozy relationship with the Trump Administration have worked for years  to denigrate the LGBTQ community. They have worked with countries who have imprisoned and persecuted gays. They have falsely claimed that gays recruit children, transgender women attack children in public restrooms, and that homosexuality and pedophilia are connected. They have distorted anecdotes to push the false narrative that gays are attempting to treat people of faith like the Nazis treated Jewish people. They freely rely on junk science from bad researchers (including one who once claimed that gay men stuff gerbils up their rectums). They have continuously repeated lie after lie about the LGBT community to create the idea that homosexuality is somehow a "healthcare risk." IF these groups had done these things to any other group of Americans (African-Americans, Irish people, Jewish people), would they have as much power in our government as they do now? Would most people - particularly our news media - be so blase about their actions?

Related posts:

Listing of anti-LGBTQ hate groups and their lies

18 ANTI-GAY GROUPS AND THEIR PROPAGANDA

A compliant press helped bring Alliance Defending Freedom's anti-LGBTQ hate back into the mainstream in 2017

Anti-LGBTQ Hate Groups Have Clamored For Trump's "Religious Freedom" Order

Top Media Outlets Have Failed To Accurately Label Designated Anti-LGBTQ Hate Groups

LISTEN: Tony Perkins Compares Gay Rights Advocates to Nazis

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