“Religious beliefs.” Those are the grounds on which President Trump is rumored to sign an executive order, expected to come out by the end of this week. This would allow businesses to refuse working with, or hiring, members of the LGBTQ community if it goes against the religious beliefs of the business or organization’s employees.
A White House official spoke with The New Civil Rights Movement under a veil of anonymity regarding the proposed executive order, expected to be signed in the coming days.
The executive order in question would reverse the 2014 action of President Barack Obama in which gender identity discrimination was added to the already in place protection banning sexual orientation discrimination in federal hiring. All companies working with the federal government are required to have clear, explicit policies barring discrimination against LGBTQ employees.
In response to the news that this law would be overturned, the White House released a statement late Monday night that the reports were untrue.
“President Trump continues to be respectful and supportive of L.G.B.T.Q. rights, just as he was throughout the election,” the White House said in a statement. “The president is proud to have been the first ever G.O.P. nominee to mention the L.G.B.T.Q. community in his nomination acceptance speech, pledging then to protect the community from violence and oppression.”
The National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund made the following statement in an email to Equally Wed Tuesday, Jan. 31, regarding President Donald Trump’s rumored anti-LGBTQ executive order that has attracted dueling White House leaks and media speculation:
“Donald Trump is no friend to the LGBTQ community — regardless of what he or the White House leakers may be suggesting in the media. We need look no further than his extremist anti-LGBTQ Vice President Pence and Cabinet picks to see the real agenda at play. The truth is he has been playing deeply harmful games with LGBTQ people’s lives throughout his campaign and every single day of his days-old presidency. The problem for him is we are everywhere — so when he signs executive orders designed to demonize and dehumanize anyone — Muslims, women, refugees, people of color, immigrants — he is attacking us all. President Trump does not get bonus points for discriminating a little. Discrimination is discrimination. Racism is racism. Islamophobia is Islamophobia. Through our resistance, and the resistance of millions of people in every part of the nation, we will not stand by as he signs wave after wave of discriminatory policies with his pen. Not on our watch, not in our name,” said Rea Carey, Executive Director, National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund.
Time will tell the outcome of these reports, and this story will be updated as details develop.
Sources: The New Civil Rights Movement, LGBTQ Nation and The Washington Post
