Category: Social & Civil Issues

Within moments of Donald Trump’s inauguration, the Trump Administration removed all mentions&n…

Today, HRC released the following statement after it was discovered that the Trump Administration has removed from the State Department website former Secretary of State John Kerry’s apology for the infamous “Lavender Scare” witch hunt in the 1950s and 1960s, as well as other content regarding LGBTQ pride month observances and the State Department’s Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBT Persons.

“With each passing hour, the Trump administration continues to show the extent of their contempt for the enormous progress made over the past eight years,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “Secretary Kerry’s apology to LGBTQ employees and their families who were targeted, harassed, and fired set the right tone for the State Department, even if it couldn’t undo the damage done decades ago. It is outrageous that the new administration would attempt to erase from the record this historic apology for witch hunts that destroyed the lives of innocent Americans. The apology, along with the other important LGBTQ content that has been removed, should immediately be restored, and President Trump should condemn such behavior at all departments and agencies.”

The Trump administration appears to be systematically scrubbing the progress made for LGBTQ people from official websites. On the same day of President Trump’s inauguration, the new administration also removed every mention of LGBTQ people from the White House website and removed the Department of Labor’s crucial report on LGBTQ worker rights.  In the past, Vice President Mike Pence has consistently opposed efforts by the United States to promote LGBTQ equality around the globe.

Secretary Kerry’s apology can be found here via an archive captured by Wayback Machine. The apology on the State Department website was posted here prior to its removal.

Today, the White House published cabinet exit memos from almost 30 different agencies and government orga…

Betsy DeVos, Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Education, has had several conversations with a Senator who wants her to gut critical protections for young LGBTQ people, according to Politico.

“(DeVos) has had several phone conversations with Republican Sen. James Lankford about reining in the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights,” Politico reported. “Lankford stressed to DeVos that there are areas that he sees as federal overreach — like the Education Department’s position that Title IX offers explicit protections for transgender students.”

Last May, the U.S. Department of Education offered guidance to schools clarifying that transgender students have the right to be free from discrimination in schools, including the ability to use gender-separated facilities (such as restrooms and locker rooms) that match their gender identity. This guidance follows similar policies in states and school districts across the country, including many that have been treating transgender students with dignity and respect for more than a decade.

DeVos’ family foundation, The Douglas and Maria DeVos Foundation, as well as her own foundation, The Richard and Helen DeVos Foundation, have funded major anti-LGBTQ organizations and campaigns.

DeVos’ confirmation hearing will be held next week. Senator must ask her about how she will ensure LGBTQ students are safe and treated with respect in our nation’s schools. She should also make clear whether she shares her family’s support for conversation therapy programs that harm LGBTQ youth.

HRC was deeply saddened to learn that transgender woman Mesha Caldwell, 41, was found dead near Canton, M…

Today, HRC and Equality Virginia praised Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe for signing an executive …