Happy Pride Month. As the LGBT community celebrates across the nation, politicians including governors, mayors, city council members, aldermen, county supervisors and dog catchers are acknowledging the vibrancy of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender society. There is one exception, President Donald Trump.
For eight years, the Obama administration held an event at the White House to honor LGBT Americans. I attended a few of the celebrations and was at the inaugural Pride event hosted by the president and Michelle Obama. At the first Pride event of the Obama administration, the president and first lady were not guarded in the least. They had been in office six months and relished mingling with those invited leaders of the LGBT community.
Eight years later and we have a president that won’t even acknowledge Pride Month, let alone host LGBT leaders at the White House. It really drives home that those small but important gestures by a president that we take for granted can be snatched away with a new administration. A Republican administration.
Sure, it may seem like what’s the big deal? The Pride event at the White House was covered by every media outlet and shown in every home with a television. Even Fox News covered the Obama events. Though no Republican president has ever acknowledged Pride Month, after eight years of the Obama administration, LGBT leaders are angry at the overt slap in the face to our community.
May 31, Trump issued proclamations that declared the month of June 2017 as a month to nationally celebrate homeownership, oceans, African American music, Caribbean American heritage and the great outdoors. Don’t get me wrong, I welcome the proclamations for all those groups and locations. What is dismaying is you would have to live under a rock, or in deep red America, to not know the history of June as a celebration of LGBT pride.
Ivanka Trump acknowledged Pride Month in the following tweets:
Vintage Trump. I can have it both ways by having my daughter acknowledge LGBT Pride but I can tell my supporters that there was no White House celebration or presidential proclamation. Having said that, Ivanka’s tweets were met with an outcry from LGBT writers, influencers and leaders who called out the hypocrisy of the posts.
Shut Out of the White House, but President Trump can’t shut us out of the voting booth or protesting in the streets. LGBT Republicans, I hope you remember that in 2018. Rest assured, LGBT Democrats, Libertarians and Independents will.
