16 — He’s promoting gay rights at home and abroad.
20 Reasons to Re-Elect President Trump
From…
- launching a global campaign to decriminalize homosexuality,
- to his initiative for eradicating HIV/AIDS in 10 years,
- to appointing gays and lesbians to high office in the federal government,
President Trump has been a leader in the movement for homosexual rights.
Decriminalizing Homosexuality
President Trump has launched a campaign to decriminalize homosexuality around the world.
By using America’s influence, he’s working to end the persecution of gays and lesbians in the 72 countries where homosexuality is illegal. (In eight of those countries, the punishment is death.)
The Trump administration is weighing reductions in foreign aid and intelligence-sharing as sanctions.
With this campaign, President Trump has broadcast a message across the world that human rights violations against gays and lesbians are contrary to American values and interests.
Ending the HIV/AIDS Epidemic by 2030
Over 700,000 Americans have died due to HIV/AIDS since 1981, with a disproportionate impact on gay and bisexual men. Even today, the disease continues to inflict much pain, suffering and death.
In response, President Trump has made HIV/AIDS a high priority in his administration.
- In his 2019 State of the Union address he committed the United States to eradicating HIV/AIDS by 2030. The initiative, known as, “Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America”, is fully funded and well underway.
- In his 2021 budget proposal, he’s doubling the funding for the program.
- He’s also persuaded drugmaker Gilead Sciences to provide HIV medication for free to over 200,000 uninsured people for 11 years.
High Level Appointments
Since taking office, President Trump has tapped many gays and lesbians to serve in the federal government.
First off, he’s appointed five openly gay ambassadors.
- U.S. Ambassador to Lithuania, Robert Gilchrist
- U.S. Ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell
- U.S. Ambassador to Nepal, Randy Berry
- U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Eric Nelson
- U.S. Ambassador to Cape Verde, Jeff Daigle
Ambassador Grenell was later assigned by President Trump to lead the global initiative to decriminalize homosexuality.
After that, Ambassador Grenell was appointed by President Trump to serve as Acting Director of National Intelligence (a Cabinet-level position), making him the highest-ranking openly gay official in U.S. government history.
From James Kirchick at The Brookings Institution:
For the first time in American history, an openly LGBT person will lead the intelligence community, a remarkable development considering that, until relatively recently, it not only denied employment to gay and lesbian Americans but thoroughly purged them from its ranks.
In the federal courts, the President has appointed Mary Rowland, a member of the Lesbian & Gay Bar Association of Chicago, to a U.S. District Court, and Patrick Bumatay, an openly gay prosecutor, to a U.S. Court of Appeals.
Other notable milestones:
- He’s the first President to be pro-gay marriage from his first day in office.
- He’s the first presidential candidate to mention gay rights in his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention.
- His convention also featured Peter Thiel, a co-founder of PayPal, who became the first person at a GOP convention to acknowledge his homosexuality from the podium, declaring he was “proud to be gay.”
These are just some of the reasons why Ambassador Grenell says President Trump is:
“The most pro-gay president in American history.”
Article references (18):
- ABC News
- NBC News (3)
- The New York Times
- New York Post (3)
- Bild
- Washington Examiner
- STAT
- The Brookings Institution
- Bloomberg Law
- Ambassador Richard Grenell (via Twitter)
- HIV.GOV (2)
- Washington Blade (2)
