Donald Trump failed to mark Pride Month, so LGBT activists are doing it for him
The Human Rights Campaign has released a Proclamation marking June as Pride Month, after Donald Trump ditched the eight-year tradition.
President Obama issued annual Proclamations recognising the month of June as LGBT Pride Month, and hosted LGBT festivities inside the White House.
However, the tradition of Pride Month celebrations in the White House appears to have been ended under Trump.
The Republican leader released proclamations marking June as “National Homeownership Month”, “National Ocean Month”, “African-American Music Appreciation Month” and “Great Outdoors Month” – but no such Proclamation was released for LGBT Pride Month.
In response, the Human Rights Campaign has released its own unofficial Proclamation, skewering Trump’s record on LGBT rights and marking June 2017 as #UniteResistEnlist Month.
The full text is below:
WHEREAS, the month of June has long been observed as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride month in recognition of the 1969 Stonewall Riots with Pride celebrations being held across the nation in cities large and small; and
WHEREAS, in recent years, the LGBTQ community has seen extraordinary progress through landmark Supreme Court decisions, historic legislation passed at the federal, state, and local levels, and the support of pro-LGBTQ policies by public officials at all levels of government; and
WHEREAS, Donald Trump has launched a crusade against LGBTQ rights and progress by appointing anti-LGBTQ activists across his Administration, rescinding guidance regarding schools’ obligations to transgender students, pushing an unconstitutional Muslim ban and draconian deportation policies, inviting his cabinet to create a #LicenseToDiscriminate, proposing dangerous cuts to critical health care programs and research, and erasing LGBTQ people in federal data collection; and
WHEREAS, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, has mobilized thousands of supporters for protests outside the White House to #ProtectTransKids and joined grassroots rallies across the nation — including the Women’s March and Save Our Care events; and
WHEREAS, since Inauguration Day, HRC members have logged hundreds of thousands of calls, emails and meetings with members of Congress to rally for the Affordable Care Act, to fight Trump’s nomination of anti-LGBTQ Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch and other appointees, and to lobby for the Equality Act; and
WHEREAS, HRC has committed to empower and mobilize millions of equality voters to fight back against attacks that undermine the LGBTQ community through a nationwide Summer of Action anchored by more than 250 grassroots events from coast to coast including the National Equality March in Washington, D.C. and the #ResistMarch in Los Angeles; and
WHEREAS, HRC has also joined a broad coalition of progressive organizations in Equality Florida’s #HonorThemWithAction campaign to pay tribute to the 49 people — most of them LGBTQ and/or Latinx — whose lives were taken at the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, and is supporting related community events; and
WHEREAS, throughout the Summer of Action, HRC will support voter registration efforts, host grassroots advocacy trainings, and step up visibility and outreach at LGBTQ Pride parades, equality marches, festivals and other events across the country and through an Action Center at Washington, D.C., headquarters, where volunteers and visitors will be able to engage in direct action, including advocacy training, writing letters to elected officials, and unique social media opportunities;
NOW, THEREFORE, THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN, does hereby proclaim June 2017 to be:
#UniteResistEnlist Month
PRESENTED on this 1st day of June 2017.
Related: Trump’s first 100 days have been a total disaster for LGBT people
