“By blocking the ability of transgender individuals to openly serve their country, denying LGBTQ+ people access to critical health care, proposing policies allowing federally funded homeless shelters to turn away transgender people and federally funded adoption agencies to reject same-sex couples, and failing to address the epidemic of violence against transgender people - particularly transgender women of color - the Trump-Pence Administration has led a systematic effort to undo the progress President Obama and I made.” “Donald Trump and Mike Pence have given hate against LGBTQ+ individuals safe harbor and rolled back critical protections for the LGBTQ+ community,” the Democrat alleged. Gautam Raghavan is an Advisor in the White House Office of Public Engagement.On Wednesday, the Democratic nominee told Philadelphia Gay News that President Donald Trump has given “hate” a “safe harbor” by protecting religious freedom and enabling what Biden condemned as “discrimination.”
Read the President’s full remarks, watch video, and learn more about the Obama Administration’s efforts to advance equality for the LGBT community.
It means trying to eliminate any vestige of racial or religious discrimination and anti-Semitism wherever it happens. It means standing up for sexual - standing up against sexual violence wherever it occurs. It means fighting for equal pay for equal work. It means showing compassion for the undocumented worker who is contributing to our society and just wants a chance to come out of the shadows. And it means fighting for workers to get a decent wage. King said an “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” And that means that we’ve got to be able to set up a community that extends beyond our own particular narrow interests we’ve got to make sure that we’re reaching out to others who need our help as well.Īnd that means fighting for poor kids. In closing his remarks, the President called on the LGBT community and its allies to continue to work towards dignity, equality, and justice for all communities:ĭr. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) Jim Darby and Patrick Bova introduce President Barack Obama, with First Lady Michelle Obama, during the LGBT Pride Month reception in the East Room of the White House, June 30, 2014. I’ve asked my staff to prepare a second executive order so that federal employees - who are already protected on the basis of sexual orientation - will now formally be protected from discrimination based on gender identity as well." I have directed my staff to prepare an executive order for my signature that prohibits discrimination by federal contractors on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
The majority of Fortune 500 companies already have nondiscrimination policies to protect their employees because it’s the right thing to do and because many say it helps to retain and attract the best talent.
With the First Lady by his side, the President spoke about the tremendous progress we have made during the course of his Administration - from repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" to implementing the Affordable Care Act with important protections for LGBT people - and restated his commitment to taking executive action on behalf of LGBT workers: Yesterday, for the sixth time since taking office, President Obama joined national, state, and local community leaders, business leaders, grassroots activists, elected officials, and others for an event celebrating Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month at the White House.