Washington D.C. — The Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus is responding to the dangerous proposal by the Trump Administration that would remove requirements for HHS grant recipients to enforce nondiscrimination rules that prohibit discrimination on a number of bases including sexual orientation or gender identity.
The Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus Co-Chairs released the following statements:
Co-Chair Rep. David Cicilline ( RI-01 ):
"Discrimination of any kind is wrong, but this case is especially outrageous. The Trump administration is effectively sanctioning the withholding of funding for foster care, HIV treatment, STD prevention, and other basic health services from LGBTQ Americans. The President's whole-hearted embrace of this regressive policy is yet another reminder of why the Senate needs to pass the Equality Act."
Co-Chair Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney ( NY-18 ):
"As a gay dad with three adopted kids, I find it disgusting that this Administration is giving adoption and foster groups a license to discriminate against loving parents just because of who they love or how they identify," said Rep. Maloney. "From day one this president has worked to gut protections for families like mine. That can't stand. We need to block this rule and pass the Equality Act through the Senate - every LGBTQ American needs to be explicitly protected by the law."
Co-Chair Rep. Mark Pocan ( WI- 02 ):
"Once again, this president is attempting to use children as pawns in his discriminatory and hateful policies. This action by the president is a shameless attack on LGBTQ families who seek to build loving homes for children without permanent ones. When over 100,000 children are seeking adoption, our policies should seek to help—not hurt—them.
"This act is nothing new from a president that has consistently abused his power to legalize discrimination against LGBTQ people. From rolling back the rights of transgender students, military servicepeople and patients to attempting to legalize workplace discrimination against LGBTQ employees—this president has made it his mission to legalize hate. American taxpayers should not be forced to bankroll bigotry—the president must reverse this action."
Co-Chair Rep. Mark Takano ( CA-41 ):
"There seems to be no limit to how far the Trump Administration will go to harm the LGBTQ community. This new rule is taxpayer-funded discrimination. By allowing for LGBTQ or gender discrimination in essential programs like adoption, housing, anti-trafficking programs, STD prevention, and youth leadership development programs, this rule will have far-reaching consequences that will be detrimental to many of our communities. The Equality Caucus will hold the Trump Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services accountable for delivering on the agency's mission to protect the health and well-being of all Americans, regardless of their identities."
Co-Chair Rep. Angie Craig ( MN-02 ):
"I urge this Administration to stand with loving families and prioritize the well-being of children across this country," said Rep. Craig. "All that should matter is that children are placed in safe, loving homes, and it is unacceptable that adoptive parents and foster parents are now legally allowed to be discriminated against just because of who they love or how they identify. This decision cannot stand."
Co-Chair Rep. Sharice Davids ( KS-03 ):
"It's unacceptable that this Administration is proposing a rule allowing foster care and adoption agencies to discriminate against LGBTQ parents, at the expense of the American taxpayer no less," said Rep. Davids. "This is the latest in a long line of attacks against the LGBTQ community from this Administration, but this rule is particularly appalling as it affects our most vulnerable population — our children. Every child deserves a stable, safe and loving home. No child should be denied that home because a parent is a member of the LGBTQ community."
Co-Chair Rep. Chris Pappas ( NH-01 ):
"Love makes a family, and we can't let the Trump Administration tell us otherwise. The Department of Health and Human Services should focus on placing kids in safe, loving homes and not on enacting discriminatory policies against LGBTQ Americans."
—From a press release
Founded in 2008, the mission of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus is to promote lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender ( LGBT ) equality. The Caucus, which is led by the eight openly LGBT members of Congress, is strongly committed to achieving the full enjoyment of human rights for LGBT people in the U.S. and around the world.
