President Donald Trump and his administration may be preparing an anti-LGBT executive order for the week of Jan. 30, according to reports.
Human Rights Campaign (HRC) issued a statement Jan. 30 addressing the rumors and vowing to fight back against any possible Trump Administration action.
"The rumors of an anti-LGBTQ executive action by President Trump are deeply troubling," said JoDee Winterhof, HRC's senior vice president for policy and political affairs. "We already know that he is willing to target and marginalize at-risk communities for his perceived political gain. As the President and his team plan their next steps, we want to make one thing clear: we won't give one inch when it comes to defending equality, whether it is a full-on frontal assault or an attack under the guise of religion. Mike Pence should know that better than anyone given his track record in Indiana."
The scope of the order—if it indeed will happen—as well as the date of its issuance is not yet known. An anonymous White House official told New Civil Rights Movement that the order would roll back protections ordered by former President Barack Obama in 2014 that protected individuals from anti-LGBT discrimination from federal contractors. That order gave protection to about 20 percent of the U.S. workforce.
The New Civil Rights Movement report speculated that Trump's order would not only undo Obama's order, but would also give federal employees protection should they refuse service on the basis of their religious beliefs.
Other reports have suggested the order would be even wider in scope, essentially offering a federal version of legislation such as Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which Pence helped shepherd to passage in 2014 to disastrous results.
According to LGBTQ Nation, sources said the law could possibly also make federal money available for social service agencies that discriminate as well as allow federally-funded adoption agencies to refuse service to LGBT parents.
Rogue White House Staff—"the unofficial White House resistance team"—which posts anonymously to Twitter, said on Jan. 30, "Rumors are true. Expect by end of the week."
Washington Blade asked White House spokesman Sean Spicer about the orders Jan. 30, and Spicer declined to confirm or deny them.
"I'm not getting ahead of the executive orders that we may or may not issue," Spicer said. "There's a lot of executive orders, a lot of things the president has talked about and will continue to fulfill, but we have nothing on that front now."
New Civil Rights Movement's report is at bit.ly/2jwcSvt. LGBTQ Nation's report is at bit.ly/2jMgxZw.Washington Blade's report is at bit.ly/2kkxeML.
