Why Donald Trump's Cabinet Picks are Worrisome for the LGBTQ community

Donald Trump has claimed to support gay rights. Even if the LGBTQ community were to believe his statements to this effect, though, the administration he is building paints a different picture of what a Trump presidency will mean for this population. The number of strongly anti-gay cabinet members being appointed is inspiring significant trepidation among both the LGBTQ community and their allies. Some of the members of the Trump administration with the worst records are Mike Pence, Jeff Sessions, and Betsy DeVos.

When Vice President-Elect Mike Pence moved into a home in D.C.'s Chevy Chase neighborhood, his neighbors welcomed him with a display of rainbow flags. This unique welcome wagon was a symbolic gesture of defiance due to Pence's particularly troubling record on LGBTQ rights.
Pence has long been outspoken in his opposition to marriage equality, at one point describing gay couples as a sign of "societal collapse." As governor of Indiana, he signed a bill allowing businesses to discriminate against the LGBTQ community. While in Congress, he opposed every piece of legislation that would benefit the gay community. As perhaps the most influential member of Trump's team, Pence will be closely watched by the LGBTQ community as they wait out these uncertain times.


Trump's pick for Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, is just as concerning as Pence. As head of the Justice Department, Sessions would wield significant power. Sessions received a 0/0 score on LGBT rights from the Human Rights Commission, based on his opposition to marriage equality and the inclusion of LGBT people in the hate crime definition, among other things. At the very least, Sessions as AG could choose not to enforce laws protecting the LGBTQ community from discrimination. At worst, he could help dismantle many of the hard-fought rights the gay community won during the Obama administration.

As Trump's Secretary of Education, billionaire Betsy DeVos will have much sway over LGBTQ protection policies in public schools. If DeVos were to dismantle the protections put in place during the Obama administration, the results could be disastrous for LGBTQ children. DeVos and her family have a long history of supporting anti-gay causes and donating a lot of money to organizations working to restrict LGBTQ rights. During the confirmation process, 

DeVos hasn't publicly commented on exactly what course of action she plans to take, but her record is making the LGBTQ community very nervous. That said, there have been a few hopeful signs about DeVos. Although it pales in comparison to the donations given to anti-gay groups, the DeVos family did make a large donation to the Pulse victims fund. DeVos also allegedly came to the defense of a gay employee after an anti-gay politician threatened to out him.


Exactly how the Trump administration will impact the rights of the LGBTQ community remains to be seen, but the anti-gay records of many key members of the administration are certainly cause for concern. Without question, much advocacy work for this community will be needed over the coming years.

Jason Gordon
US