Yesterday, the Trump administration announced that it will lead a global campaign to decriminalize homosexuality worldwide. That may sound great, but there are reasons to suspect the president’s motives. Here’s why:
1) Key LGBTQ groups have been left out of the planning.
The Washington Blade pointed out that the campaign’s planning meeting in Berlin yesterday evening didn’t invite OutRight Action International, the Human Rights Campaign, the Council for Global Equality, the Lesbian and Gay Federation of Germany (the country’s largest non-governmental LGBT rights group) or the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association-Europe to the table.
If you’re really trying to get rid of homophobic laws internationally, why would you exclude some of the world’s leading experts in international homophobia?
2) Trump has repeatedly turned away refugees seeking asylum from anti-LGBTQ countries.
Remember Chechnya, the Russian region that has been kidnapping, detaining, torturing and killing queer people for about two years now? Yeah, the U.S. hasn’t issued visas to any Chechans feeling violence there. The U.S. also recently sent a trans woman fleeing violence in El Salvador back to her home country—she was promptly murdered upon returning.
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Lots of South and Central American countries have widespread anti-LGBTQ violence, but Trump has characterized any immigrants fleeing there as rapists and criminals. So why the sudden change of heart? If he’s serious about this, let’s see some asylum visas.
3) Trump has used anti-LGBTQ politics to push for racist policies in the past.
During the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign, Trump said, “I will do everything in my power to protect our LGBTQ citizens from the violence and oppression of the hateful, foreign ideology, believe me.” He said this immediately after the Pulse nightclub shooting, and the statement suggested that he’d oppose queerphobia Muslim-majority countries while ignoring anti-LGBTQ sentiment at home.
This is a ideology known as “homonationalism,” a term defined as:
Whenever a person or group claims solidarity with the LGBTQ community as a way to justify racist and xenophobic policies, especially ones against people of color, immigrants, Muslims or other countries. Homonationalism often takes the view that other people, cultures or countries are inherently homophobic and that Western countries are more culturally, morally, and politically advanced and egalitarian (that is, they believe that all people deserve equal rights and opportunities).
Several outlets have noted that Trump’s new campaign seems mostly to be a way to shame any country still doing business with Iran. Considering that the campaign will mostly focus on the Middle East, African or the Caribbean (and likely won’t touch Russia) it seems a bit too geo-targeted to not have an ulterior motive behind it.
Billy Budd
This is DISGUSTING. To use a humanitarian, good idea just to attack selected enemies, while at the same time failing to defend the same cause elsewhere, altogether. It is the quintessence, the epitome of hypocrisy.
Daniel Villarreal
This is like saying, “The schoolyard bully who punched you in the face and called you a sissy 92 times is now offering to start an anti-bullying campaign, AND YOU DON’T TRUST HIM! WHAT A HYPOCRITE YOU ARE.”
@DmitriyR
He is Trump. I have nothing to add
gymmuscleboy
@Billy Budd Yeah! Who does he think he is? He should just go right back to being the homophobic prick that liberals expect him to be!
All I can say is you have to take the good with the bad, and give credit when credit is due. For example, gays largely embraced Hillary when she changed her position on gay marriage for strategic reasons. But when Trump does something good for our community, you lambast him for being strategic. It’s a double standard.
GeorgeMTL
@gymmuscleboy I’m not a great fan of Hilary, but the difference is simple. She actually changed her mind and evolved. Trump is faking it, like he does everything else. As I type this reply, the headline to the right of my text says “Yesterday, the Trump administration compared being trans to having a disease”. Yep, he is a real ally!
gymmuscleboy
@GeorgeMTL Trans is not gay.
Kieran
Certain organizations didn’t get an invite? Oh boo hoo hoo. No doubt the univited organizations have been devoted enemies of Donald Trump and foolishly put their own narrow, leftist agenda ahead of advancing gay rights. Now they find themselves on the outside looking in. Live and learn.
Vince
They’re international organizations and I don’t know of any gay/straight that like Trump except for the fascists and Christians which are usually one in the same.
boymikefl
He hates you. Why would you blame our allies? Are you MAGA? You could be their poster queer.
boymikefl
Equal rights vs. Discrimination. I pick leftest agenda and you pick the right. It’s ur right.
gymmuscleboy
@Vince 26% of the religiously-unaffiliated voted for Trump. That’s roughly the same rate as jews and those of other faiths. To say that you don’t know any of them is telling, but hardly surprising for a follower of this site.
Kangol
Typical right-wing pinkwashing. Drumpf & company claim to want to overturn anti-gay laws overseas while enabling homophobes in the US (yes, Kieran, your beloved GOP and right-wingers are trying their hardest to push and reinstall anti-gay laws in the US), ignoring international organizations that are actually fighting for and protecting LGBTQ people on the ground, and remaining absolutely silent about anti-gay countries like Saudi Arabia, which penalizes gay sex with death. Moreover, the buffoonish Ambassador to Germany has been a total disaster there. Just Google if you don’t believe me; the Germans have zero respect for this man. Zero. It’s all a smokescreen. Meanwhile, why hasn’t Drumpf pushed for the more than 25 US states that have zero comprehensive protections or equality laws for LGBTQ people to get their acts together and join the 21st century? Oh that’s right, because he couldn’t care less!
truthseeker
Item #1 of this article is false. While this is still in the process, US officials have said they are going to work with global organizations such as the UN, the EU, and others as well as inviting gay activists to speak with US officials in Berlin next week in shaping how this will be implemented.
The plan is to specifically focus on the criminalization of gays
It’s amazing that gay websites are painting this as racist when this is a chance to see death sentences for being gay go away thanks to a US led initiative.
antiGOP
You got to be kidding. You are a brain washed fool to believe anything that comes out of Orange terds admin to help LGBTQ people. Don’t be a tool, unless you are some Ruskie bot. It’s all BS anyway to cover his fat ass lying admin. LOL!!
TomG
Come on, if you don’t know by now, you should, that no matter what Trump says the EXACT OPPOSITE is the truth !
OzJosh
Smokescreen. It’s oh-so-easy to announce intentions like this, then do precisely SFA to achieve it, because actually achieving something would require a globally co-ordinated campaign of finely-tuned negotiation and diplomacy – something the Trump administration is incapable of, even if they were genuinely interested. Something US residents may not know: Trump hasn’t even bothered replacing ambassadors and diplomatic staff in numerous US embassies around the world. And since Trump the US has been a no-show at a number of important international meetings and organisations. Yet we’re now supposed to believe that an administration that is withdrawing from playing a part in global action generally, is suddenly interested in undertaking this kind of work on the gay rights front? Only a complete fool would believe it. It seems to me like a set up for the next US election: while attacking LGBT rights at home and withdrawing funding for all kinds of US-based LGBT initiatives, Trump can point to this bogus global initiative as proof of his commitment to the LGBT community, even though absolutely nothing will ever be done about it.
gymmuscleboy
@OzJosh When Hillary changed her position on gay marriage for strategic reasons, people got behind her for the most part. But when Trump makes a step in the right direction, the gay community is quick to divert attention and seek fault with his strategy, and make hyperbolic (and easily refuted) statements about his competence.
It remains to be seen what the outcome of this initiative will be, but other than defunding the HIV/AIDS council, I would be interested for you to elaborate on why you characterise the Trump presidency as an attack on gay rights.
Meanwhile, I would like to suggest that it may be in our best interest, while accepting the bigger-picture strategic reasons behind this move, to acknowledge that this plan is at least a nominal step in the right direction.
Gary Q VV
Excellent comment, OzJosh. You’re spot on.
Myles
It is absurd to see how Trump and his admin allowed the dismissal of international groups that have done extraordinary work and created so much progress for the LGBT+ community. Regardless of Trumps reasoning he is being petty and foolish to not include experts on LGBT+ protection and rights.
gymmuscleboy
@Myles What do you mean by dismissal? And why do you say he did not include experts on LGBT+ protection and rights? According to the linked article, he flew in 11 activists from different countries in Europe.
Myles
@gymmuscleboy There is a difference of including 11 independent activists (only from European nations excluding a perspective from other countries which would be a better approach to the decriminalization of homosexuality internationally, having a true international representation and understanding of needs.) He left out major international LGBT+ organizations that have a deep understanding and practice in advocacy and protection of LGBT+ members. By not using these organizations that would have a great influence in how this campaign could go Trump is dismissing their importance, members and their resources that would enhance the campaign.
gymmuscleboy
@Myles Last Monday there was no campaign to decriminalise homosexuality worldwide. As of Tuesday, there is. That is a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, it is quite predictable that the gay community, rather than seeing any benefit, is only concerned with finding fault. It is hardly “absurd” that the European meeting had 11 activists from across Europe and – let’s not mince words – there was no “dismissal of international groups” as no international groups were invited.
While I sympathise for those that choose to exclusively consume left-leaning media that it is difficult to accept that Trump can do anything right, it is important that we can come together and give credit where credit is due.
Myles
@gymmuscleboy Yes Trumps campaigns intent is going in the right direction for the LGBT+ community but if you look into the background of his proposal Trumps focus is narrowed down on Iran. In this he is outcasting Iran in attempts to restrict Iran`s economic growth and to shut down its oil and gas industry to expand Americas oil industry. There is an underlying plan to this campaign that should not be ignored regardless of the campaigns original intent.
In the campaign it specifically mentions the Middle East and Africa presenting a main focus on them for the campaign while not acknowledging Russia, China (legal for homosexuality but no protections) and North Korea all of which Trump has alliances with or announced his admiration for their leaders. He is creating a divide in his international focus based on political and social bias.
As well the LGBT+ community (and really anyone) has the right to be more than hesitant and read further into the proposal as Trump has a track record of harming the LGBT+ community. A few examples are:
March 23, 2018: The Trump Administration announced an implementation plan for its discriminatory ban on transgender military service members. (Which now transgender people are banned from service in the military)
January 26, 2018: The Department of Health and Human Services proposed a rule that encourages medical providers to use religious grounds to deny treatment to transgender people, people who need reproductive care, and others.
February 7, 2019: At the annual National Prayer Breakfast, President Trump praised Second Lady Karen Pence for teaching at an anti-LGBTQ school and defended a Michigan adoption agency for refusing to serve an LGBTQ family based on so-called “religious exemptions.”
For my comment in regards to dismissal: “Dismissal: the act of treating something as unworthy of serious consideration; rejection.” In which Trumps admin are not taking into consideration the worth of international organizations that have years of experience on a regional, national and international levels. They are dismissing the value of these organizations by not involving them in the campaign.
gymmuscleboy
@Myles I won’t act surprised that the strongest example of harm to the gay community you can provide is when Trump praised Karen Pence for working at a school that just happens to be anti-LGBT. That is a rather weak example of HARM, to say the least. As for Trump’s strategy, I know. But when Hillary changed her position on gay marriage for strategic reasons, we largely got behind her. When Trump does something good, we make dramatic criticisms of him – it is a double standard. He has to be strategic – he’s the President. And if we are lucky enough to have our needs seen to while he executes that strategy, the least we can do is acknowledge that. We should all be bloody pleased that he has created a campaign that targets homophobia in the Middle East and Africa.
Gary Q VV
Talk about fakery. Remember that before the election, he campaigned at an LGBTQ+ rally voicing his support for our community’s causes. There’s no need in telling you his LGBTQ+ track record after his election. And now, this trick to try to gain our votes in 2020. Lies and utter deception. Which staff member thought this up? Trump couldn’t have been as clever; he’s too engrossed with his “Wall of Shame”.
Invader7
If anyone believes ANYTHING that Hitler in s suit says/does you’re a fool and a tool! All the Orange LIAR in Chief wants from YOU is your: vote,support & $$$.And remember,the Con Artist in Chief is NOT loyal to others but expects /demands loyalty to himself. Believe in this fraud at your own peril.