The Trump Administration’s attempt to completely erase the LGBTQ community rages on. First, the White House deleted the LGBT rights page from its official website. Then it axed the White House Office of AIDS Policy. Then it announced massive cuts to the HIV/AIDS research budget. Now, it wants to eliminate LGBTQ citizens from the 2020 census.
Every 10 years, the federal government conducts the U.S. Census to determine the number of people living in the country. They also record things like race and gender, employment and marital status, household income and education levels, and other information to help paint as accurate a picture as possible to then determine what resources it needs to spend where.
Under the Obama administration, it was decided that 2020 Census would start to include sexual orientation and gender identity. But this week, the Trump Administration’s said, actually, no, the 2020 Census would not count LGBTQ people.
The move wasn’t just symbolic either. As Meghan Maury, Criminal and Economic Justice Project Director of the National LGBTQ Task Force, explained in a statement released on Tuesday:
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Information from these surveys helps the government to enforce federal laws like the Violence Against Women Act and the Fair Housing Act and to determine how to allocate resources like housing supports and food stamps. If the government doesn’t know how many LGBTQ people live in a community, how can it do its job to ensure we’re getting fair and adequate access to the rights, protections and services we need?
The HRC wasn’t having it either. On Tuesday night, the organization tweeted:
The Trump Administration is erasing "sexual orientation" & "gender identity" from the 2020 census — but they #CantEraseUs 1/4
— HumanRightsCampaign (@HRC) March 29, 2017
Pretty soon the hashtag #CantEraseUs began trending, with folks all across the country tweeting @realDonaldTrump that, try as he might, his Administration was not going to purge LGBTQ people’s existence from the records.
Check out some of the tweets…
EXCUSE ME?!?!??? Are you just not acknowledging there existence? Their contribution as American citizens? Will you return their paid taxes? https://t.co/ehKccCgqP0
— Debra Messing (@DebraMessing) March 29, 2017
Apparently, Trump just wants to piss off everyone who is not white, rich, straight & male. He is just looking for a fight now. #CantEraseUs https://t.co/MmqRFMePV0
— Ashley ?? ???? (@mouseam) March 29, 2017
You #CantEraseUs @realDonaldTrump LGBT people deserve 2b counted in the 2020 Census just like everyone else. We will not sit down or shut up
— Gary FrostGermanotta (@frostygary) March 29, 2017
Don't know who you're messing with @realDonaldTrump. Gonna #ActUp right in your fat, lying face. #CantEraseUs. We R the #LGBTQ #Resistance! https://t.co/4IOdUhYvxd
— Will Scheffer (@schefferwill) March 29, 2017
Hateful step backward. We worked hard to achieve this originally because full/proper census essential for provision of critical services. https://t.co/Yxy5HPlJig
— (((Rep. Nadler))) (@RepJerryNadler) March 29, 2017
So does this mean if i won't exist on the 2020 census i don't have to pay my taxes like our president? #CantEraseUs
— Jay (@JayFresonke) March 29, 2017
Remember this? I wonder if @TheTaskForce is going to bring it back. #QueerTheCensus #CantEraseUs pic.twitter.com/KZq1kPobTz
— Eric Rosswood (@LGBT_Activist) March 29, 2017
Collecting #lgbtq information on the census would have been monumental for the LGBTQ anti-violence movement. #CantEraseUs
— Emily Waters (@Emiwaters) March 29, 2017
Unfathomable for #Trump to remove planned questions on respondents’ sexual orientation in 2020 census. #CantEraseUshttps://t.co/wxyyWOPvuQ
— Rep. Frank Pallone (@FrankPallone) March 29, 2017
We're not going anywhere. You're only making us stronger. #cantEraseUs #loveislove #resist #notmypresident #douchenozzle @realDonaldTrump https://t.co/8AD900OczG
— Anne Swanson (@anneswanson9) March 29, 2017
To each and every member of the #LGBTQ community, let there be no doubt. You cannot be erased and you will never be ignored. #CantEraseUs
— Rep. Joe Kennedy III (@RepJoeKennedy) March 29, 2017
Related: White House document reveals massive cut to AIDS research in Trump’s budget
Billy Budd
The orange monster strikes again.
STAMBOUL
That’s what Karen Pence wants you to think.
strix1
Amazing…it’s like Trump is a big spoon just trying EVERYTHING he can in his short amount of time as POTUS to stir the pot and create as much controversy and havoc as he can. He wants to create a name for himself, like Hitler, Stalin, Bin Laden…he has killed anyone, but he is creating pockets of hate everywhere. He is so focused on undoing everything that came before him he is not focused on improving what he can actually change for the better.
strix1
**** …he has NOT killed anyone… (yet) *** although some may kill themselves…where is the edit feature?!?!! d-;
1EqualityUSA
Pockets of hate do lead to fatalities, though Chief Special Warfare Operator William Owens, a Navy SEAL, of Peoria, Ill., was killed and three others injured when their aircraft crash-landed while taking part. Trump is responsible for this young man’s death. This Yemen operation was chaotic. If Hillary Clinton had made this decision with Chelsea’s spouse, over dinner, without the expert advice from the military’s top dogs, Faux News would never shut up about it. The raid yielded zero information, and three others were hurt. So, Trump-(Jared Kushner) did kill someone, and I hope it haunts them in their sleep. The raid was foolish. Trump blamed Obama for having it on the table (He even called it Obama’s operation, though Obama was out of office when the raid went down). Then Trump blamed the Generals “for losing one.” Trump is responsible for the widow of William Owens, devasted by his poor decision, made in haste, casually over dinner, with a loser son-in-law who has no business conducting foreign affairs. Trump, critical of President Obama for being too cautious against Al-Qaida, rushed to the altar to make himself a name and made a mistake. Sailor, William Owens, died as a result of these fools. Hope dinner was delicious, boys.
1EqualityUSA
apolgies for my sentence structure and incomplete thoughts. I’m dealing with doggies who could care less about Queerty. –Caninety may have held their interest.
throwslikeagirl
I’d like to see a movement to write a uniform phrase on the census form stating that this is a gay household.
Hussain-TheCanadian
Oh come you guys, hes the first republican president to “mention” gay people at a rally…….he also carried a pride flag showing “LGBT 4 Trump”….come on hes so pro-gay rights.
NateOcean
https://qzprod.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/carlo-allegri-donald-trump-lgbt-flag-2016-presidential-election.jpg?quality=80&strip=all
Even is the flag was upside down?
DMRX
@Nate: Not that I’m trying to defend the cheeto, but your picture, as so many others, clearly shows that he was holding it such that the writing on it was right side up. This whole issue is the fault of the flag owner.
KaiserVonScheiss
You’re complaining about this? Really?
I refused to tell them my race in the last census. I’m not going to tell them my sexual orientation. The purpose of the census is to count the population to determine how to allocate representation in Congress, not to determine the identity demographics of country.
Mo Bro
Bingo.
But, as usual, the left seems to need a reason to feel oppressed.
If it weren’t for the politics of victimization, I do believe they’d have no politics at all.
DCguy
Oh My God, really? You’re going to have BOTH your screenames talking to each other now?
And notice how it completely upsets any Log Cabin troll if ANYTHING doesn’t harm lgbts?
As for your lie…..siiigh, ok here we go. If the purpose of the census is to count the population to determine how to allocate representation, then why does it ask if a person is married? Oppps, guess we weren’t supposed to notice that.
So again, you bigot, nice try, but sorry, you failed.
iggy6666
And again DC guy you used to go by Cam,so not quite sure why you’re inclined to accuse others..
DCguy
I love the desperation. These two screenames are the same person talking to each other, and your post tries to pretend it’s something else.
But the fact that another screename was created to come on and say this lets me know I’m right. Thanks for verifying that all these screenames are one person.
KaiserVonScheiss
@DCguy
You are a total paranoid conspiratard. I hope you don’t run out of tinfoil.
You can’t argue the points, so you just accuse people of using multiple screen names.
1EqualityUSA
where is MHoff, donde esta MHoff, Ou est MHoff? Wo ist? Nasaan si Hoff? ?????? to give you a hard time for using ‘tard. I likened the GOP to short-bus fodder with disembarkment syndrome and he has now dinged me twice, though I apologized to the disabled for lumping them in with Republicans immediately afterward.
1EqualityUSA
As for tin foil:
Abundance – aluminium is plentiful with no danger of world depletion.
Barrier efficiency to light, gases, oils and fats, volatile compounds and water vapor, temperature resistance from deep-freeze to oven processing, heat conductivity and reflectivity, electrical conductivity, strength and durability, compatibility with foods, pharmaceuticals, and scalps, ease of lamination and coating, flexibility (which is more than can be said for the Republican party), formability and non-returning dead-fold, decorative potential, brilliant or matt surface, printability by flexo, gravure and offset litho, non-toxicity (which is more than can be said for the Republican party), low weight, recyclability, corrosion resistance, cost-effectiveness – optimum performance yet resource economy (which is more than can be said for the Republican party).
ErikO
Exactly, there should not be questions about your sexual orientation or if you are trans in a Census, and even if there were I would not answer them. I’ve been out for decades but you’re correct about the purpose of a census.
1EqualityUSA
Whenever Trumps blows one of these social dust-devils out of his oval office, look to see what Russia is doing.
He BGB
It looks like Mr. Ego wants to erase everything that has Obama’s name on it to me. Even the good things like Healthcare that even republicans wanted to keep! Just because it’s Obama no other reason. American people are going to have to start standing up to the new dictator of America. His reasons are not about what’s good for America but ordinal reasons if his own. Like if it’s somebody or some group or organization he doesn’t like, he would like to fire them, thinking his new job is the Apprentice. So in the future notice if it had Obama name on it, you’re fired!
He BGB
Personal reasons of his own I think is what I meant. Spellchecker and not bein g able to see the first part of posts drives me nuts not to mention touchscreens. Mine freezes up so I just give up and click send. Ordinal? IS that even a word, spellchecker?
mhoffman953
How is this a bad thing? Why should the government know my sexual orientation?
DCguy
Oh look, the 3rd screename from the right wing bigot is advocating for the closet. What a shock.
mhoffman953
@DCguy Why do you think that everyone who disagrees with you is the same person? No one is saying people should stay in the closet. I just wonder why the government wants to know my sexual preferences. Why don’t they ask if I’m a top or bottom next? Do you think that should be privy to government officials?
Mo Bro
mhoffman953:
They quite literally cannot fathom that anyone thinks differently from themselves, therefore someone who does not agree with them must be . . .
a) a troll;
b) a straight troll;
c) the same individual voicing similar opinions under different names.
Such are the minds of those who must resort to name-calling and conspiracy theories to justify their derangement.
DMRX
Once again, in a moment of rarity, hoff and I agree on something.
Maybe it’s my conservative upbringing flaring up — the piece of me that says the government should stay out of my bedroom.
As for the lawyer that keeps being quoted in this issue, I’m not seeing how having this on the census in any way helps to insure that we get “fair and adequate access to the rights, protections and services we need,” since (someone please correct me if I’m wrong here) there are no federal-level protections or services that would apply to all LGBTQs across the country. Yes, of course, there’s marriage equality, but I don’t consider that a special right; I consider it an equal right.
And for those of you using the excuse that the census already asks for details like age, ethnicity and martial status, things like that are completely different, as they are already a matter of public record.
DCguy
@DMRX
You have now said multiple times, that it is a rare thing when you agree with Mo Bro, and Hoffman. But in another post you also defended Mike Pence.
Nice try, new Screename, New tactic, same old Log Cabin Troll
Neonegro
DC Guy, you really need to shut up.
This repetitious whining about posters identity is getting old.
How freekin old are you?????????
Address the statement made by whoever the poster is or shut up.
OzJosh
The Nazi’s erased anyone they didn’t like by killing them. Trumpsters simply refuse to acknowledge that they exist. It’s a cowardly pissant variation, but the parallel is there nevertheless.
Bob LaBlah
This article reminds me of the good ol’ days when Hustler magazine used to run its “Asshole of the Month” feature article. I bet by now even they would have tired of Trump.
arcoarconcio_passivy
Conexxion it´s good the summer year´s the year´s pm am classic chic tropicality http://www.efolia.net
ShaugnR
Not being on orange Hitler’s list is not so bad.
ShaugnR
Not being on Hitler’s list is not so bad. Where do we go when this census leads to camps.
DCguy
No, what it means is that if millions of lgbts are counted then the GOP can’t pretend that we don’t exist. And even more, Congress becomes scared when they see so many potential voters if they attack lgbt rights.
The right wing bigots are DESPERATE to go back to the days where everybody was in the closet and lgbts were too self hating to ever speak up.
1EqualityUSA
True, DCGuy
NateOcean
————-
Also the proposed question (shown above) asks are you “A straight ally”.
It’s supposed to be a *census* not an opinion *survey*.
Such a question also needs a counter question such as “An opponent of gays”.
NateOcean
When a “head of household” is filling out the census, do they quiz all the teenage children as to whether they are gay or bisexual?
Does a woman find out here husband is “bisexual” when they review the census form together?
Sexual orientation questions will likely lead to significant undercount.
DMRX
Exactly. I think the count, if it were included, would be far lower than truth.
It could actually work against us because then the conservatives could say, “look, there’s only x number of them. Why do we even need to deal with equal rights for such a small number of people.”
Doug
Why isn’t there more outrage and action planned being against this? Basically Trump is telling the gay community that he wants us to go back to being invisible and we don’t count as a legitimate segment of the country. He’s erasing us.
oz1967
To expect anything less from Trump and his rogues gallery of liars and thieves was naive at best
Louis
It is ironic some here acting smug and superior…as usual claiming others name call when their own past speaks volumes in that regard.
Not naming names but it is obvious regarding this users intolerance and moral superiority .
As far as this latest debacle goes Trump needs to crawl back under his rock where he belongs this pathetic regressive neanderthal mentality that even LGBT project and represent nowadays is pathetic and ridiculous.
This never makes us go further it only makes us go backwards when people profess these kinds of archaic and incredibly disrespectful and dehumanizing ideals as Americans much less as equal human beings.
DCguy
This is the one comment the one Right Wing Troll with multiple screenames doesn’t want stated.
If having the census count LGBTs was harmful to them, then Trump wouldn’t have stopped it.
Counting means they can’t pretend we don’t exist, and if there are surprising things, like a huge number in some states that are red but moving towards swing states, it scares those Congresspeople from attacking us because they’re worried that all of the ones in their state might be motivated to vote.
So no, if counting us was bad for us, Trump and Pence and the GOP would be all for it.
KaiserVonScheiss
Or maybe, just maybe, it’s none of the government’s business.
But I guess that thought never crossed your tiny, tinfoil-covered brain.
iggy6666
So DC guy. Are you or are you not Cam?
Over use of the words BIGOT. Troll. Self-loathing homophobe. Log cabin ?
Cut and paste comments. To your benefits of course. Always leaving out key remarks
—IGGY6666 says……..?
Comment closure with-
But nice try
Nice try though?
Preadressing people who may disagree with your opinion. A.K.A Instigating ?
SO AGAIN…… Get off you’re high horse and stop you’re witch hunt on aliases. You’re no better.
GayEGO
Erasing us from the census means that Trump and his ilk wants to lie about our population, as we are human beings, so they can save spending money on us. We need to show them that it will cost them mucho bucks if they do not count us as part of the taxpaying American citizen population. North Carolina GOPs are caving in to the loss of money from the NCAA withdrawal of games from NC because the HB2 is on the way out regardless of the temporary blocks and delays by the GOPs.
Neonegro
BTW; France does not allow the counting of its nationals by race or ethnicity.
Furthermore, the numbers in the US only reflect gays WILLING to identify as such.
Neonegro
But it is what you get when you practically have very little representation in one of the major parties.
The gays constantly attack Trump and his family and he is responding in kind.
Live with it.
Wait for your Hispanic/moslem/women led party to get back in power.
jckfmsincty
Trump has been in office less than three months and can already be labeled the worst POTUS in the country’s history.