As of Thursday evening, President
Donald Trump had yet to acknowledge June 1 as the start of LGBT Pride
month.
During the presidential election, Trump
was heralded by many conservatives as “the most gay-friendly
Republican nominee for president ever.”
In accepting the GOP presidential
nomination, Trump vowed to protect the LGBT community from
terrorists. A couple of months later he unfurled a rainbow flag with
the message “LGBT for Trump” at a rally in Colorado. LGBT
Republicans also point out that Trump may support marriage equality,
though when asked his view as a candidate he's refused to answer.
(Prior to entering the race, Trump expressed his opposition to such
unions, including once using an unflattering golf comparison.)
Trump – as a candidate and president
– has surrounded himself with people vocally opposed to LGBT
rights, including Vice President Mike Pence, and nominated anti-LGBT
candidates to top posts, including Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
As president, Trump revoked Obama-era guidance that protected
transgender students and signed an executive order that directs
Sessions to “issue guidance interpreting religious liberty
protections in Federal law.”
For eight years, President Barack Obama
issued a Pride proclamation and hosted a reception at the White House
every June.