The Democratic National Committee (DNC)
has criticized President Donald Trump's letter to a group of LGBT
conservatives in which he said that he supports LGBT equality.
Log Cabin Republicans is the nation's
oldest group representing LGBT conservatives. In a letter to the
group dated December 21, 2017 and printed on White House stationary,
Trump congratulated the group on its 40th anniversary.
In the letter, Trump said that LGBT
Americans are “equal under our Constitution” and that his
administration would “work to ensure that all Americans live in a
country where they feel safe and where their opportunities are
limitless.”
Lucas Acosta, DNC director of LGBTQ
Media, responded in a statement released on Twitter.
“Since day one of this
administration, the LGBTQ community has been attacked, ostracized,
and ignored,” Acosta
wrote. “Donald Trump says one thing yet does another – he
claims to support our equal protection under the law but then strips
away rights and protections from LGBTQ Americans. Too many LGBTQ
Americans are denied the full equality they deserve and despite their
promises, the Trump administration is determined on rolling back
progress. The Democratic Party will continue to fight these efforts
to erode the rights of LGBTQ people and work to expand their freedom
to work, live, and love.”
The letter surfaced just days before
the administration announced that it would protect health care
workers who refuse to treat patients based on the worker's religious
objections. Trump is also working to remove transgender troops from
the military and in June refused to issue an LGBT Pride proclamation.
(Related: Trump
rule would allow health care workers to refuse patients based on
religious objections.)