Christian conservative law group
Liberty Counsel has praised Secretary of State-designate Mike
Pompeo's opposition to LGBT rights.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump
tweeted that he was replacing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with
Pompeo, the current director of the Central Intelligence Agency
(CIA).
As a Republican member of Congress from
Kansas, Pompeo co-sponsored bills that would allow states not to
recognize marriage equality and allow organizations and businesses to
discriminate against LGBT people. He also opposed repeal of Don't
Ask, Don't Tell, the military policy which prohibited gay troops from
serving openly.
Liberty Counsel founder and chairman
Mat Staver cheered Trump's decision to nominate Pompeo, citing the
nominee's opposition to LGBT rights.
“I am encouraged that President Trump
has chosen former Congressman and Director of the CIA Mike Pompeo to
be the next Secretary of State. Mr. Pompeo not only has broad
experience for the job, he respects the sanctity of human life and
natural marriage. We need leaders who understand and respect basic
fundamental values of life and family,” said Staver in a press
release.
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the
nation's largest LGBT rights advocate, called Pompeo a “reckless
choice” to head the State Department.
“Mike Pompeo’s longstanding
opposition to LGBTQ equality makes him a reckless choice to lead our
nation’s diplomatic efforts,” HRC President Chad Griffin said in
a statement. “The decision to nominate anti-LGBTQ Mike Pompeo could
have serious consequences for the United States and LGBTQ people
around the globe. The State Department has a crucial role to play in
advancing human rights – a role which was already rapidly declining
under Tillerson. This decision has the potential to make a dire
situation even worse. Pompeo does not deserve to be confirmed.”