Printer-friendly format

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, July 12, 2016
CONTACT: Kristofer Eisenla, LUNA+EISENLA media
kristofer@lunaeisenlamedia.com | 202-670-5747 (mobile)

Donald Trump Refuses to Reveal Position
on Major LGBT Civil Rights Bill

National LGBT Organization Calls Trump’s Non-Response on the Equality Act "Cowardly"

PHILADELPHIA, PA – Equality Forum, the nation’s premier lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights summit, sent a letter dated June 14, 2016 to the Donald J. Trump for President’s New York and Alexandria, Virginia campaign offices requesting the candidate’s position on the Equality Act, asking Does Mr. Trump support or oppose the passage of the Equality Act?

To date, the Trump campaign has not responded. 

“Mr. Trump’s campaign is in part based on his asserted willingness to tell it like it is. He claims that he is not a hater," said Malcolm Lazin, Executive Director, Equality Forum. “For an estimated 20 million LGBT Americans, the Equality Act would protect them in their daily lives and its passage would send a historic message that discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity will not be tolerated by our federal government.” 

The Equality Act, a bipartisan bill was introduced last year in the United States Senate and House of Representatives. The legislation would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in the areas of employment, housing, public accommodations, public education, federal funding, credit and the judicial system.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has pledged her support for the Equality Act.

In the letter, Equality Forum noted that Mr. Trump’s stated in response to the Orlando massacre that he is a “real friend” of the LGBT community.

“By not responding to whether he supports or opposes the Equality Act, Mr. Trump lacks the backbone and appears to contradict his claim to be a better friend to the gay community than Mrs. Clinton. If these assumptions are inaccurate, we call on Mr. Trump to tell American voters whether he supports or opposes the Equality Act," Mr. Lazin concluded.

Click here to download a PDF of the letter to the Trump Campaign

# # #

About the Equality Forum

Equality Forum coordinates LGBT History Month, produces documentary films, undertakes high-impact initiatives and presents the largest annual national and international LGBT civil rights summit.  

Equality Forum is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to advance national and international lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights through education.  For more information on the Equality Forum, please visit: www.equalityforum.com