➤ FAKE TRUMP RECORD, from p.11 TRUMP TO SUPREME COURT:
ANTI-LGBTQ BIAS OKAY
One week after the
Trump administration
fi led a Supreme Court
brief arguing that
people should be able to get fi red
based on their gender identity, the
president’s team returned to fi le
yet another brief — this time arguing
that gay workers should be
able to get fi red simply because of
their sexual orientation.
The administration’s brief on
August 23 stated that Title VII of
the 1964 Civil Rights Act “makes
clear that it does not” cover workers
on the basis of sexual orientation,
while the brief fi led the previous
week stated that the law “does
not bar discrimination because of
transgender status.”
In the brief targeting gay workers,
the administration stated that
Congress “of course remains free
to legislate in this area,” even as
Republicans in both houses have
overwhelmingly continued to reject
LGBTQ rights bills. GOP lawmakers
most recently mounted strong
resistance to the Equality Act,
which would amend the 1964 Civil
Rights Act and related federal laws
to ban discrimination on the basis
of sexual orientation and gender
identity. That bill passed the house
but faces dim prospects in the Republican
controlled Senate.
The administration stated in the
brief that unless Congress acts
on LGBTQ discrimination, “this
court shall enforce the statue as it
is written.”
The Supreme Court will hear arguments
October 8 in several cases
raising the question of whether
sexual orientation and gender
identity job discrimination is covered
under sex discrimination provisions
of the the 1964 Civil Rights
Act. The brief fi led by the Trump
administration puts it squarely in
opposition to the court answering
affi rmatively. — Matt Tracy
Gay City News that his homophobia
and transphobia has actively
harmed LGBTQ Americans.
“There is no question that this
president has done more to undermine
the rights of LGBTQ Americans
than any President in history,”
Cicilline, co-chair of the Congressional
LGBTQ Equality Caucus,
said in a written statement. “Not
only has he appointed two anti-gay
marriage justices to the Supreme
Court and implemented a ban of
transgender members of the military,
he has worked to systematically
undermine civil protections
for openly LGBTQ Americans at
every turn. His actions and rhetoric
have created an environment
where the LGBTQ community is
forced to live in fear of losing their
jobs or being kicked out of their
apartments while hate crimes targeting
people because of their sexual
orientation are on the rise.”
Maloney, who is the fi rst out gay
member of Congress from New
York, said the entire administration’s
“record speaks for itself.”
“This administration is not an
ally to the LGBTQ community,”
Maloney noted in a written statement.
“Their collective bigotry has
shaped policies that put discrimination
before equality and — at the
end of the day — put queer people
in harm’s way.”
Others involved in the fi ght for
LGBTQ rights also responded accordingly.
Human Rights Campaign
President Alphonso David
tore into Trump’s comments and
recalled the way queer Americans
soundly rejected Trump’s platform
in the 2018 midterms.
“Every credible LGBTQ organization
is mobilizing to defeat
Trump, Pence & their anti-LGBTQ
extremist allies in 2020,” David
said in a tweet. “Those who claim
this administration is pro-LGBTQ
are out of touch with facts and reality.”
GLAAD, the queer media watchdog
group, has kept a running tally
of the president’s attacks.
“Trump has not ‘done very well’
with the LGBTQ community,” the
group stated in a tweet. “In fact, he
and his administration have rolled
back protections and targeted LGBTQ
people 123 times since 2017.”
Don’t Hesitate.
Vaccinate!
Vaccines are safe,
effective and keep
our children healthy.
Vaccinations are required for children
to attend all child care, pre-K, public
and private schools.
To learn more, call 311 or visit nyc.gov/health
and search “student vaccines.”
GayCityNews.com | August 29 - September 11, 2019 23
/health
/GayCityNews.com
