On Friday, June 12, the Trump administration removed legislation that protects health care protections for LGBTQI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and intersex) people in the workplace. With these protections removed, LGBTQI people would have no protection against discrimination in health care accommodations or by doctors and insurance providers. This decision is a horrible violation of civil rights that were only recently granted during the Obama administration.
Adding insult to injury, this decision comes on the anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub massacre. In 2016, on June 12, a gunman entered a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida and opened fire, killing 49 people. How could this be a coincidence? Trump knows exactly what he’s doing. It’s no accident that this attack comes during an election year. Trump probably staged this decision as an election year stunt – to show his commitment to homophobic politics to his supporters who share that prejudice. We need to call this what it is – unacceptable. If the last weeks have taught us anything, it’s that we don’t have to wait to make change happen.
featured image credit: Gage Skidmore
