The White House pledged Tuesday morning to continue upholding an Obama-era executive order that protects the rights of the LGBTQ community in the workplace.
“President Donald J. Trump is determined to protect the rights of all Americans, including the LGBTQ community,” a statement from his press secretary’s office reads. “President Trump continues to be respectful and supportive of LGBTQ rights, just as he was throughout the election.”
The statement noted that Trump was the “first ever GOP nominee” to discuss the LGBTQ community during his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention in July, promising to protect them from “violence and oppression.”
“The executive order signed in 2014, which protects employees from anti-LGBTQ workplace discrimination while working for federal contractors, will remain intact at the direct of President Donald J. Trump.”
Gay rights advocate Chad Griffin was unimpressed by the statement, however, saying the president was setting a “low bar” by claiming credit for not overturning Obama’s executive order, which barred companies that do federal work from discriminating against LGBTQ employees.
“L.G.B.T.Q. refugees, immigrants, Muslims and women are scared today, and with good reason,” said Griffin, the president of the Human Rights Campaign. “Donald Trump has done nothing but undermine equality since he set foot in the White House.”