This Pride Month, we can’t allow Trump to turn back the clock

Every year at CREDO, we look forward to celebrating Pride Month with our LGBTQ friends and allies across the country, reflecting on all the progress we’ve made — including the anniversary this month of the Supreme Court’s historic ruling on marriage equality — and looking ahead to more victories for civil rights and equality.

But this year’s celebration is very different. Donald Trump and anti-LGBTQ zealot Mike Pence are leading a Republican Party notorious at the state and federal level for trying to roll back LGBTQ equality and discriminate against LGBTQ people. They have filled their administration with bigots and religious extremists and are refusing to even acknowledge Pride Month.

Since taking office, the Trump administration has taken steps to undo years, even decades, of progress. In just the last few months, Trump and his anti-LGBTQ administration have:

• Removed questions regarding sexual orientation from government-sponsored surveys
• Rolled back protections for transgender students
• Signed a so-called “religious freedom” executive order that will harm the LGBTQ community and could be used to discriminate against LGBTQ people
• Nominated a fervent anti-LGBTQ veteran to replace the first openly gay Army secretary
• Proposed a cruel and heartless budget that directly harms LGBTQ people
• Supported the “First Amendment Defense Act,” an expressly anti-LGBTQ bill
• Weakened protections for LGBTQ people who work for federal contractors
• Refused to take action to protect gay men being murdered in Chechnya

The assaults on the LGBTQ community are not only happening at the federal level. Extremists in state legislatures across the country have proposed more than 100 bills that directly single out LGBTQ people, including many that would give license to business owners to discriminate against the LGBTQ community.

At CREDO, one of the best ways we know how to celebrate Pride Month is by standing with our friends and allies in the LGBTQ community and speaking out. To us, that means taking action to defend LGBTQ rights whenever and however we can and doing everything we can to stop Trump and other right-wing fanatics at the federal, state and local level to turn back the clock on all our victories for equality and civil rights.

Here are two important ways you can join the fight this month in support of the LGBTQ community:

1. Attend pride marches and equality protests. This month, thousands of pride marches will be taking place across the country, in Washington, D.C. and several local equality and pride marches across the country. (We have some great pride posters you can print and bring with you.)

2. Speak out and take action. Call, write and visit your local and federal elected officials and urge them to support protections for LGBTQ people. Speak out when your lawmakers, local businesses or neighbors promote hate and discrimination. Sign our petition urging Congress to ban conversion therapy.

While Pride Month is a time to celebrate the LGBTQ community and reflect on how far we’ve come, the fight for equality and civil rights is far from over. CREDO will continue standing with the LGBTQ community every step of the way.