GLAAD RESPONDS TO DONALD TRUMP’S CHOICE OF J.D. VANCE FOR VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES; INCLUDES ANTI-LGBTQ RECORD OF THE TRUMP-VANCE TICKET

GLAAD: “GLAAD urges all media covering Trump’s choice for vice president to include his history of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and policy. LGBTQ Americans are taxpayers, family members, colleagues, classmates, neighbors and friends, and our concerns are the same as any Americans: our freedom to be ourselves to live in safety and dignity, the right to make private health care decisions, read books of our choosing, marry who we love, and not be discriminated against for who we are. Media must include LGBTQ people in all stories and conversations about policies affecting us and our families. Our concerns are not a ‘culture war’ sideshow—they are central to the core issues of this election, and the freedoms all Americans want to preserve and protect.”

(New York, NY – July 15th, 2024) – GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, is responding to Donald Trump’s announcement of U.S. Senator J.D. Vance from Ohio as his vice presidential running mate.

GLAAD’s President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis (she/her) responded to the news below:

“GLAAD urges all media covering Trump’s choice for vice president to include his history of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and policy. LGBTQ Americans are taxpayers, family members, colleagues, classmates, neighbors and friends, and our concerns are the same as any Americans: our freedom to be ourselves to live in safety and dignity, the right to make private health care decisions, read books of our choosing, marry who we love, and not be discriminated against for who we are. Media must include LGBTQ people in all stories and conversations about policies affecting us and our families. Our concerns are not a ‘culture war’ sideshow—they are central to the core issues of this election, and the freedoms all Americans want to preserve and protect.”

J.D. Vance’s record on LGBTQ issues includes:

—Introduced the so-called “Protect Children’s Innocence Act,” a piece of legislation riddled with lies about transgender healthcare.

—Stated he would vote “no” on the Respect for Marriage Act to codify marriage equality.

—Tweeted false and vile rhetoric about people opposed to legislation that censors classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity.

—Repeated false rhetoric to inaccurately claim that bills censoring classroom conversation about LGBTQ people are about ‘parents’ rights.

—Defended Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s appearance at a white supremacist conference with host Nick Fuentes, who has spread racist, anti-Semitic and anti-LGBTQ conspiracy theories, claiming “she did nothing wrong.”

—On his campaign website, claims without evidence that American political leaders are “using America’s military as a social justice side project. Our troops don’t need to focus on diversity or equity or any other progressive buzzword.”

—Claimed a week before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that President Biden is risking war with Russia because President Putin doesn’t believe in transgender rights.

See Vance’s full anti-LGBTQ record here: https://glaad.org/gap/jd-vance/

Donald Trump’s anti-LGBTQ history is documented on GLAAD’s Trump Accountability Tracker, detailing more than 218 attacks in policy and rhetoric against LGBTQ Americans.

At least a dozen former Trump advisors and appointees have refused to endorse his current run for president. Trump’s former Defense Secretary Mike Espers said Trump is not “fit for office because he puts himself first, and I think anybody running for office should put the country first.”

Trump’s first vice president, Mike Pence, refused to endorse him after Trump encouraged Pence to fraudulently overturn the 2020 election results, then refused to act to stop the mob of insurrectionists that attacked the Capitol, lawmakers, and Capitol Hill police with deadly violence on January 6th. Pence himself was hunted by the mob chanting, “Hang Mike Pence.”

Pence stood by Pres. Trump throughout his one-term, twice-impeached presidency, including as Trump signed the first of several so-called “religious liberty” executive orders, paving the way for newly-sanctioned discrimination in public life. Trump and Pence posed proudly for a photograph in the Oval Office with notorious anti-LGBTQ activists. Following Trump’s attempt to ban transgender service members, Pence argued behind closed doors for the elimination of their health care benefits. In a moment of unvarnished observation, Trump reportedly joked of Pence when asked about LGBTQ rights: “Don’t ask that guy—he wants to hang them all!”

GLAAD and Fair Wisconsin recently issued a fact sheet for reporters about this week’s Republican National Convention and what LGBTQ Americans can expect and watch for. In addition, GLAAD recently issued its guide to the 2024 elections guide for journalists, a broad breakdown of the parties’ on-the-record stances on issues affecting the LGBTQ community and its allies.