Despite the fear mongering of liberal activists that President-elect Trump is a threat to the LGBT community, the incoming administration is poised to be the most gay-friendly Republican White House ever and is already reaching out for help on issues such as non-discrimination efforts.
At the request of the Trump transition team, the president of Log Cabin Republicans on Wednesday is presenting a "white paper" in support of maintaining a long-standing executive order prohibiting discrimination against the LGBT community by federal contractors.
What's more, the group was asked to offer letters of support for two embattled cabinet picks, Betsy DeVos for education and Rex Tillerson for state. And at their Saturday night Inauguration bash on Capitol Hill, Trump's congressional liaison, New York Rep. Chris Collins, plans to attend.
THANK YOU to @SenAlexander for adding our letter in support of @BetsyDeVos to the public record at the #DeVosHearing pic.twitter.com/yZ4SGz0FlJ
— LogCabinRepublicans (@LogCabinGOP) January 18, 2017
"They are serious about being open to these things at the very least. Mr. Trump's campaign was marked by unprecedented outreach to the LGBT community," said Log Cabin Republicans President Gregory T. Angelo.
During his nominating convention, for example, Trump featured a prominent gay speaker and was the first ever Republican nominee to promise to protect gays. And reacting to the shooting deaths at a gay club in Orlando last summer, he offered himself as a "real friend" to the community.
LAST CHANCE to sign-on! Tell President-Elect Trump that You Support Inclusive Federal Contractors https://t.co/dCU2wwv9ls pic.twitter.com/qoki2uet6Y
— LogCabinRepublicans (@LogCabinGOP) January 17, 2017
In the white paper, shown below, Angelo's group built on that and said:
"Maintaining the LGBT Non-Discrimination Executive Order would send a strong signal that President Trump is the 'real friend' to the LGBT community that he vowed to be while campaigning for the presidency."
The request for the white paper was a positive sign, though not a lock the new administration will continue Obama's policy, also followed by former President George W. Bush.
"At their suggestion they said, 'Why don't you draft a white paper, an executive summary, something that we can review and pass along to to the teams on transition that are responsible for executive orders and First 100 Days policy, and of course that was music to my ears," Angelo said in an interview.
Since the election, groups like the Human Rights Campaign have fought Trump, prompting Angelo mock "Gay Inc." for being out of touch and unwilling to accept the president-elect's outreach.
Angelo said that the partisan attacks and liberal LGBT fundraising appeals are "preying on fears of the unknown regarding a Trump administration that they are largely conjuring and I hope and truly feel that within Trump's first 100 days in office the wheels of their fear train are going to completely fall off because we're going to see that he's governing as the 'real friend' of the LGBT community that he promised during the campaign."
And having an open line of communication, he added, gives Log Cabin Republicans a voice and allows it to push Trump's team for more. "Of course we're taking nothing for granted," he said.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner's "Washington Secrets" columnist, can be contacted at pbedard@washingtonexaminer.com