Nearly all LGBTQ and HIV-related content has been removed from the White House's website as advocates continue to react to the "days of thunder" of Donald Trump's return to the U.S. presidency.
The content removal comes just after Trump signed an executive order that, going beyond his promise to end Biden-era diversity, equity and inclusion programs, undoes a 1965 Civil Rights-era executive order meant to provide equal employment opportunity among federal contractors.
Trump ally Steve Bannon characterized the opening days of the second Trump administration as "days of thunder" and predicted they "are going to be incredibly, incredibly intense." Already, Trump has signed dozens of executive orders largely rescinding those of his predecessor, former President Joe Biden.
GLAAD pointed out the omissions of the online LGBTQ content.
"Mentions of 'lesbian,' 'bisexual,' 'gay,' 'transgender,' 'sexual orientation,' 'gender identity,' and related terms are no longer accessible on WhiteHouse.gov, and the search term 'LGBTQ' now brings up zero results on the site," GLAAD, the national LGBTQ media group, stated in a news release last week. "In addition, some LGBTQ-specific pages have been taken down from the Centers for Disease Control [and Prevention], Department of State, and more. GLAAD will continue to monitor federal agency websites in the coming days and weeks to track any LGBTQ-related webpage takedowns."
The State Department last week instituted a "one flag" policy whereby only the American flag (as well as the prisoner of war/missing in action and the wrongful detainee flags, as per statute) will be allowed to fly at U.S. embassies and outposts at home and abroad, bringing the end to an era where Pride and other flags could be flown at the facilities. Also, the Trump administration ordered the CDC halt all public communications until February 1 "until it has been reviewed and approved by a Presidential appointee," according to an internal memo, NBC News reported.
A fact sheet with information on expanding access to HIV prevention and treatment was also removed from the White House's website. Though it was during Trump's first term that he announced the Ending the Epidemics initiative to stem HIV transmissions in the U.S., House Republicans last year would have gutted the program, as the B.A.R. reported, before funding was secured as part of budget negotiations.
"President Trump claims to be a strong proponent of freedom of speech, yet he is clearly committed to censorship of any information containing, or related to, LGBTQ Americans and issues that we face," GLAAD CEO Sarah Kate Ellis, a lesbian, stated in the release. "This action proves the Trump administration's goal of making it as difficult as possible for LGBTQ Americans to find federal resources or otherwise see ourselves reflected under his presidency. Sadly for him, our community is more visible than ever; and this pathetic attempt to diminish and remove us will again prove unsuccessful."
Alexa Milton, a lesbian who's an attorney at Relman Colfax PLLC, practices civil rights litigation and civil rights counseling. She stated that actions such as the removal of web content are signs of disrespect.
"The removal of these resources is yet another symptom of this administration's contempt for our communities," Milton stated. "They want to overwhelm us with attacks in the hopes that we lose our footing, but it won't work. The administration may be able to delete these resources with the push of a button, but their posturing does not erase our hard-won freedoms — and we and many other advocates are ready to fight back to defend them.
Twan McGary, a trans man who is a program manager at The Normal Anomaly Initiative in Dallas, stated to the B.A.R. that "this action only undermines progress but also highlights the need for continued advocacy and grassroots organizing."
"It is essential to remind people that these resources and connections do not disappear because they're removed from one platform," McGary continued. "We, as advocates, will continue to fill these gaps and fight to ensure access to the information and services our communities need to thrive."
McGary stated moves such as the Trump administration's are attempts to return the LGBTQ community to the margins.
"The removal of vital resources is deeply concerning and sends a troubling message to the LGBTQ and HIV communities," McGary stated. "These resources were lifelines for individuals seeking affirming health care, prevention tools, and other critical support. By erasing these tools, we risk further marginalizing communities that are already disproportionately affected by stigma discrimination, and barriers to care."
San Francisco Community Health Center CEO Lance Toma, a gay man, stated to the B.A.R., "We are incredibly distraught by the digital erasure by the White House of critical HIV and LGBTQ information and resources, which will have direct ramifications on the health and wellness of our communities.
"We see this as a part of a broader attack on all the communities we care about and serve. So many of the executive orders wipe out protections that we have fought for on behalf of people of color, immigrant, and LGBTQ communities," Toma stated.
Toma also brought up Trump's January 20 day one executive order declaring that a person's sex is determined at conception, which the B.A.R. reported last week.
"In particular and even more alarming, the executive order related to gender ideology ('Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government') blatantly erases trans people and their existence at the federal level," he stated. "The health and wellness of our communities is our priority, and we will be doing everything we can to ensure trans communities are protected."
A similar scrubbing of LGBTQ-related content happened in 2017 at the dawn of the first Trump administration, GLAAD stated.
Equal opportunity rollback
Another day one executive order, titled "Ending illegal discrimination and restoring merit-based opportunity," revokes the equal employment opportunity rule first ordered by then-President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965.
The rule prohibited federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of race, gender and other protected characteristics. Millions of Americans work for private companies that, because they do business with the federal government, were covered by the rule. In 2014, President Barack Obama extended these protections to LGBTQ Americans.
Trump's action went beyond previous Republican presidents. Employment discrimination is still illegal under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, including against LGBTQ Americans as per the Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County (2020).
Trump's order also ends Biden-era DEI programs and mandates throughout the federal government. It comes amid a nationwide backlash to DEI. Last fall, the B.A.R. reported that a number of companies have announced they'll no longer be participating in the Human Rights Campaign's corporate equality index — long a gold standard of gauging a business's commitment to LGBTQ equality — as part of that backlash.
More recently, Target, Meta, Ford, McDonald's and Walmart have rescinded DEI programs. Trump and other critics allege such programs are illegal violations of the aforementioned 1964 Civil Rights law. Many companies adopted DEI policies after the George Floyd murder and Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta and 13 attorneys general sent a letter January 10 to Walmart — one of the country's largest private employers — saying its decision risks undermining social progress.
"More than 100,000 Californians are employed at Walmart, and these employees deserve a workplace that is free from discrimination and harassment," Bonta stated. "I urge Walmart to reconsider its drastic decision to end diversity programs. Maintaining a diverse and equitable workplace is good for workers, good for consumers, and good for the bottom line."
Costco Wholesale shareholders overwhelmingly voted against an anti-DEI proposal at the mega-retailer, LGBTQ Nation reported.
LGBTQ Agenda is an online column that appears weekly. Got a tip on queer news? Contact John Ferrannini at [email protected]
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