President Donald Trump is officially being endorsed by The Log Cabin Republicans, which is currently the largest group of LGBTQ Conservatives in the United States!
This pleasant act comes as a surprise to many people considering the group's board of directors actually voted against endorsing him back in 2016. They explained that they feel Trump has helped the community move past the "culture wars" that were waging, as well as helping in advancing their rights.
In a Washington Post Op-Ed published on Thursday evening, Robert Kabel, chairman of the group, and Jill Homan, its vice president, wrote that “for LGBTQ Republicans, watching the 2016 GOP convention before Donald Trump was like a dream fulfilled” and marked the beginning of Trump removing gay rights “as a wedge issue from the old Republican handbook” and “taking bold actions that benefit the LGBTQ community.”
The group, which announced new board leadership in March, cites Trump’s commitment to end HIV/AIDS in 10 years, which was met both was cautious optimism and flat-out skepticism, and his work with Richard Grenell, the openly gay U.S. ambassador to Germany, to encourage other nations to end the criminalization of homosexuality, as examples of his dedication to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community.
Despite their endorsement, the group has stated that they still do not support all his decision, such as the trans military ban. Log Cabin Republicans wrote, “We are committed to letting all qualified Americans serve in the military. We oppose the transgender service restriction and will continue to press the administration to reconsider.”
I think this is a big step. I personally know many people who are both gay and Trump supporters. Perhaps this will help mend the bridges that have been burned by the left, which claim that Trump is homophobic and hates the gays. That rhetoric is far from the truth.