March 28, 2024 The Newspaper Serving LGBT Los Angeles

Evangelicals demand Trump remove LGBT ‘activists’ from State Department

esident of the Family Research Council Tony Perkins speaks at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland on July 21. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
esident of the Family Research Council Tony Perkins speaks at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland on July 21. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

BY MICHAEL K. LAVERS  |  Family Research Council President Tony Perkins this week urged President-elect Trump to remove State Department officials who support the promotion of LGBT rights abroad.

Perkins in his letter to supporters accused President Obama of sending openly gay ambassadors “into countries that are culturally opposed to homosexuality.”

He incorrectly claimed in his letter that the current White House used foreign aid to “force nations opposed to homosexuality to change their laws to provide special protections for such behavior.” Perkins further proclaimed U.S. embassies around the world have flown the rainbow flag during the Obama administration.

rainbow_flag_at_us_embassy_in_vietnam_insert_courtesy_clayton_bond

The rainbow flag flew over U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius’ official residence in Hanoi after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2015 that same-sex couples can marry in all 50 states. (Photo courtesy of Clayton Bond)

Perkins also said former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton “promoted abortion” and declared “reproductive healthcare a basic human rights.”

His letter linked to two speeches that Clinton gave in 2009 at a Planned Parenthood gala in Houston and at the State Department in 2010. “reproductive rights” for women. The only time Clinton specifically mentioned abortion is when she said in her Planned Parenthood speech that “the best way to make sure we reduce abortion is to provide access to safe family planning.”

“The incoming administration needs to make clear that these liberal policies will be reversed and the ‘activists’ within the State Department promoting them will be ferreted out and will be replaced by conservatives who will ensure the State Department focuses on true international human rights like religious liberty which is under unprecedented assault,” wrote Perkins.

Obama in 2011 directed agencies that implement U.S. foreign policy to promote LGBT rights abroad.

The State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development manage the Global Equality Fund, a public-private partnership that seeks to promote LGBT rights abroad. Randy Berry in 2015 became the first special U.S. envoy for LGBT and intersex rights.

“To carry out this extreme agenda, the Obama administration has systematically filled the ranks of State with LGBTQ and abortion activists,” wrote Perkins. “Unless the next secretary of state is willing to resist and remove this embedded agenda, the promotion and protection of true human rights, like religious liberty, will continue to languish.”

U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) last month asked Secretary of State John Kerry to formally apologize to the State Department employees who were fired during the so-called “lavender scare” in the 1950s and 1960s.

Perkins letter ‘beyond the pale’

Trump on Tuesday formally announced ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson’s nomination as secretary of state.

Perkins wrote that he doesn’t “see Tillerson cut from the same cloth as Clinton or Kerry.” He said he nevertheless has “concerns” about Tillerson’s nomination that stem from the fact he was a member of the Boy Scouts of America’s executive board when it voted to allow openly gay scouts into the organization in 2013.

“He must have the courage to stop the promotion of this anti-family, anti-life agenda, which is very much a question mark given that he capitulated to activists pushing to liberalize the Boy Scouts’ policy on homosexuality when he was at the helm of the organization,” wrote Perkins.

Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin in a sharply-worded press release said Perkins’ “proposal to ‘purge’ pro-LGBTQ employees from the State Department is beyond the pale.”

“Perkins is hatefully suggesting pro-equality, career civil servants be rounded up and sent packing for doing their jobs,” said Griffin. “The incoming administration should immediately denounce Perkins’ illegal and vindictive proposal.”

“The State Department plays a crucially important role in America’s efforts to advance LGBTQ human rights around the globe,” he added. “In countries with hostile anti-LGBTQ regimes — like Russia, Syria and Egypt — lives are literally at risk. Countless LGBTQ people depend on the State Department’s efforts, and we cannot and must not leave them behind.”

The Southern Poverty Law Center has designated the Family Research Council as a hate group.

Perkins is among the prominent social conservatives who endorsed Trump.

Jason Miller, a spokesperson for the Trump transition team, told the Washington Blade in a statement that “President-elect Trump campaigned on a message of unity in order to bring all Americans together.”

“To think that discrimination of any kind will be condoned or tolerated in a Trump administration is simply absurd and nothing more than the exploitation of certain groups for political purposes,” said Miller.

Related Posts

Cantonese Dim Sum Master Chef Tony Opens Hollywood Dim Sum at TCL Chinese Theatre

March 27, 2024

March 27, 2024

Experience Exquisite Dim Sum Creations in the Heart of Hollywood 97 years after its founding, the TCL Chinese Theatre will...

Fleurs et Sel Bakery Opens Storefront in West Adams, Welcomes Customers Three Days a Week

March 27, 2024

March 27, 2024

Indulge in Freshly Baked Cookies at the New West Adams Location Fleurs et Sel Bakery, known for its delectable cookies...

Easter Specials Guide: Brunch Spots, Desserts, and More in West Los Angeles

March 27, 2024

March 27, 2024

Discover the Best Easter Eats and Treats in LA for Your Holiday Celebration Easter is almost here, so here are...

(Video) Director Adam Wingard Talks About His Influences While Making GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE

March 27, 2024

March 27, 2024

Director Adam Wingard Talks About His Influences While Making GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE at the Beyond Fest Screening...

Judy Garland’s Teenage Bel-Air Estate Hits Market for $11.495 Million

March 27, 2024

March 27, 2024

“Wizard of Oz” Star’s Former Home Offers Piece of Hollywood History A Bel-Air estate commissioned by Judy Garland during her...

Attorney for Sean “Diddy” Combs Denounces Investigation as “Witch Hunt”

March 26, 2024

March 26, 2024

Legal Representative Criticizes Probe Amid Federal Sex Trafficking Inquiry An attorney representing Sean “Diddy” Combs criticized the investigation into the...

Historic Union Contract Ratified by Thousands of Hotel Workers At 34 Hotels

March 26, 2024

March 26, 2024

UNITE HERE Local 11 Negotiates Agreement Ensuring Wage Increases  Hotel workers, who spearheaded the largest hotel strike in modern U.S....

Human Rights Campaign’s Los Angeles Dinner Celebrates LGBTQ+ Advocacy and Unity

March 25, 2024

March 25, 2024

Notable Figures Gathered to Champion LGBTQ+ Rights and Combat Discrimination By Aneesha Pappy  The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s...

California Bars and Nightclubs Must Offer Drug Testing Devices Starting July 1

March 25, 2024

March 25, 2024

New Law Mandates License Holders to Provide Drug Testing Kits to Patrons Beginning July 1, establishments with Type 48 licenses...

Opinion: West Los Angeles Needs to Care about Veteran Homelessness

March 25, 2024

March 25, 2024

By Kelly Kravchuk  Veteran homelessness is a public health concern that impacts my West Los Angeles community. As a USC...

Federal Agents Raid Property Linked to Music Mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs In Holmby Hills

March 25, 2024

March 25, 2024

Authorities Conduct Searches in Los Angeles as Part of Ongoing Sex Trafficking Probe Federal agents from the Department of Homeland...

Biden Signs Government Funding Bill with Ban on Pride Flags at Embassies

March 24, 2024

March 24, 2024

White House Vows Repeal Amid Controversy Over LGBTQ Provision President Biden signed a huge government funding package on Saturday, which...

City of Los Angeles Pays Nearly Half a Billion in Liability Claims Over Four Years

March 24, 2024

March 24, 2024

LA Controller’s Report Reveals Significant Payouts from General Fund LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia has continued to audit the City...

Infamous Beverly Hills Mansion Where Menéndez Brothers Committed Murders Sells for $17 Million

March 24, 2024

March 24, 2024

Notorious Property Closes Deal Exactly 28 Years After Conviction A mansion in Beverly Hills, California, notorious for being the site...

Former Beverly Hills Therapist Indicted for Alleged Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material

March 24, 2024

March 24, 2024

Suspect Faces Federal Charges Following Investigation into Online Activity A former licensed marriage and family therapist based in Beverly Hills...