LGBTQ viewers baffled, angered by Trump offer of protection from ‘foreign ideology’
The promise by presidential candidate Donald Trump to protect the LGBTQ community in his RNC speech left many unimpressed, primarily due to his party’s most anti-LGBT platform yet, and vice presidential pick Mike Pence’s record on LGBTQ issues.
how is Trump gonna say he'll "protect the LGBT community" when he wants marriage to be between a man & a woman🤔🤔
— ale (@alexisrochell_) July 22, 2016
i thought trump was against the lgbt community
— nina | 9 (@94harrysmiles) July 22, 2016
“Only weeks ago, in Orlando, Florida, 49 wonderful Americans were savagely murdered by an Islamic terrorist. This time, the terrorist targeted our LGBTQ community,” Trump said.
How can anyone say trump supports LGBT+ people when his response to Orlando was essentially "thank you, I told you so."
— tony stank (@Sammie_Jill) July 22, 2016
“As your president, I will do everything in my power to protect our LGBTQ citizens from the violence and oppression of a hateful foreign ideology,” he added.
People were quick to question the sincerity of Trump’s words, suggesting it was an attempt to win votes rather than a display of genuine concern.
my stomach turns at trump defending the lgbtq community. so entirely scripted. the trump i knowwould never have said that in a million years
— Tony Schwartz (@tonyschwartz) July 22, 2016
@amdiazart Do you think that trump cares for personal freedoms or is he cynically going for LGBT vote?
— Greg Kaye (@ethically_left) July 22, 2016
@JesseCox trump says whatever is most politically beneficial to him at the time. He has nothing invested in either side of the LGBT movement
— Ashley Brown (@transendentash) July 22, 2016
Others poked fun at the businessman’s apparent inexperience in pronouncing the word “LGBT”.
@tonyschwartz@interpretingall I love how he carefully uttered "L-G-B-T-Q". As if that string of letters had never escaped his lips before.
— Heretic (@tunaquarter) July 22, 2016
@tonyschwartz And he couldn't even READ those letters correctly off the prompter! #SMH#AllLies#AllFear#RNCinCLEpic.twitter.com/kMvMurJtUx
— DJ Paul V. (@DJPaulV) July 22, 2016
Trump congratulated the crowd for cheering his comments: "As a Republican, I'm so happy to hear you cheering for what I just said."
I'm not saying that Trump is positive, but only with him would the RNC cheer for the LGBT community and for campaign finance reform
— Jackson Smith (@Jacksonsname) July 22, 2016
Because the only way republicans/ Trump could support the LGBT+ is by using us as a tool to perpetuate islamophobiahttps://t.co/hLXOqrVsd9
— Brayden Davis (@Brayd3nDavis) July 22, 2016
He said he'll support the LBGT community while official republican platform is to overturn gay marriage rights #rncircus
— Alonzo Bodden (@AlonzoBodden) July 22, 2016
Some suggested that convention attendees were cheering the Republican candidate’s promise to protect the community from a “foreign ideology” rather than from the homophobic elements in the US, and within the party itself.
Against "radical Islamic extremists."
— Victoria Brownworth (@VABVOX) July 22, 2016
Trump never mentioned the real threat: anti-LGBT bills in NC, MS, AL, TN, etc. https://t.co/xed07KvVUR
Trump promises to protect LGBT community from foreign threats? What about the domestic threats?
— Josh Metheney (@JAMetheney) July 22, 2016
How is Mr Trump going to protect LGBT(Q) people from his homophobe running mate Mr Pence?
— justin brent (@0nehunter69) July 22, 2016
Pence has pushed for defunding HIV prevention programs in favor of gay conversion therapy, and signed a religious freedom law that allows businesses, based on its workers’ religious beliefs, to refuse to serve certain individuals.
TRUMP "I will protect LGBT community." Really? With his VP Pence holding a daily prayer circle praying that "gays will convert 2 straight."
— David (@intenseCA) July 22, 2016
Trump says he's a "big ally" of the LGBT, yet he picked a GOP governor for VP that signed pro-discriminatory LGBT legislations. #TrumpSpeech
— Martin Manchev (@mrmanchev) July 22, 2016
Some were quick to point to Trump’s rival Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s own LGBTQ shortcomings.
@HillaryClinton@realDonaldTrump And how is Trump against LGBT and non-violent minorities? It was YOU who used to be against gay marriage!
— Charlie Marler (@CharlieMarler) July 22, 2016
@Jehmu Please explain how you can support a woman who takes millions from countries that kill LGBT people- HRC is evil v Trump is loving
— Brown nose Obama (@jmarker1612) July 22, 2016
Also on Thursday, Paypal founder and Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel gave a speech in which he dismissed the Republican debate surrounding transgender use of bathrooms as “a distraction.”
In an RNC first, Thiel referred to his sexuality by saying he is “proud to be gay”.
He's a bit misguided, but good for him. He knows the GOP dislikes anything gay, same sex marriage etc. Beats me... https://t.co/AuyS7fW0Zq
— Carol S. Boshears (@authorgal) July 22, 2016
“I am proud to be gay. I am proud to be a Republican. But most of all I am proud to be an American,” Thiel said to applause from the room.
@voxdotcom I think they only cheered the "Proud to be Repuclican" and the "Proud to be an American" part. lol
— Smash (@Kerwin20) July 22, 2016
Trump says he wants to protect LGBT people from hatred. I have an idea of where to start. (https://t.co/18fQlWrRes) pic.twitter.com/rVqD68WHdu
— Taniel (@Taniel) July 22, 2016
@FoxNews. Lying trump, you and pence have made it clear the LGBT community are not wanted.
— Marc Putney (@dmputney1) July 22, 2016
@ZackScott Meanwhile, not only is trump anti-lgbt in almost every category, he went with Pence, who's wildly anti-lgbt. Again, there...
— NinjaMarion (@NinjaMarion) July 22, 2016
@ZackScott might be some decent republicans who will move the party to being less anti-lgbt. trump is NOT one of them & gets no credit.
— NinjaMarion (@NinjaMarion) July 22, 2016
@PinkNews proud to be gay whilst supporting a party that wants a platform for gay conversion therapy? pic.twitter.com/WbFpwtnKrD
— Lee (@Hotdesigner) July 22, 2016
