In the aftermath of the attack on the Pulse nightclub, Donald Trump journeyed to Manchester, New Hampshire and claimed that he was the “real friend” of LGBTQ Americans.
Trump is now marking the two month anniversary of the Pulse nightclub massacre with an appearance in Orlando–blocks away from the site of the Pulse shooting–at a meeting of the extreme anti-LGBT group, Florida Renewal Project. Trump’s kind words in the aftermath of the Pulse massacre were nothing but a display of callous political opportunism. This week, he’s getting back to his anti-LGBTQ roots.
Through his words and actions Trump has demonstrated that he is no friends of LGBTQ Americans. In January Trump appeared on Fox NewsSunday and said he would appoint Supreme Court Justices who would reverse marriage equality. A week later, Trump reaffirmed his position while on ABC’s George Stephanopoulos.
Donald Trump’s political ally Marco Rubio is also set to headline a session of the gathering.
The Florida Renewal project event is being billed as “a celebration of faith,” but the truth is it’s a celebration of anti-LGBT hatred and marginalization, headlined by veritable who’s who of anti-gay activists. Speakers at the event have, among other things:
- Claimed gay people “are to blame for Islamic terrorism”;
- Described the absence of a cure for HIV and AIDS is God’s punishment of LGBT people; and,
- Warned that LGBT tolerance will precipitate the United States’ “total destruction.”
Thursday and Friday’s event is a hate rally, and Donald Trump and Marco Rubio will be eagerly participating.
Background:
Florida Renewal Project
Trump To Address An Event With Anti-LGBT Leaders In Orlando
Florida Renewal Project Event Put On By Anti-LGBTQ Group On The Two Month Anniversary Of The Pulse Nightclub Shooting
The Event Was Held On The Two Month Anniversary The Mass Murder At Gay Nightclub Pulse. Both Donald Trump and Marco Rubio will address a radical anti-LGBT event on the two month anniversary of the mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando – and they’ll do it blocks away from where it happened.” [Mic, 8/9/16]
The Liberty Counsel Action Is Hosting The Event Which Is Called “Rediscovering God In America”
The Liberty Counsel Action, Which Represented Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis, Will Be Hosting The An Event Called “Rediscovering God In America” With The Florida Renewal Project According to Right Wing Watch, “The Orlando-based Liberty Counsel Action, an extreme anti-LGBT group whose affiliate is famous for representing Kentucky clerk Kim Davis in her stand against the Supreme Court’s marriage equality decision, announced in an email today that the Florida Renewal Project will be hosting an event called ‘Rediscovering God in America’ in August.” [Right Wing Watch, 7/27/16]
Miami New Times: Liberty Counsel Action Has A Long History Of “Straight Up Hatred” Of The LGBT Community
Liberty Counsel Action Has A Long History Of Hatred Toward The LGBT Community.According to Miami New Times, “The meeting is hosted by the right-wing Liberty Counsel, a ‘pro-family’ Christian group with a long history of straight-up hatred of LGBT people.” [Miami New Times, 7/28/16]
LCA’s Represented Kentucky County Clerk Kim Davis Who Refused To Issue Marriage Licenses To LGBT Couples
LCA’s Claim To Fame Is Representing Kentucky County Clerk Kim Davis For Refusing To Issue Marriage Licenses To LGBT Couples. According to Miami New Times, “The group is run by Mat Staver, also known as the attorney who represented Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk famous for refusing to let gay people get married. During that whole ordeal, Staver attacked ‘the media’ and ‘liberals’ for not siding with Davis.” [Miami New Times, 7/28/16]
Other Anti-LGBTQ Speakers
LCA President Matt Staver
LCA’s President Mat Staver Said That Memorials For The Victims Of Orlando Shootings At Churches Had Devolved Into “A Homosexual Love Fest”
LCA’s President Mat Staver Said That Memorials For The Victims At Orlando Churches Had Devolved Into “A Homosexual Love Fest.” According to Mic, “Staver in particular once referred to memorial programs for the victims of the Orlando shooting at various churches as having devolved into ‘a homosexual love fest.’” [Mic, 8/1/16]
FRP President David Lane
Florida Renewal Project President David Lane Will Be Speaking At The Event
FRP President David Lane Will Be A Speaker At The Event. According to Right Wing Watch, “The event will be headlined by Rubio, who will speak alongside anti-LGBT activists David Barton, Bill Federer, Ken Graves and Mat Staver. The Florida Renewal Project is an affiliate of conservative activist David Lane’s American Renewal Project, which hosts ‘Rediscovering God’ conferences around the country.” [Right Wing Watch, 7/27/16]
Lane Argued That God Would Punish Homosexuals Praying At President Barack Obama’s 2013 Inauguration With “Car Bombs”
Lane Argued That God Would Punish Homosexuals Praying At President Barack Obama’s 2013 Inauguration With “Car Bombs” According to Miami New Times, “The event is also hosted by the Florida Renewal Project, an affiliate of the similarly anti-gay American Renewal Project. That group’s leader, David Lane, has spewed so much LGBT-hate in the past that it would take days to compile it all. Here’s a short summary: Lane has argued that God would punish homosexuals praying at President Obama’s 2013 inauguration with ‘car bombs” [Miami New Times, 7/28/16]
Lane Compared Republicans Who Support Marriage Equality To Politicians Who Supported Slavery
Lane Compared Republicans Who Support Marriage Equality To Politicians Who Supported Slavery. According to Miami New Times, “[Lane] compared Republicans who support gay marriage to politicians who supported slavery.” [Miami New Times, 7/28/16]
Encouraged Christians To “Prepare For Martyrdom” In Response To Marriage Equality
Lane Encourage Christians To “Prepare For Martyrdom” In Response To Marriage Equality. According to Miami New Times, “[Lane] encouraged Christians to ‘prepare for martyrdom’ to fight same-sex marriage.” [Miami New Times, 7/28/16]
Said That Tolerance Of The LGBT Community Will Lead To The “Total Destruction” Of The U.S.
Lane Said That Tolerance Of The LGBT Community Will Lead To The “Total Destruction” Of The United States. According to Raw Story, “The Florida group is an affiliate of the American Renewal Project, whose leader, David Lane, warns that tolerance of LGBT people will lead to the ‘total destruction’ of the United States. According to Right Wing Watch, (a project of People for the American Way) David Lane has been quoted and written extensively about his phobia. Lane is convinced that gays will cause the destruction of America: ‘Homosexual desire and marriage is unnatural and — more so — is a symptom of advanced cultural decay and precursor to the collapse of the Republican Party and the nation…. The mark of a decadent society is the exaltation and normalization of sin — which leads to the death.” [Raw Story,7/27/16]
Discredited Evangelical Historian David Barton
Discredited Evangelical Historian David Barton Will Be Speaking At The Event
Discredited Evangelical Historian David Barton Will Be A Speaker At The Event.According to Right Wing Watch, “The event will be headlined by Rubio, who will speak alongside anti-LGBT activists David Barton, Bill Federer, Ken Graves and Mat Staver. The Florida Renewal Project is an affiliate of conservative activist David Lane’s American Renewal Project, which hosts ‘Rediscovering God’ conferences around the country.” [Right Wing Watch,7/27/16]
Barton Said That God Is Rightfully Blocking A Cure For HIV And AIDS To Punish The LGBT Community
Barton Said That God Has Been Blocking A Cure For HIV And AIDS To Punish The LGBT Community. According to Miami New Times, “David Barton, a discredited evangelical historian whose book about Thomas Jefferson, The Jefferson Lies, was pulled from shelves for containing too many factual inaccuracies. (NPR also attacked him for somehow misquoting the Bible. Repeatedly.) Back to the homophobia: He’s also said God is rightfully blocking a cure for HIV and AIDS to punish LGBT people.” [Miami New Times, 7/28/16]
Conservative Author Bill Federer
Conservative Author Bill Federer Will Be Speaking At The Event
Conservative Author Bill Federer Will Be A Speaker At The Event. According to Right Wing Watch, “The event will be headlined by Rubio, who will speak alongside anti-LGBT activists David Barton, Bill Federer, Ken Graves and Mat Staver. The Florida Renewal Project is an affiliate of conservative activist David Lane’s American Renewal Project, which hosts ‘Rediscovering God’ conferences around the country.” [Right Wing Watch, 7/27/16]
Federer Said That The LGBT Community Was To Blame For Islamic Terrorism
Federer Blamed The LGBT Community For Islamic Terrorism. According to Miami New Times, “Bill Federer, a conservative author who claims homosexuals are to blame for Islamic terrorism.” [Miami New Times, 7/28/16]
Published: Aug 11, 2016