LGBT activists are gearing up for tough battles in years ahead, as the Republicans retain control of Congress and Donald Trump becomes President.

On Trump's assumption of office this January, the GOP will be in full control of both the executive and the legislature for the first time since 2005.

The news means little chance for the Democrats to scupper Republican attacks on LGBT rights, with Obama previously using executive powers to defend equality from advances in Congress – something Trump has pledged not to do.

The Republican Platform passed earlier this year contained some of the most anti-LGBT provisions in decades , attacking same-sex adoption and parenting and opposing a ban on ‘gay cure’ therapy, while lawmakers have drawn up bills affirming ‘religious freedom’ exemptions from anti-discrimination laws.

The President has not released a policy plan on LGBT rights, and also has no policy plan on HIV/AIDS.

Once a moderate on LGBT issues, Trump has wholesale adopted of a number of hardline evangelical policy planks.

His running mate Mike Pence has confirmed a plan to dismantle Barack Obama’s protections for LGBT people, as part of an ‘immediate’ review of executive orders issued by President Obama.

Also significantly, President-elect Trump has
pledged to sign the Republican-backed First Amendment Defence Act, a law that would permit forms of anti-LGBT discrimination on the grounds of religion.

In a speech to Catholic interest groups, Mr Trump confirmed he would not veto the law , which bans the government from taking any “action against a person on the basis that such person believes or acts in accordance with a religious belief or moral conviction that marriage is or should be recognised as the union of one man and one woman”.

The broadly-written law would part-legalise religious discrimination against LGBT people in all sectors, from employment to retail to healthcare, banning the government from intervening.

In passing FADA, Trump and Pence would be required to repeal Barack Obama’s 2014 executive order that extended LGBT anti-discrimination protections to federal contractors.

Mike Pence confirmed this intention, pledging to pare back President Obama’s orders on LGBT rights so that “the transgender bathroom issue can be resolved with common sense at the local level”.

Likewise, the Republican victory confirms that the Democrat-backed Equality Act – a bill that would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to finally outlaw discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation on a federal level – is now effectively dead in the water.

Donald Trump’s plan for the Supreme Court also raises questions of an impact on LGBT rights.

As President, he is likely to be responsible for filling two or three seats on the highest court in the US, where most LGBT rights battles have been decided by a narrow 5-4 majority.

During the Presidential debates, Trump confirmed that he would appoint justices in the mould of the late Antonin Scalia , who opposed the decriminalisation of sodomy and penned a blistering dissent against the equal marriage ruling.

A public shortlist of Supreme Court candidates released by Mr Trump features only anti-LGBT conservatives , after the hopeful said he would “consider” using his appointments to overturn equal marriage.

If an anti-LGBT majority is built up on the Supreme Court, an effective precedent on LGBT rights could be established for decades, not just for four years.

There are many issues that may end up before the court – from transgender rights, to anti-discrimination protections, to ramifications from the 2015 same-sex marriage ruling – which would be rolled back.

Mr Trump has affirmed his support for local state anti-transgender laws , though he does not have a declared national policy on the issue.

“Over the last 18 months, Donald Trump and Mike Pence have campaigned vigorously and outspoken against the elite democratic bureaucracy with intentions of dismantling several illicit acts of Obama's government. They now face a decision about whether they will also govern that way.

Potus already grabbing em by the pvssy

The very day he was sworn in, the lgbt support page on the white house website was removed.

bot101:
The very day he was sworn in, the lgbt support page on the whitr house website was removed.

By now I'm guessing all the gays go dey shiver. The morale wey Obama give them go dey wane small small

OlympianZeus:


By now I'm guessing all the gays go dey shiver. The morale wey Obama give them go dey wane small small

Yes na. And all those small African countries wey dey fear Obama that period go vex put 100 years jail term for homos.

bot101:

Yes na. And all those small African countries wey dey fear Obama that period go vex put 100 years jail term for homos.

Lwkmf

Since its only both of you dat owns the thread...let me escuze myself

bot101:

Yes na. And all those small African countries wey dey fear Obama that period go vex put 100 years jail term for homos.

Hahahahaha 100years this guy don't kill someone with laughter

marshalcarter:
Since its only both of you dat owns the thread...let me escuze myself

Bros air your opinions of Potus oooo

superemmy:

Hahahahaha 100years this guy don't kill someone with laughter

marshalcarter:
Since its only both of you dat owns the thread...let me escuze myself

Bros abeg no vex, come talk ya own