Donald Trump refuses to sign statement supporting marriage equality and transgender rights
Seven countries signed the statement, which reiterates the importance of protecting LGBTQ people
The Trump administration has refused to join several North and South American nations in supporting same-sex marriage and transgender rights.
Last month, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights found Costa Rica in violation of its treaty obligations under the American Convention on Human Rights (ACHR) for LGBT people, and ordered 16 nations in the region to make same-sex marriage legal.
After that decision, seven countries in the Organization of American States (OAS) LGBTI Core Group signed a statement supporting the court’s opinion.
Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay all signed the statement, with the United States the only member of the OAS LGBTI Core Group that refused to do so. Trump’s refusal is all the more glaring given Chile, which currently does not have marriage equality, supported the measure.
In the statement, the seven nations reiterated the importance of protecting LGBTQ people.
“Lack of consensus on respecting the rights of certain groups that are characterized by their sexual orientation or their gender identity or expression cannot be considered a reason to deny or restrict their human rights or perpetuate historical or structural discrimination against them,” the statement read.
Ty Cobb, Director of HRC Global, called the Trump administration’s refusal to sign the statement “deeply troubling.”
“As the administration unleashes a torrent of attacks on the LGBTQ community here at home, it is also abandoning LGBTQ people around the world,” Cobb said. “We are in desperate need of leadership that will advance America’s commitment to LGBTQ human rights in the U.S. and abroad.”
During the 2016 election, Trump said that he would be a “friend” to the LGBTQ community. Since his presidency has started, his administration has come under fire for several anti-LGBTI decisions in the past year, including trying to ban transgender people from joining the military, a decision that was halted in federal court.
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