Trump shores up evangelical support but alienates gays

[GennGreymane]

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...pport-but-ali/

President Trump played to a friendly crowd Thursday at a Faith and Freedom Coalition conference, solidifying ties to evangelical voters who were instrumental in his election but also alienating gays that he has strived to embrace.

The president highlighted accomplishments for which the religious leaders had clamored, including an executive order that allows churches and other religious organizations to become more politically active.

“You didn’t let me down, and I will never, ever let you down. You know that,” he said to applause at the coalition’s Road to Majority Conference at a Washington hotel.

Mr. Trump vowed to keep fighting to protect religious liberty, expand the role of religion in public discourse and make schools more welcoming to religion.
“Faith inspires us to be better, to be stronger, to be more caring and giving, and more determined to act in selfless and courageous defense of what is good and what is right,” he said. “It is time to put a stop to the attacks on religion.”

The Rev. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, said the president’s speech inspired him to redouble his efforts to energize pro-life voters in the 2018 elections.

“I could not help but think that there are so many in the church who do not yet realize what a blessing this president is for the church,” he said.
Gay rights leaders, however, said that Mr. Trump had let them down.

The president’s appearance at the conference, which was packed with anti-gay crusaders, coincided with criticism that he has yet to recognize June 2017 as Pride Month despite celebrations this month in cities and states across the country to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York that are considered the birth of the modern LGBT movement.

Mr. Trump has already proclaimed June as National Homeownership Month, National Ocean Month, African-American Music Appreciation Month and National Caribbean-American Heritage Month.

The White House did not respond to questions about not officially recognizing Pride Month.
“It’s shameful that the president of the United States has failed to recognize such a historically significant time for the LGBT community,” said David Kilmnick, CEO of the LGBT Network. “Millions of people across the country recognize and celebrate June as LGBT Pride Month, which is important not only to LGBT Americans, but to any American who believes in civil and human rights for all.”

Mr. Trump’s speech came two days before the “Pride Parade” in Washington, part of a weekend of gay pride events in the city. The New York parade is at the end of the month.

The speech also was delivered less than a week before the first anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, where 49 people were killed at the gay nightspot. The attack by a Muslim who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State was the deadliest mass shooting, the worst domestic terror attack and the deadliest anti-gay violence in U.S. history.

In the wake of the shooting, Mr. Trump made a direct appeal to gay voters, based in part on his tough line against radical Islamic terrorists, who advocated death for homosexuals.

However, gay leaders have actively opposed his presidency. The gay rights group Human Rights Campaign declared June as #UniteResistEnlist Month in opposition to the Trump administration.

Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson released a statement recognizing Pride Month. The statement affirmed the State Department’s “solidarity with the human rights defenders and civil society organizations working around the world to uphold the fundamental freedoms of LGBTI persons to live with dignity and freedom.”

The Human Rights Campaign said the statement “stands in stark contrast to the silence from the White House.”

[Powerogue]

“Faith inspires us to be better, to be stronger, to be more caring and giving, and more determined to act in selfless and courageous defense of what is good and what is right,” he said. “It is time to put a stop to the attacks on religion.”

"...unless you're a muslim."

Presidential ass kissing and nothing more. I'd tack this up as a reason to dislike Trump if it wasn't for the fact this is pretty much expected of most roles in government at this stage.

I must say though, the particular irony of his words given the anti-LGBT audience is amusing. Nothing's more "caring and giving" than harassing and trying to deny rights to people who are different from you, and that we've got to "put a stop to the attacks on religion" (but not the attacks from religion, of course).

[Wyrt]

Evangelicals proving once again they don't give a flying shit about morality as long as they can shove their archaic beliefs down other people's throats.

[s_bushido]

It's cool, though. He held up a wrinkled rainbow flag on stage that one time.



As an aside, having a "month" for everything is silly. Especially when there are 5 different months in the same month.

[Cthulhu 2020]

It's cool, though. He held up a wrinkled rainbow flag on stage that one time.



As an aside, having a "month" for everything is silly. Especially when there are 5 different months in the same month.

There's a thread in gen-OT non political forum about how pro-Trump gays were kicked out of a pride parade. The defense was the usual "Well Hillary used to be against gay marriage, and is probably lying now!" "Trump would never touch gay marriage!"

All of these told-you-so's can be amusing, but tiring.

[Trassk]

wow, so the clown wasn't serious on gay rights and fooled people into believing he was, I never saw that coming, nope.

[PACOX]

Wait, I thought his stepson was gay?

[GreenJesus]

So you guys say it would make you happy if he said "sup y'all it's ya boy Trump. Turns out it's Gay pride month. Wooooo!!! Gay pride. To stand in solidarity I will announce I once experimented in college. Happy now??? " ??? If all you are upset about is he didn't do a call out on twitter then....lol.. hoe anything gay days are there anyway? Could have sworn there was something a few months ago.

[Baneth]

So you guys say it would make you happy if he said "sup y'all it's ya boy Trump. Turns out it's Gay pride month. Wooooo!!! Gay pride. To stand in solidarity I will announce I once experimented in college. Happy now??? " ??? If all you are upset about is he didn't do a call out on twitter then....lol.. hoe anything gay days are there anyway? Could have sworn there was something a few months ago.

What? Were you in the midst of a seizure while typing this?

[GreenJesus]

What? Were you in the midst of a seizure while typing this?

Sorry I turned gay for a moment there.

[Blur4stuff]

You can't be a good Christian and support Trump. He has lived his life opposite of everything Jesus taught. You know, that guy named Christ where the word Christian comes from.

[tumppu]

You can't be a good Christian and support Trump. He has lived his life opposite of everything Jesus taught. You know, that guy named Christ where the word Christian comes from.

People who voted for him are opportunists first, christians second. Or third, depending on if there was a buck to be made. Or further back on the christian part, depending on other stuff.

Guys like "mariovsgoku" over there.

[PosPosPos]

People who voted for him are opportunists first, christians second. Or third, depending on if there was a buck to be made. Or further back on the christian part, depending on other stuff.

Guys like "mariovsgoku" over there.

More like those are the christians that are christians only when it's convenient for themselves and the hate they spew.

The same ones that are always putting others down in the name of god; like the poor and the needy, the atheists etc just to placate their own pride and ego.

Ironically, the bible already describes in depth about these false believers.

[Celista]

It literally blows my fucking mind that evangelicals support Trump. And I went to a southern Baptist church during high school, Sunday school and youth group every week, vacation bible school, etc.

- - - Updated - - -

More like those are the christians that are christians only when it's convenient for themselves and the hate they spew.

The same ones that are always putting others down in the name of god; like the poor and the needy, the atheists etc just to placate their own pride and ego.

Ironically, the bible already describes in depth about these false believers.

There is a subculture in the US of liberal Christians, they are a minority though. Presbyterians, some Catholics fall into this demographic.

https://sojo.net/articles is a publication for social justice oriented Christians.

[PosPosPos]

It literally blows my fucking mind that evangelicals support Trump. And I went to a southern Baptist church during high school, Sunday school and youth group every week, vacation bible school, etc.

- - - Updated - - -


There is a subculture in the US of liberal Christians, they are a minority though. Presbyterians, some Catholics fall into this demographic.

https://sojo.net/articles is a publication for social justice oriented Christians.

As a Christian myself, I talk to many Christians around me and we pretty much agree we don't know exactly what kind of Christians the US has that so many of them support Trump.

Certainly, we do know that being a Christian simply involves love and forbearance. Not hate and lies.

P.S.
I am pretty sure none of us knows what "social justice oriented Christians" is.

[Celista]

As a Christian myself, I talk to many Christians around me and we pretty much agree we don't know exactly what kind of Christians the US has that so many of them support Trump.

It's a weird subculture in the US where evangelicalism is almost completely wrapped up in conservative subculture. Pastors cozy up to senators and then preach politics at the pulpit. It's inappropriate for a lot of reasons, also fosters a culture of anti-intellectualism which just makes things worse.

"Social justice oriented Christians" are basically those whose values align with the left (concern for the poor and the environment).

- - - Updated - - -

wow, so the clown wasn't serious on gay rights and fooled people into believing he was, I never saw that coming, nope.

I honestly do not think Trump cares about gay people one way or another.

[Mormolyce]

As a Christian myself, I talk to many Christians around me and we pretty much agree we don't know exactly what kind of Christians the US has that so many of them support Trump.

Certainly, we do know that being a Christian simply involves love and forbearance. Not hate and lies.

P.S.
I am pretty sure none of us knows what "social justice oriented Christians" is.

The US religious right is pretty... "unique".

[PosPosPos]

It's a weird subculture in the US where evangelicalism is almost completely wrapped up in conservative subculture. Pastors cozy up to senators and then preach politics at the pulpit. It's inappropriate for a lot of reasons, also fosters a culture of anti-intellectualism which just makes things worse.

"Social justice oriented Christians" are basically those whose values align with the left (concern for the poor and the environment).

- - - Updated - - -


I honestly do not think Trump cares about gay people one way or another.

I can think up of so many taboos they are breaking by preaching their brand of hate in the name of God, notably the 3rd, 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th and 10th commandments.

The US religious right is pretty... "unique".

It's basically a cult with the same name as mainstream Christianity at this point.

[kail]

So you guys say it would make you happy if he said "sup y'all it's ya boy Trump. Turns out it's Gay pride month. Wooooo!!! Gay pride. To stand in solidarity I will announce I once experimented in college. Happy now??? " ??? If all you are upset about is he didn't do a call out on twitter then....lol.. hoe anything gay days are there anyway? Could have sworn there was something a few months ago.

Well, uh... the important thing is you tried.

[yetgdhfgh]

Why do evangelicals love Trump so much? Hasnt that man broken nearly every commandment that god set out?

Or are they just hypocritical hate filled red necks who do what there televanglist preacher in a ill fitting wig tells them to think?