Trump Pride was an LGBT outreach effort for then-President Donald Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign. 1 The project was launched in August 2020, with a 21-member advisory board that was led by former Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell, New Hampshire state Sen. Dan Innis (R-Bradford), and real estate developer Jill Homan. 1 Charles Moran, president of the Log Cabin Republicans, was the Trump Pride coalition co-chair. 2
The Trump 2020 campaign reportedly held about a dozen Trump Pride rallies, most during the month leading to Election Day. 3
Background
Trump Pride was an LGBT outreach effort for President Donald Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign. 1 The project was launched in August 2020, with a 21-member advisory board. 1
The organization claimed that as a candidate for president in 2016, Trump denounced the massacre of 49 people at the Pulse, an LGBT night club in Orlando, Florida. At the Republican National Convention, he promised “to protect our LGBTQ citizens from the violence and oppression of a hateful foreign ideology.” During a campaign rally in Colorado, Trump waved a gay pride flag inscribed with “LGBT for Trump.” 1 3
However, critics of the effort claimed that during his administration, Trump rolled back an Obama administration policy on allowing transgender people to serve in the military. 1 Critics further alleged that Trump expressed opposition allowing biological males who identify as females to compete in female sports. 4 After coming into office, the Trump administration removed mentions of LGBT issues from the White House website. 3
In his unsuccessful 2020 re-election bid, Trump won 28 percent of the LGBT vote, doubling what he got in his successful 2016 presidential run. 3 Trump’s 2016 share of the LGBT vote was consistent with the Republican share in the 2012 presidential election. 5
Activities
The Trump 2020 campaign reportedly held about a dozen Trump Pride rallies. 3
A Trump Pride roundtable was held in Phoenix, Arizona in October 2020, in a room filled with “Trump Pride 2020” signs. 2 During the Phoenix event, Trump Pride advisory board member Rob Smith and journalist Chadwick Moore said they experienced more difficulty and discrimination when they disclosed their conservative viewpoints than when they came out as gay. 2
Trump Pride also held an event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ahead of the election. 3
Trump Pride held an event in Nashville, Tennessee in October 2020 with former Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell as the featured speaker. 2
Then-President Trump’s fourth daughter Tiffany Trump held an event in Tampa, Florida. The event marked Tiffany Trump’s first campaign appearance. 3 She told the crowd of about 150 supporters that her father always supported gay rights, and that in 2016 she worried about how the “Republican establishment” views LGBT issues. She added, “But guess what? My dad cannot be bought off. He’s not going to let anyone change his views […] we are here to fight for equality.” 6 However, she faced some attacks on social media for saying her father supported “the LGBQIA+ community.” She left out the T, which stands for transgender. Tiffany’s mother and Trump’s second wife, Marla Maples, was in attendance. 7 8
At the same Tampa rally, Grenell recalled that he was determined to remain a Republican to defy Pat Buchanan’s speech at the 1992 Republican National Convention. He said that under Trump’s leadership of the party, the GOP “says stay out of my pocketbook and my bedroom.” 6
Trump’s daughter-in-law Kimberly Guilfoyle was the featured speaker for a Trump Pride rally in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 3
Leadership
Charles Moran was the Trump Pride coalition co-chair. 2 Moran is the president of the Log Cabin Republicans, a right-leaning LGBT-interests organization. 9
Trump Pride had a 21-member LGBT advisory board. It was led in part by former Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell. As a result of his appointment as acting DNI, Grenell was the first openly gay man to serve in a President’s cabinet. Previously, Trump had appointed Grenell as U.S. Ambassador to Germany. 2 During 2020, Grenell was the Trump campaign’s senior adviser on LGBT outreach. 1
Other board members included New Hampshire state Sen. Dan Innis (R-Bedford); real estate developer Jill Homan; Rob Smith, a Black gay Iraq war veteran who became active in Republican politics after the massacre at the Pulse LGBT night club in Orlando, Florida, in 2016; Billy McLaughlin; and Ashton Randle. 1 2
Continued Efforts
Though not referred to as Trump Pride, former President Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign continued to reach out to LGBTQ voters. In April 2024, former first lady Melania Trump hosted a fundraising event with the Log Cabin Republicans, which was reported as a sign the Trump campaign was reaching out to LGBT voters in its third campaign as well. Grenell also attended the event. 9 3
Log Cabin Republicans President Charles Moran, who helped establish the Trump Pride initiative, noted that Trump appointed the first openly gay cabinet member. Moran said that in 2019, Trump made a commitment to end the HIV epidemic, and he led a global campaign to decriminalize homosexuality worldwide. In 2020, the Trump administration loosened Food and Drug Administration regulations regarding sexually active gay men donating blood. Moran further noted that Trump was the first president to support same-sex marriage before being sworn into office. 9
References
- Avery, Dan. “Trump Pride: Gay Republicans on why they’re backing the president.” NBC News. October 15, 2020. Accessed October 12, 2024. https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/trump-pride-gay-republicans-why-they-re-backing-president-n1243469
- Perez, Jose Ignacio Castanedo. ‘Trump Pride’ roundtable celebrates Trump support for LGBTQ community, draws criticism.” Arizona Republic. October 14, 2020. Accessed October 12, 2024. https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/10/14/trump-pride-roundtable-celebrates-trump-support-lgbtq-community-draws-criticism/3655635001/
- Kaufman, David Christopher. “Why the Trump campaign is chasing LGBT voters.” New York Post. April 20, 2024. Accessed October 12, 2024. https://nypost.com/2024/04/20/opinion/why-the-trump-campaign-is-chasing-lgbt-voters/
- Dorn, Sara. “Trump Promises Rollback On Trans Rights: Here’s What He’s Said.” Forbes. May 10, 2024. Accessed October 12, 2024. https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2024/05/10/trump-promises-rollback-on-trans-rights-heres-what-hes-said/
- Barnes, Melody. “Not a Normal Transition.” University of Virginia Institute for Democracy. November 17, 2020. Accessed October 12, 2024. https://millercenter.org/election-2020-and-its-aftermath
- Beals, Ryan. “Tiffany Trump says her father ‘has always supported’ LGBTQ people.” NBC News. October 20, 2020. Accessed October 12, 2024. https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/tiffany-trump-says-her-father-has-always-supported-lgbtq-people-n1244078
- Bote, Joshua. “Tiffany Trump’s speech at LGBTQ+ ‘Trump Pride’ event has Twitter buzzing. Here’s why.” USA Today. October 20, 2020. Accessed October 12, 2024. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/10/20/tiffany-trump-presidents-daughter-faces-backlash-after-pride-event/5993650002/
- Lavietes, Matthew. “Trump woos LGBT+ Americans as polls hand gay vote to Biden.” Reuters. October 29, 2020. Accessed October 12, 2024. https://www.reuters.com/article/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/trump-woos-lgbt-americans-as-polls-hand-gay-vote-to-biden-idUSL1N2HE0U3/
- Datoc, Christian. “Trump looks to make inroads with LGBT voters before November.” Washington Examiner. April 19, 2024. Accessed October 12, 2024. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/2971471/trump-inroads-lgbtq-voters-november/