The Trump administration stated on January 30 that it would keep employment protections for LGBT workers provided by a 2014 executive order.
"President Trump continues to be respectful and supportive of LGBTQ rights, just as he was throughout the election," the administration said in a statement. "The president is proud to have been the first ever GOP nominee to mention the LGBTQ community in his nomination speech, pledging then to protect the community from violence and oppression."
The 2014 executive order signed by President Obama prohibited federal hiring practices from discriminating on the basis of gender identity (the policy already barred discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation). It also prohibited contractors that do business with the government from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
The announcement was received with mixed responses. Some LGBT activists, like Chad Griffin of the Human Rights Campaign, said that Trump must do more to express his commitment to the LGBT community.
"Trump talks a big game on his support for LGBT people, yet he has filled his cabinet with people who have literally spent their careers working to demonize us and limit our rights," Griffin said. "Donald Trump has left the key question unanswered -- will he commit to opposing any executive actions that allow government, employees, taxpayer-funded organizations, or even companies to discriminate?"
Meanwhile, conservatives pushed Trump to ensure that religious organizations and companies would be exempt from the policy.
"I am prayerfully confident that the president and his team will issue an executive order ensuring charitable and religious organizations are not prohibited, because of their biblical views of marriage and human sexuality, from receiving contracts or grants from the federal government in order to provide critical services to people in need, like refugees and the homeless," said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council.
