(Washington D.C., January 31, 2017)— Today, the President issued a statement indicating that he will not issue an executive order eliminating existing federal administrative protections for LGBTQ persons, including those created by President Obama in 2014.

Statement by NCLR Executive Director Kate Kendell, Esq.:

“Today’s statement says only that President Trump does not intend to take the extreme step of abolishing existing anti-discrimination protections for federal employees and contractors, some of which have been in place for nearly twenty years. That is not a step forward. We remain concerned by reports that the President intends to issue an order creating new religious exemptions that will permit discrimination against LGBTQ people and others. This is also a distraction from the imminent announcement of a Supreme Court nominee, which is the most important issue for our community. The Senate must reject any nominee who will turn back the clock on our nation’s commitment to the equality and freedom of LGBTQ people, including the fundamental right to marry and to be treated equally to other married couples.”