In recognition of National Coming Out Day, DNC Chair Tom Perez and DNC LGBT Caucus Chair Earl Fowlkes released this statement:
“Today,
on National Coming Out Day, we celebrate the fact that love is love and
are resolute in our belief that all people deserve to be treated with
dignity. We remember a time not long ago when
living openly as a member of the LGBTQ community was nearly impossible.
And we honor those who have fought and struggled to advance the cause
of true equality. Even more importantly, we welcome and embrace those
who are openly LGBTQ, those who choose to come
out today, and those who are still unable to live openly.
“Unfortunately,
this year’s celebration is clouded by a presidency that is openly
hostile to LGBTQ people. Donald Trump, Mike Pence, and their
administration began attacking the LGBTQ community
on their first day in office. They retracted the Department of
Education’s guidance on transgender students, abandoned America’s global
leadership role on LGBTQ rights, proposed cuts to HIV/AIDS testing and
care, and just last week reinterpreted the law to
give businesses a license to discriminate.