NEW LETTER: LGBTQ, Civil Rights Organizations Implore Congress to Push Back Against Trump Agency Agenda for LGBTQ Communities

To Whom it May Concern,

We are human rights organizations who advocate for a diverse community of LGBTQ people in the United States. We are writing out of extreme concern that current nominees to serve in the Trump administration believe they have a mandate to target LGBTQ people and that doing so will earn them favor with the incoming president. This concern is explicitly highlighted by a recent alarming memo circulated in the now successful efforts to appoint FTC Commissioner Andrew Ferguson as Chair of the Federal Trade Commission. 

The letter states that, if appointed, Commissioner Ferguson will use his position to “fight back against the trans agenda” by targeting members of the trans community, and those that support them or provide them with gender-affirming healthcare, with investigations. People in the United States are dealing with rampant corporate overreach and the ramifications of the unchecked power of Big Tech and corporations. They need an FTC focused on defending everyday people, trans people included, not an FTC using its power and time to go after healthcare workers and families choosing lifesaving care for their kids. 

The incoming administration, and especially the FTC, has the potential to exercise enormous power in shaping policy, as it relates to online platforms and speech. We understand that some of these policies might have broad support, but we ask that you join us in rejecting any use of these powers to target the LGBTQ community.

To that end, we ask that the Senate faithfully execute its power to thoroughly vet nominees and reject those that wish to use the powers of the government to target LGBTQ people. We also ask that Congress be careful in granting the incoming administration new authority to punish and silence the LGBTQ community. While we agree with many bipartisan goals to rein in Big Tech and make the Internet safer, we cannot ignore that many in the position to do so wouldn’t hesitate to use their power to harm LGBTQ people, online and in their day-to-day lives. Finally, we ask that you use your oversight powers to investigate whether agencies are using their powers to target LGBTQ Americans.

Members of Congress must stop any attempt to use agency power against marginalized people in the United States when our communities are on the chopping block. 

Signed,

Advocacy for Principled Action in Government

American Booksellers for Free Expression

Arkansas Black Gay Men’s Forum

Defending Rights & Dissent

Equality Texas

Faith Choice Ohio

Fight for the Future

FORGE, Inc.

Freedom Oklahoma

Gender Liberation Movement

Georgia Equality

GLAAD

One Iowa

Organization for Transformative Works

PROMO Missouri

Secular Student Alliance

SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change

Transathlete 

Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT)

TransOhio

Woodhull Freedom Foundation