WASHINGTON – Last week, as the federal government teetered on the brink of a shutdown, MAGA Republicans peddled anti-LGBTQ+ vitriol and outright transphobia to distract from their failure to provide solutions to problems facing the American public. They repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to grind the nation to a halt in service to their agenda of hate.

“The reckless agenda of bigotry being propelled by MAGA Republicans is a stain on this country,” said Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson. “Rather than do the work of representing the American people, they continue to peddle transphobia and hate to appeal to the right wing fringes of their voter base and distract from their failures. The people of this country are tired of watching LGBTQ+ people pay the price for the desperation of MAGA Republicans. For the good of the country, and with the government only funded for another 40+ days, House Republicans should stop advancing partisan appropriations bills filled with anti-LGBTQ+ provisions and instead move bipartisan bills that address the real needs of our country.”

Key Moments:

• Advocate: House Republicans file a litany of anti-LGTBQ amendments during the appropriations process, threatening shutdown. House Republicans, in the grips of extreme members like Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene, filed dozens of anti-LGBTQ amendments, attempting to add their agenda of hate onto government spending bills.

  • This comes after House Republicans added 45 anti-LGBTQ+ provisions to the House’s full-year appropriations bills in committee.

• Pink News: Congresswoman Lauren Boebert spews transphobia from the dais. On Wednesday, during consideration of an amendment to strip the pay of the highest ranking transgender person in the Department of Defense, Colorado Congresswoman Lauren Boebert launched into a transphobic tirade against United States Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness and Navy veteran Shawn Skelly. The amendment failed 150-282, with 70 of her Republican colleagues rejecting Boebert’s bigotry.

• Advocate: GOP Presidential hopefuls lean into transphobia in an attempt to revive their flagging campaigns. Wednesday night, the roster of remaining GOP presidential primary candidates (sans the frontrunner) spewed transphobic vitriol from the Fox debate stage, regularly spouting anti-LGBTQ misinformation rather than provide substantive policy solutions to urgent issues plaguing the country or offer an inclusive vision for the future of America.

  • Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy continued his bid to outduel Donald Trump in the politics of clickbait by falsely claiming that being transgender is a “mental health disorder.”

  • Former Vice President Mike Pence escalated his attacks on the community by responding to a question on combating rising violence against LGBTQ+ people with a promise to ban gender-affirming care federally.

The continued onslaught comes as data overwhelmingly shows that a vast majority of Americans do not support anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and policy proposals to undermine people’s freedoms. The Human Rights Campaign PAC produced a highlight of public opinion data ahead of Wednesday’s debate.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ+ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.

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