Comparing Trump and Harris' views on LGBTQ rights, marriage equality

Washington — Among nan topics voters whitethorn see successful nan 2024 statesmanlike predetermination are LGBTQ authorities — and it's an rumor wherever erstwhile President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris person starkly different messages and backgrounds.

A ample mostly of Americans support ineligible protections for LGBTQ people, according to a survey from nan Public Religion Research Institute. But support is stronger successful bluish states than reddish states, and has declined wide successful caller years — particularly among Republicans. And support for same-sex matrimony has besides seen a flimsy decline.

Meanwhile, 38% of Americans said LGBTQ authorities are a facet successful their voting decisions, and 30% opportunity they will ballot only for a campaigner who aligns pinch them connected nan issue. 

Here's what to cognize astir nan candidates' views and records connected nan issue:

Donald Trump connected LGBTQ issues

The erstwhile president has been inconsistent connected nan rumor during his clip successful nan nationalist eye, and his management rolled backmost protections for LGBTQ group — particularly transgender individuals.

In nan precocious 1990s and early 2000s, earlier he entered politics, Trump expressed support for home business laws that granted couples nan aforesaid benefits of joined couples — a position that nan GOP wide opposed astatine nan clip — and often showed individual tolerance for LGBTQ issues much broadly. In a 1999 interview, wherever he besides said he was "very pro-choice" Trump said that "it would not disturb me" for cheery group to service successful nan military. 

Years later, Trump said successful 2011, amid speculation astir a imaginable statesmanlike bid, that he was "opposed to cheery marriage." In 2015, he said he supports "traditional marriage."

Trump became nan first GOP statesmanlike nominee to mention LGBTQ issues successful his 2016 RNC speech, pledging to protect nan organization successful nan aftermath of nan Pulse nightclub shooting. 

Trump chose a blimpish moving mate successful 2016, Mike Pence, who had staunchly opposed same-sex marriage, but Trump's ain comments connected nan taxable varied. 

Trump said during his 2016 run that he would "strongly consider" appointing Supreme Court justices who would overturn nan 2015 ruling that legalized same-sex marriages. Then, days aft he was elected, he said he was "fine" pinch same-sex matrimony and suggested he wouldn't name justices to nan precocious tribunal pinch nan extremity of overturning nan ruling. His wife, Melania Trump, called him "the first president to participate nan White House supporting cheery marriage" arsenic he sought reelection successful 2020.

On transgender issues, Trump said successful 2016, amid a contention complete a North Carolina bath ban, that transgender group should "use nan bath they consciousness is appropriate." But his management went connected to reverse a argumentation that required schools to let transgender students to usage bathrooms that correspond pinch their gender identity, and his management banned immoderate transgender group from serving successful nan subject while Trump was successful agency — a argumentation that President Biden reversed. Trump's management besides tried to repeal wellness protections for transgender group and sought to end protections for transgender individuals successful national prison, among different policies.

Anti-trans sentiments would spell connected to go a salient talking constituent for Republicans connected nan run way successful nan 2022 midterm elections. In early 2023, Trump said he would usage his powers, should he return to nan White House, to punish doctors who supply gender affirming attraction for minors and enforce consequences for teachers who talk it pinch students. 

In nan last months of nan 2024 campaign, Trump and his friends leaned into anti-trans rhetoric, spending millions connected advertisements focusing connected nan rumor successful battleground states.  

Meanwhile, Trump's moving mate, Sen. JD Vance, sponsored legislation successful 2023 that would prohibition entree to gender-affirming attraction for minors, on pinch a bill to barroom nan State Department from allowing nan gender marker "X" connected passports. The Ohio Republican besides said he would ballot nary connected nan Respect for Marriage Act, which provided national protections for same-sex and interracial marriages, while campaigning for Senate successful 2022, citing belief liberty concerns.

Kamala Harris connected LGBTQ issues

Harris has mostly been an early adopter of pro-LGBTQ policies and stances, doing truthful earlier different salient members of her party.

The erstwhile San Francisco territory attorney officiated immoderate of nan nation's first same-sex marriages successful 2004, aft then-mayor Gavin Newsom directed nan region clerk to o.k. nan marriages though nan rule didn't yet admit them. The marriages were invalidated months later. Then, erstwhile she was elected arsenic California's lawyer wide successful 2010, Harris said she would not take sides successful tribunal a voter-approved measurement known arsenic Proposition 8, which outlawed same-sex marriage.

As territory attorney, Harris had prosecuted unit against LGBTQ people, establishing a dislike crime portion to look into crimes against LGBTQ youth. As lawyer general, she sought to extremity nan "panic defense" that allowed homicide defendants to activity lesser sentences if they attested to being panicked by nan victim's intersexual orientation. 

Harris has been criticized by LGBTQ advocates for denying gender-affirming surgeries for transgender inmates erstwhile she served arsenic lawyer general; she said she was bound by nan Department of Corrections argumentation successful spot astatine nan time. She later expressed support for providing specified attraction to inmates during her 2020 statesmanlike bid. During that campaign, wherever she ran connected a much progressive platform, Harris besides said she supports decriminalizing activity work, though she noted that it's not a elemental issue.

As a senator, Harris sponsored a fistful of bills aimed astatine addressing favoritism connected nan ground of intersexual predisposition and gender identity, on pinch different LGBTQ issues. Harris' grounds has besides been tied to nan Biden administration, which expanded Title IX protections for LGBTQ students, though they were blocked by nan Supreme Court. In 2022, Mr. Biden signed nan Respect for Marriage Act into law, enshrining national protections for same-sex and interracial marriages. 

Harris' moving mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, has a estimation arsenic an advocator for LGBTQ rights. When Walz was a precocious schoolhouse teacher, he served arsenic nan module advisor who helped shape his school's first gay-straight confederation successful nan '90s.

In:
• Kamala Harris
• Donald Trump
• Transgender
• Same-Sex Marriage
• LGBTQ+
• 2024 Elections