It’s no secret that President Donald Trump has rolled back protections for the LGBTQ community especially federal employees. In fact, simply having Trump in office has resulted in statistically relevant increases in crime against members of the community (in addition to other minority groups like those of Islamic faith). We have every reason to believe that the community outlook will improve greatly under soon-to-be President Joe Biden.
Biden previously promised to pass LGBTQ protections in his first 100 days. That job will become more difficult now that we know that there is a strong likelihood that the Senate will continue to be controlled by Republicans. Biden could use executive orders to keep his promises, though, and we expect him to do exactly that.
Biden team LGBTQ engagement director Reggie Greer described the incoming administration’s goals to NBC news only a week after Biden won the election: “The president-elect and the vice president-elect put together the most comprehensive plan to advance equality here at home and abroad ever put forth by a presidential ticket, and as a result it lays out a pretty strong blueprint on what the incoming administration can do.”
This involves the Equality Act, which would essentially reimpose all of the Obama-era legislation that Trump stripped away during his four years in office (hint: there was a lot of it). One of the most controversial aspects of discrimination law is religious freedom, which many suggest is simply another way to excuse overt hate. We expect Biden’s Equality Act to limit so-called religious freedoms more permanently.
The legislation would also seek to reduce LGBTQ homelessness, especially for youth members of the community. It would also remove the transgender ban in the military, which was a Trump-era imposition.
Greer said, “President-elect Biden and the vice president-elect have spent their entire careers forging bipartisan coalitions to get bills through the Congress.”