The Trump administration kicked off Pride Month with actions that advocates say undermine the gains for LGBTQ+ Americans.
The Defense Department said it would rename a ship honoring a gay rights icon. The U.S. Park Police said it would fence off an iconic park in a gay neighborhood in Washington, D.C., which is the host city for this year's WorldPride. The FBI solicited tips on medical providers offering gender-affirming care. The president vowed to cut funds to California after it allowed a transgender athlete to compete in a high school track event.
Pride celebrations happened long before they were recognized by the federal government, commemorating the Stonewall riots in June 1969, a seminal moment in the birth of a national gay rights movement.
The federal government first honored Pride Month on the 30th anniversary of Stonewall in 1999 under President Bill Clinton.
Under the next two Democratic administrations, the federal government recognized June as Pride Month, raising the rainbow flag at some government buildings and highlighting the contributions of LGBTQ+ people. Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump did not recognize it. But this year, the Trump administration stepped up its position, giving the month a new moniker and trumpeting policies that advocates see as “bullying.”
