Trump Sends More Anti-Gay Signals

I have seen some reports that 20% of LGBT voters may be going to vote for Donald Trump leaving me asking myself WTF is wrong with them?   This is especially true given new signals Donald Trump has sent that he is strengthening his unholy alliance with anti-gay Christofascists.   Two recent Trump actions underscore this frightening situation that ought to make every LGBT American terrified at the prospect of a trump presidency.   The first is Trump's announcement of an expanded list of potential Supreme Court nominees should he be elected.  The announcement was an obvious attempt on Trump's part to further prostitute himself to Christofascists. While homophobe extraordinaire Mike Lee, a new addition to the list, disclaimed interest in such an appointment, the action underscores the reality that Trump is a foe of LGBT Americans.  Here are highlights from Politico:

Utah Sen. Mike Lee on Friday swiftly shot down the idea that he would accept a nomination to the Supreme Court from Donald Trump.

Lee is one of 10 on the expanded list, which also includes Neil Gorsuch, a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit; Margaret A. Ryan, a judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces; Edward Mansfield, an Iowa Supreme Court justice; Keith Blackwell, a Georgia Supreme Court justice; Charles Canady, a Florida Supreme Court justice; Timothy Tymkovich, the chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit; Amul Thapar, a U.S. District Court judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Federico Moreno, a U.S. District Court judge for the Southern District of Florida; and Robert Young, the chief justice of the Michigan Supreme Court. Trump’s decision earned praise from Judicial Crisis Network Director Carrie Severino, who clerked for Justice Clarence Thomas.

“Donald Trump continues to take unprecedented steps to demonstrate that he intends to appoint justices like Scalia, Thomas and Alito,” Severino said in a statement. “Conservatives should be very pleased by the steps he has taken, and if he lives up to his promises we will have a Court that truly puts the rule of law ahead of political preferences.”

If Trump's pandering to anti-gay hate groups isn't clear enough from this action, then consider that Trump has added the hysterically anti-LGBT Rick Santorum to his so-called "Religious Council" that includes other extreme homophobes.  The Advocate looks at this other telling action.  Here are excerpts:

Trump has hired the former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania, Rick Santorum, as an advisor for his Catholic Advisory Council. 

Santorum, who ended his campaign for president in February, is one of 35 people slated for the council. In a press release announcing the council, Trump included a list of "issues of importance to Catholics." The topics on the list include religious liberty, pro-life, judicial nominations, education, healthcare, jobs and taxation, and safety and security.

In June, Santorum signed an antigay "pledge in solidarity to defend marriage," that claims marriage should only exist "between one man and one woman." Santorum has also said hewould reinstate the ban on 'don't ask don't tell.' The former U.S. Senator has also defended' religious liberty' in the past, and it is something that Trump comments on, in his list of "issues of importance to Catholics." 

On the topic of religious liberty, Trump said, "Religious liberty is enshrined in the First Amendment to the Constitution. It is our first liberty and provides the most important protection in that it protects our right of conscience. Activist judges and executive orders issued by Presidents who have no regard for the Constitution have put these protections in jeopardy. If I am elected president and Congress passes the First Amendment Defense Act, I will sign it to protect the deeply held religious beliefs of Catholics and the beliefs of Americans of all faiths.

In June, Trump announced the launch of his Evangelical Executive Advisory Board. Michelle Bachman, one of the most outspoken opponents of marriage equality, is on the evangelical advisory board. 

Friday Trump announced an updated list of his Supreme Court nominee picks. Several of Trump's choices on the list have an anti-LGBT track record.