Not so fast praising Trump for mentioning LGBTQ people

Donald Trump praised delegates at the Republican National Convention for cheering after he said he would protect LGBTQ people.

The catch: It took the context of fearmongering about terrorism.

“Only weeks ago, in Orlando, Florida, 49 wonderful Americans were savagely murdered by an Islamic terrorist,” Trump said, referring to the attack at a gay club in Orlando last month. It’s worth lingering on the exact circumstances under which Trump offered his protection.

“As your president, I will do everything in my power to protect our LGBT citizens from the violence and oppression of a hateful foreign ideology,” he said [emphasis added].

As if LGBTQ people didn’t face those very threats, violence and oppression, in their everyday lives here at home.

The cheering may have caught Trump himself by surprise because he went off-script to congratulate the delegates.

Trump said, “I have to tell you, as a Republican, it’s so nice to hear you cheering for what I just said.”

But before Trump saves the LGBTQ community from “hateful foreign ideology,” it may need his protection from his own pick for vice president, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence.

Pence has opposed laws that would protect LGBTQ people from discrimination at work. He opposed the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. And last year Pence signed a controversial “religious freedom” bill that allowed Indianans to deny services to LGBTQ people.