White House hopeful vows to overturn Trump ban on transgender troops as he promises to protect LGBTQ rights

Beto O'Rourke speaks to reporters in New York
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Katy Clifton12 June 2019

Democratic presidential hopeful Beto O’Rourke has unveiled a plan to improve gay rights in the United States and overturn the Trump administration’s ban on transgender troops.

He promised to reserve what he called “discriminatory policies” under Donald Trump, saying he planned to end the practice of discharging HIV-positive service members.

Mr O’Rourke announced that he wants to work with Congress to pass The Equality Act, which he says would ensure LGBTQ people can "fully participate in public life without discrimination" in employment, housing and "public spaces and services".

The plan released on Wednesday includes a universal health care system that would guarantee LGBTQ people access to hormone "and other gender-affirming treatments."

Beto O'Rourke pledged to reverse Donald Trump's restrictions on transgender troops
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In a statement, Mr O’Rourke said: “LGBTQ+ Americans have made incredible progress over the past decade thanks in large part to the tireless efforts of activists and advocates.

“But too many LGBTQ+ people still lack protection under many states’ laws and the current administration is encouraging rather than stamping out discrimination.”

Coinciding with Gay Pride Month, Mr O'Rourke joined other Democratic presidential candidates this month in calling for more federal action to protect gay rights.

His announcement came on the third anniversary of the mass shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, when an Islamic State-inspired gunman killed 49 people.

Mr O'Rourke is one of more than 20 Democrats running for president, who have near universal agreement on gay rights protections.

Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke
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His three-part proposal included a series of executive orders to reverse Trump policies: cancelling the ban on transgender troops, reversing a policy that allowed federally funded adoption agencies to reject gay parents and ending current policies that greatly restrict gay men from donating blood.

He also called for measures to protect transgender women from violence. Among other examples, he promised to allow migrants seeking asylum to qualify as a "vulnerable population" if they are gay.

Secondly, he said he would work with Congress to pass legislation to end discrimination, including employment, housing and access to public services.

Finally, he announced he would work to help improve gay rights abroad, saying his administration would establish an office within the State Department dedicated to gay rights and would seek a new international treaty to enshrine gay rights.

Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke
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Mr O'Rourke joined an annual two-mile jog known as the Pride Run in New York City on Wednesday morning.

Other Democratic candidates also marked the Pulse anniversary.

In an email to supporters, Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who is gay, listed the victims' names and called for stricter gun limits and hate crime laws.

Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts senator, also used the occasion to call for "common sense gun reform" and stronger protections for LGBTQ Americans in an email to backers.

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