Trump drew jeers, no cheers, over 'Pride' recognition

"It's very inappropriate for the leader of the free world to be celebrating sexual deviancy," Elizabeth Johnston, known as the “Activist Mommy,” says of Trump’s recognition of Pride Month.

After the White House has noticeably ignored Pride Month in 2017 and 2018, Trump used his Twitter account to recognize the “outstanding contributions LGBT people have made to our great Nation.”

The tweet went on to state the Trump administration denounces countries where homosexuals are imprisoned or even executed, and reminded the public that the White House has launched a “global campaign” to decriminalize homosexuality worldwide.

According to Johnston, however, orthodox Christians recognize that homosexuality is a sinful act and therefore many were disappointed by Trump's tweet. 

“It's sin. It's sexual deviancy,” she says. “It's not some immutable characteristic that should be protected by law like someone's race. Homosexuality is the act of engaging in sex with someone of the same sex."

Reaction to Trump from the Left, including LGBT activists, wasn’t kind to him, either: far-left website Think Progress pointed out that Trump technically didn’t sign a proclamation for Pride Month.

The story then recalled the Obama administration’s past actions:

In President Barack Obama’s eight Pride Month proclamations, he acknowledged LGBTQ families, the Stonewall Riots (celebrating 50 years this month), HIV, LGBTQ youth, workplace discrimination, housing discrimination, hate crime laws, LGBTQ health care, LGBTQ military personnel, LGBTQ seniors, conversion therapy, and the unique needs of transgender and gender nonconforming people. 

But the recognition of Pride Month went far enough for conservatives activists such as Johnston, and groups such as the American Family Association, to express their disappointment.

“Homosexuality is not something the president should celebrate. It's unnatural, unhealthy and immoral behavior,” AFA president Tim Wildmon stated.

Johnston says one reason to oppose Pride Month is the brazen attempt to squash religious liberty and the free-speech rights of those who vocally oppose the movement --- often in the name of "tolerance" and "equality."

OneNewsNow regularly reports on the ongoing legal and political fight between religious rights and LGBT rights such as non-discrimination and public accomodation laws, and most recently the effort by Democrats in Congress to codify LGBT rights in the 1964 Civil Rights Act.  

In fact, the Think Progress article condemned a State Department plan to study and discuss the issue of “natural law” and the U.S. Constitution.

While many Americans recognize “natural law” is God-given rights enshrined in the Constitution, Politico reported that human rights groups and LGBT activists suspect the Commission of Unalienable Rights could use its study to narrow protections for women, homosexuals, and lesbians.

"Free speech and freedom of religion are two of the issues that Donald Trump strongly campaigned on and one of the reasons he got elected by us, evangelicals," Johnston points out. "We're not sure what type of message that he's trying to send to us but he really needs to be concerned about that message given that there is election coming."