“Their extremism and anti-equality actions are rivaled only by the dangerous and destructive policies the Trump-Pence administration has perpetrated against LGBTQ people over the last four years,” Sharpe said. The second event, set to take place in Phoenix, was to include Moran as well as Chadwick Moore, editor-in-chief of Log Cabin’s Outspoken media project, Trump Pride co-chair Rob Smith, Billy McLaughlin of the National Rifle Association, New York State Senate candidate Ashton Randle and Arizona Republican Party Chair Kelli Ward.īridget Sharpe, Arizona state director for the Human Rights Campaign, slammed Moore and Ward in a statement as “anti-equality extremists,” saying their involvement “is proof that his campaign’s LGBTQ outreach is a sham.” The Trump campaign’s announcement of the event was panned for not mentioning the terms “gay” or “LGBTQ.” The event near Philadelphia on Tuesday featured Richard Grenell, the former acting director of national intelligence and the face of LGBTQ outreach for Trump’s re-election, and Lara Trump, the wife of Eric Trump who has been a surrogate for her father-in-law’s campaign. The Trump campaign didn’t respond to the Blade’s request to comment on any strategy behind the events. The locations for each of the “Trump Pride” events appears strategically placed in swing states in the 2020 presidential election. With one “Trump Pride” event Tuesday evening in the Philadelphia suburbs now concluded, another was set to take place Wednesday in Phoenix - but they’re just the first two, Charles Moran, co-chair of the Trump Pride coalition, said Wednesday to the Washington Blade.Ī subsequent event not yet officially announced is set to take place Saturday in Tampa and another event is to be determined, Moran said. Share on LinkedIn Gay conservatives pose for a photo at a Nashville event at Trump Pride events (Photo via Twitter)Ĭoming off the heels of a confab in Nashville, gay conservatives are spurning criticism of President Trump’s anti-LGBTQ record and marshaling support for his re-election with Pride-themed events in states seen as competitive in the upcoming election.