Trump’s Christmas, black, LGBTQ journalists banned

This video from the USA says about itself:

Trump Speaks at Anti-LGBT Event

13 October 2017

On Friday, Donald Trump became the first sitting US president to address the Values Voter Summit, an annual gathering of evangelical conservatives organized by the Family Research Council, a prominent anti-LGBT group. Trump, who called himself a friend to the LGBT community during his presidential campaign, said at the event that he was “honored and thrilled” to speak there. During the event in Washington DC, guests who attended were reportedly handed flyers promoting a new book entitled ‘The Health Hazards Of Homosexuality’.

By Benjamin Butterworth:

LGBT and black reporters left off White House Christmas party guest list for first time in years

5th December 2017, 7:15 PM

The Trump White House has excluded LGBT and black reporters from its annual media Christmas party.

It is the first time since President George W. Bush that LGBT reporters have been left off the invite list, and the first time in 20 years that black groups have been excluded.

Chris Johnson, the chief political and White House reporter for the Washington Blade, one of the world’s oldest LGBT publications, is among those uninvited.

The first Mr Johnson knew of his awol invite was over Thansgiving.

“My first reaction was I assumed it must have been an oversight”, Mr Johnson told The Independent.

After emailing White House officials, he was passed between numerous spokespeople, none of which could answer his question.

“It is consistent with the White House press secretary not calling on me during the on-camera press briefings”, he told the newspaper, noting that he had been called on just twice in the last six months.

He believes that the issue over the invite is “just kind of consistent with the policy of the administration to exclude LGBTQ people”.

April D Ryan, the White House correspondent and DC bureau chief for American Urban Radio Networks, who is black, was also excluded from the invite list.

“I don’t think I was overlooked,” Ms Ryan told the Washington Post of this year’s party.

“I think they don’t like me. For whatever reason, they have disdain for me.”

Ms Ryan had been invited for the previous 20 years.

Reporters from the New York Times, Washington Post and Politico have been invited as usual.

CNN, however, has opted to boycott the event this year.

A spokesperson for First Lady Melania Trump said: “As with Christmas parties in past administrations, this is off the record.

“This is not meant to be a news event, rather, it is an opportunity for the media and their guests to enjoy a reception at the White House this Christmas season.”

It’s not the first time Trump has ignored the LGBT community in recent days.

President Trump gave a statement to mark World AIDS day that somehow does not feature a single mention of the LGBT community.

Petty, childish, and extremely unstable dude https://t.co/k1krlMBB6N

— Mike (@Mike_P_Williams) December 13, 2018

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