{"id":924735,"date":"2024-12-12T11:16:50","date_gmt":"2024-12-12T16:16:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/glaad.org\/?post_type=gap&p=924735"},"modified":"2025-04-16T12:37:34","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T16:37:34","slug":"russell-vought","status":"publish","type":"gap","link":"https:\/\/glaad.org\/gap\/russell-vought\/","title":{"rendered":"Russell Vought"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2014Sent<\/a> a memo to lawmakers requesting that Congress rescind $1.1 billion in federal funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which contributes money to NPR and PBS. The funding is already appropriated by Congress. Public broadcasters like NPR and PBS have a track record of airing programming that highlights LGBTQ stories, issues, and communities,\u00a0 providing representation and education often not found on commercial networks. The White House memo advocating for the cuts specifically criticized PBS for airing programs featuring transgender characters.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014<\/span>Key architect<\/span><\/a> of <\/span>Project 2025<\/span><\/a>, a conservative policy initiative that includes proposals to roll back protections for LGBTQ individuals. This plan advocates for eliminating gender identity as a basis for rights and protections, effectively rejecting any recognition of transgender identities in policy and law. It <\/span>calls<\/span><\/a> for erasing terms including \u201cabortion,\u201d \u201creproductive health,\u201d \u201cgender,\u201d and \u201cgender equality\u201d from \u201cevery federal rule, agency regulation, contract, grant, regulation, and piece of legislation that exists.\u201d During the presidential campaign, Donald Trump repeatedly claimed he \u201cknew nothing about\u201d Project 2025. Vought <\/span>served<\/span><\/a> as director and acting director of OMB during the first Trump term, and in his chapter of Project 2025 wrote \u201cthe President\u2019s budget is in fact a powerful mechanism for setting and enforcing public policy at federal agencies.\u201d <\/span>More on Project 2025.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014Used derogatory and inflammatory language regarding transgender issues, baselessly referring to transgender health care as \u201cchemical castration,\u201d and denouncing what he calls \u201ctransgender sewage\u201d being introduced in schools.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Framed his opposition to LGBTQ rights within the context of religious freedom. He supports policies that allow individuals and organizations to deny services based on religious beliefs, which critics argue can lead to discrimination against LGBTQ people.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014<\/span>Has a close affiliation with Christian nationalist William Wolfe<\/span><\/a>, a former Trump administration official who has advocated for overturning same-sex marriage, ending abortion and reducing access to contraceptives.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014<\/span>Affiliated with the Center for Renewing America<\/span><\/a>, which promotes Christian nationalist ideals and opposes LGBTQ rights as contrary to traditional values.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":435,"featured_media":924736,"template":"","categories":[],"tags":[],"region":[],"hashtag":[138636,138632,138633,138634],"class_list":{"0":"post-924735","1":"gap","2":"type-gap","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hashtag-anti-transgender","7":"hashtag-politics","8":"hashtag-transphobia","9":"hashtag-trump"},"aioseo_notices":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t