On July 15—the first night of the Republican National Convention that is taking place in Milwaukee—several speakers mentioned the LGBTQ+ community—but not in a positive way.
According to NBC News, controversial U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, of Georgia, said, ““Let me state this clearly: There are only two genders.”
Also, U.S. Rep. John James, R-Michigan, criticized transgender women’s playing in women’s sports, saying, “Our daughters were sold on hope, and now they’re being forced on the playing fields and changing rooms of biological males.” Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin, zeroed in on the teaching of gender ideology or sexual orientation in schools, claiming, “This fringe agenda includes biological males competing against girls and the sexualization and indoctrination of our children.”
Last year, at least 75 anti-LGBTQ+ laws were enacted across 23 states, according to an NBC News analysis of American Civil Liberties Union data.