Excerpt

When Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called for and established a Commission on Unalienable Rights in 2019, alarm bells went off for many, especially in LGBTQ+ communities. In its May 20, 2020, submission to the commission, the nongovernmental organization Human Rights Watch indicated that it was particularly concerned that the outcome of the deliberations would “jeopardize the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.”¹ Given the Trump administration’s record on LGBTQ+ rights, especially trans rights, concerns were warranted. The final report, however, indicates that LGBTQ+ rights have become permanently established as human rights, even when viewed from conservative perspectives.