[Photo Matthew Shepard Foundation]
The administration of President Donald Trump has undertaken significant changes to the White House website, resulting in the removal of pages dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community. Among the deletions are the pages commemorating the life of murdered gay man Matthew Shepard.
The pages dedicated to Nex Benedict, a transgender teenager of Choctaw descent, have also been removed. Those pages had been the focus of a heartfelt statement issued by then-President Joe Biden following his tragic death in March 2024. The statement, now unavailable on the official White House website, expressed Biden’s sorrow over the loss of the young individual, who died shortly after an assault in an Oklahoma high school bathroom. Despite official reports suggesting that Benedict’s death was a suicide, his family has sought an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his passing.
In the statement, Biden emphasised, “Every young person deserves to have the fundamental right and freedom to be who they are, and feel safe and supported at school and in their communities,” adding, “Nex Benedict, a kid who just wanted to be accepted, should still be here with us today.” He also highlighted the plight of non-binary and transgender individuals, stating, “non-binary and transgender people are some of the bravest Americans I know.” The former president condemned bullying, underscoring its devastating impact on young people. His message included, “Bullying is hurtful and cruel, and no one should face the bullying that Nex did. Parents and schools must take reports of bullying seriously.” His sentiments extended to the LGBTQ+ community as a whole, as he assured, “I will always have your back. To LGBTQ+ young people across the country — you are loved exactly as you are.”
Alongside Benedict’s tribute, the White House also erased an October 2023 statement commemorating the 25th anniversary of Matthew Shepard’s death. Shepard, a victim of a brutal hate crime, was murdered in Laramie, Wyoming in October 1998, after being tied to a fence post and beaten by two men. His murderers, Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson, were sentenced to life in prison for their roles in the heinous crime. President Biden had taken the opportunity to honour Shepard’s legacy, acknowledging the ongoing battle against violence directed at the LGBTQ+ community.
The erasure of these statements marks a significant shift in the recognition and support of LGBTQ+ issues at the highest levels of government, generating concern among advocates and supporters of the community.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://glaad.org/releases/breaking-trump-administration-removes-lgbtq-and-hiv-resources-from-white-house-and-other-government-websites/ – This article supports the claim that the Trump administration removed LGBTQ and HIV resources from the White House website and other federal agency websites.
- https://www.advocate.com/politics/trump-strips-hiv-lgbtq-websites – This article corroborates the removal of LGBTQ+ and HIV resources from government websites by the Trump administration.
- https://www.aclu.org/news/lgbtq-rights/trumps-executive-orders-promoting-sex-discrimination-explained – This article explains Trump’s executive orders that promote sex discrimination, including actions against transgender people, which aligns with the broader context of LGBTQ+ resource removal.
- https://www.whitehouse.gov – The White House website itself can be checked for the absence of LGBTQ+ related content, supporting the claim of resource removal.
- https://www.cdc.gov/ – The Centers for Disease Control website can be checked for the removal of LGBTQ-specific pages, as mentioned in the article.
- https://www.state.gov/ – The Department of State website can be checked for the removal of LGBTQ rights pages, supporting the claim of resource removal.
- https://www.dol.gov/ – The Department of Labor website can be checked for the removal of LGBTQ workers pages, further supporting the claim.
- https://www.noahwire.com – This is the source of the original article, providing context for the removal of statements about Nex Benedict and Matthew Shepard.
- https://www.hrc.org/resources/matthew-shepard – This Human Rights Campaign page provides information about Matthew Shepard, supporting the historical context of his death and its impact on the LGBTQ+ community.
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