Donald Trump sent a letter to the Log Cabin Republicans.
In it, the president and First Lady Melania Trump congratulated the organization -- the nation's oldest and largest group of LGBT conservatives -- for celebrating the "special milestone" of its 40th anniversary.
The signed note, dated December 21, 2017, and printed on White House stationery, also addressed gay and racial equality.
"We are a Nation founded on the undeniable truth that all of us are created equal. We are equal in the eyes of our Creator. We are equal under the law. And we are all equal under our Constitution," the letter declared.
"No matter the color of our skin or our sexual orientation, we all live under the same laws, salute the same great American flag, and are made in the image of the same Almighty God," it added.
"As we write the next great chapter of our Nation, we reaffirm our commitment to these fundamental truths and will work to ensure that all Americans live in a country where they feel safe and where their opportunities are limitless," it concluded.
"What a way to start the year!" enthused Log Cabin's president, Gregory T. Angelo, in a Wednesday email to members that included the letter. He thanked the Trumps "for their kind memorialization of Log Cabin Republicans' past and their best wishes for our future as we forge ahead, together, toward a more equal America."
Log Cabin released the letter to followers -- and encouraged them to share it on social media -- the day following Trump's controversial proclamation for Religious Freedom Day.
"No American -- whether a nun, nurse, baker, or business owner -- should be forced to choose between the tenets of faith or adherence to the law," declared Trump's Tuesday proclamation. This language was interpreted as a veiled attack on LGBT Americans, in light of the pending Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, a Supreme Court case focused on an antigay Christian baker who refused to make a cake for a same-sex couple. A lawyer from the Trump administration even argued on behalf of the baker.
The two documents present a striking case of doublespeak. Support of "religious freedom" is at odds with any "commitment" to gay equality, since the former is really a license to discriminate against LGBT people. Thus, Trump's letter to the Log Cabin Republicans appears to be an attempt of having his cake and eating it too.
In reality, the Trump administration has not worked to create a country where LGBT people "feel safe and where their opportunities are limitless." Acts like the withdrawal of protections of trans students, the ban on trans troops, and the erasure of LGBT people from federal websites, the U.S. Census, and the World AIDS Day proclamation have worked to endanger this community and limit its opportunities.
"Since day one of this administration, the LGBTQ community has been attacked, ostracized, and ignored," said Lucas Acosta, the Democratic National Committee's director of LGBTQ media. "Donald Trump says one thing yet does another - he claims to support our equal protection under the law but then strips away rights and protections from LGBTQ Americans."
"Too many LGBTQ Americans are denied the full equality they deserve and despite their promises, the Trump administration is determined on rolling back progress," Acosta added. "The Democratic Party will continue to fight these efforts to erode the rights of LGBTQ people and work to expand their freedom to work, live, and love."
In the 2016 election, Log Cabin refused to endorse Trump, citing "uncertainty" about what he would do on LGBT rights, although a few of its local chapters endorsed him. Angelo said then that while the national organization wasn't endorsing Trump, it encouraged members to do everything in their power to keep Hillary Clinton from becoming president.
