HRC marked the one year anniversary of the Trump-Pence Administration’s inauguration by vowing to continue turning resistance into action in 2018. Over the last year, the Trump-Pence administration has systematically targeted the LGBTQ community for discrimination through more than 40 actions, from attempting to ban qualified transgender Americans from service in the military, to backing anti-LGBTQ forces at the Supreme Court seeking a sweeping ‘license to discriminate.’ HRC responded by immediately utilizing its talented team of policy and legal experts and establishing a 10-person Trump War Room, which has worked around the clock to hold the Trump-Pence Administration accountable and fight back against their dangerous nominees and proposals. In its first year, the Trump War Room has blasted more than 100 statements and releases, launched targeted ad campaigns, defeated anti-LGBTQ nominees -- most notably Mark Green, Jeff Mateer and Scott Garrett -- and launched videos that have been viewed more than 100 million times. And when Trump attacked transgender troops, we took him to court, joining a lawsuit led by Lambda Legal and Outserve-SLDN in an effort to defeat the unconstitutional ban.

HRC has gone beyond resistance to notch wins at the ballot box. In 2017, HRC and partners chalked up significant historic wins. In Virginia, Danica Roem became the commonwealth’s first out transgender public official -- and the nation's only out transgender state representative. In Alabama, HRC-endorsed candidate Doug Jones beat Roy Moore, the bigoted anti-LGBTQ politician. HRC invested significantly in these races and others across the country, to ensure that pro-equality candidates would win on Election Day. And last summer, HRC laid the groundwork for future victories, launching the earliest, largest grassroots mobilization in its 37-year history ahead of the 2018 elections.

“For the past year and in the face of tremendous adversity, HRC members, supporters and our allies have locked arms and fought back against a dangerous agenda of hate and discrimination,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “From the Senate floor, to state legislatures, to the ballot box -- we have turned resistance into action and proven that we are stronger than hate and fear. Following defeats of some of the nation’s most anti-equality candidates from Virginia to North Carolina to Alabama, the message is clear: if you come for us, we will come for you on Election Day. In 2018, that’s exactly what we’re going to do through HRC Rising, the largest, earliest grassroots mobilization in our history.”

HRC efforts to turn out voters and pull the emergency brake on this administration and its dangerous agenda by winning a pro-equality majority in Congress this fall are already underway. HRC Rising is a campaign to accelerate progress in states from coast-to-coast, resist the politics of hate, fight anti-LGBTQ legislation, and fuel pro-equality candidates and initiatives. HRC has thus far announced six priority states, which include Wisconsin, Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Ohio, with staff already on the ground in several states.

Since the inauguration, civil rights and justice organizations have coordinated to link arms and fight against the administration’s onslaught of attacks. HRC has been proud to work with partners to protect DREAMers and immigrants, and to stand with racial equity and justice organizations opposing white supremacy and supporting voting rights. As the Trump-Pence administration attempted to reduce access to health care, HRC partnered with Planned Parenthood and others in fighting to save the Affordable Care Act, to protect women’s health care, and secure better care for those living with HIV and AIDS.

In the months and years ahead, HRC will continue to fight the Trump-Pence agenda to ensure that LGBTQ Americans are treated equally everywhere.