Statement on Gov. Malloy’s Executive Order Reinforcing State’s Nondiscrimination Policies

Lori J. Pelletier, President of the Connecticut AFL-CIO and former Co-President of Pride at Work (a national AFL-CIO constituency group that represents LGBTQ union members and their allies), made the following statement in response to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s Executive Order reinforcing the state’s nondiscrimination policies:

“I strongly commend Gov. Malloy for reinforcing the state’s nondiscrimination policies in the face of President Donald Trump’s abhorrent ban of transgender service members from the military. Gov. Malloy has been a stalwart supporter of the state’s LGBTQ community and has repeatedly stood up to other elected officials when they have engaged in discriminatory practices.

“With over 15,000 transgender military personnel actively defending our country both at home and abroad, President Trump not only insults our troops, he weakens the nation. Members of our military should be honored for their service, not disparaged and dismissed with a tweet.

“The bottom line is that everyone, regardless of their gender or gender identity, should be able to serve our country.”

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Additionally, the Union Veterans Council and Pride at Work jointly issued a press release in response to the ban.