TEXAS - Since his inauguration, President Donald Trump and his administration have attempted to take away rights from those in the LGBTQ+ community.

The most recent attempt happened in early June of 2020.

On June 12, 30 amicus briefs were submitted by the Trump administration and various religious organizations in favor of Fulton in the case Fulton v. City of Philadelphia. Fulton v. City of Philadelphia involved Catholic Social Services refusal to place adoptive or foster children in the care of same-sex couples.

The Trump administration has been trying to give taxpayer funded organizations the ability to refuse same-sex couples since November of 2019.

However, in spite of there being multiple proposal put forth by the Trump administration that would strip rights from those of the LGBTQ+ community, including give healthcare providers the right to refuse services to transgender patients, some still consider Trump "pro-gay".

Richard Grenell, a Log Cabin Republican member, posted a video to social media claiming, "Donald Trump is the first president in American history to be pro-gay marriage form his first day in office." And there are some who agree with him.

In a Google Forms survey I conducted, an anonymous submission read "He has been the most openly supportive president even before he was elected. And he sent a representative to third world countries to fight the bigotry making homosexuality illegal and even punishable by death."

This submission agrees with another Grenell claim, "… he publicly challenged the 69 countries who make being gay a crime to change their laws…" However, President Trump removed the United States from the U.N. Human Rights Council in June of 2018.

The initial 2019 proposal would allow adoption agencies to continue to receive government funding and grants, even if they refused a couple solely based on their sexual orientation. Rolling back many Obama-era anti-discrimination regulations.

According to Lifelong Adoptions, out of 94,627 same-sex households with children, those with adoptive children make 21.2%.

"There are thousands of children in foster care. Why can't a homosexual couple adopt a child?" said Clinton Hardy, an LGBTQ+ man and Keller ISD teacher. "We can be your child's teacher, their nurse, their doctors, but we can't be their parents?"

There are more than 400,000 children in foster care. According to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Denton County has 319 children currently in foster care, Tarrant County has 979 and Dallas County has 1,256.

"The concept of a nuclear family is no longer the standard, and yet it is what the law is trying to force on us," said Brittani Howard, an LGBTQ+ ally. "A family is defined by those who are a part of it, and any family is surely better than none. To say that certain people can't adopt simply because of their identity is backwards, behind the times, exclusionary, and dangerous. The idea that a gay home can't be a loving and providing one is ridiculous. If single parents can raise kids on their own, gay couples can raise kids together."

Many have criticized the administration for putting forth proposal like this one even though Donald Trump and the party he represents say they are pro-life.

"People care so much about the lives of children when they're unborn fetuses and yet the minute they are born they're being denied homes and families based upon something that doesn't negatively impact parenting skills," said Emily Ogden, an LGBTQ+ woman.

"As on who wants to be a father with my future husband, I'm terrified." Said Clint Faulkner, a LGBTQ+ man. "Many Republicans have a false sense of 'pro-life' in the sense that they're only pro-birth. If I can't adopt because an agency rejects me and my husband solely because of our sexual orientation, that's effed. It's only preventing kids from entering a loving home. Every anti-LGBTQ+ decision is based solely out of fear of the unknown and deeply rooted, spiritual hatred.

Joe Biden's campaign website reads "hate and discrimination against LGBTQ+ people started long before Trump and Pence took office. Defeating them will not solve the problem, but it is an essential first step in order to resume our march toward equality."

The former Vice President has pledged on his website to protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination, expand access to high-quality health care for LGBTQ+ individuals and ensure fair treatment of LGBTQ+ individuals in the criminal justice system.

Early voting in Texas starts Today, Oct 13 and runs through Oct 24. Election day is Nov 3, 2020.