US President Joe Biden has struggled to pronounce the phrase “LGBTQI+” at the first attempt at a government event promoting supposedly inclusive federal policies.
Announcing the signing of the new executive order that mandates federal agencies to devise "inclusive" policies for schools and foster-parent services, the president gaffed "LGBTQL, I, excuse me, plus".
Following the blunder, POTUS went on to criticise several states for introducing "300 discriminatory bills" against the sexually diverse community, blaming an "ultra-MAGA [Make America Great Again] agenda" for the rollbacks.
He specifically targeted Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' initiative dubbed the "Don’t Say Gay" bill, which prohibits teaching gender identity issues in preschool and the first three years of school.
In addition, Biden referred to Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s policy, which calls on authorities to probe families raising transgender minors for potential child abuse.
Despite promoting himself as pro-LGBTQI+ since 2012, when Biden publically came out supporting same-sex marriage, the US president has not always held such equalitarian views. In his earlier Senate days in the 1990s, he backed several bills that limited LGBTQI+ rights, namely barring same-sex marriage on the federal level and the "Don’t ask, Don’t tell" Pentagon policy which allowed members of the LBGTQI+ community to serve in the military unless they publically came out.
Biden also supported a federal bill akin to Ron DeSantis’ "Don’t Say Gay" policy in 1994. The bill banned federal funding for school programmes that promoted "homosexuality as a positive lifestyle alternative".
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