New York Republican Mike Lawler has broken ranks to declare that the trans community is “not an enemy or a threat”.

Republican Lawler, who faced backlash last year after photos of him wearing blackface in 2006 surfaced, has gone against his right-wing party’s usual anti-trans rhetoric. 

Lawler, who represents New York’s 17th Congressional District, took to Facebook on 2 October to share a message of support for the trans community. 

The representative, who also chairs the Rockland County Republican Party, began the post by sharing how “freedom” has “served as a guiding light in this great democratic experiment known as America”. 

He continued, highlighting that debates have been held and wars fought, and laws passed, to ensure “freedom for our fellow Americans.” But he noted that “politics has become more corrosive and coarse” in recent years. 

“… we have lost sight of a simple truth: we are all Americans, yes, but we are all human beings, created in God’s image.” 

Lawler went on to urge the continuation of “open dialogue” and called for an end to “dehumanizing those with whom we may have disagreements or differences: rather, we should recognize their humanity, their purpose, and their worth.”

‘They are our friends…’

He added, in support of the LGBTQ+ community: “In New York’s 17th District and across the Hudson Valley, our strength comes from our diversity. 

“We are blessed to have two thriving LGBTQ+ centers that support people every day. Let me be clear: LGBTQ+ people, and especially our transgender community members, are not an enemy or a threat. They are our friends, our family, and part of the fabric of America.

“As the Bible teaches us, love thy neighbor as thyself.” 

Lawler’s added that the hateful rhetoric shouldn’t be allowed, and instead differences should be resolved with “civil debate and a free exchange of ideas – not with violence or hate”. 

“It’s what democracy and freedom require,” he concluded.

His support for the community comes amid growing concern that Republican-led legislation targeting the LGBTQ+ community is becoming more “extreme” and increasingly worse under Donald Trump. Trump has frequently blamed the trans community for issues unrelated to it, including the current budget crisis.

Trump built his 2024 presidential campaign on an anti-LGBTQ+ – mostly anti-trans – platform and since returning to the White House for a second term has invoked a raft of anti-trans executive orders and rhetoric.

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