An employee resource group for LGBTQ+ inclusion in U.S. foreign affairs agencies has announced the resignation of several board members who were active U.S. government employees. The members resigned due to President Donald Trump’s executive order forbidding the use of federal resources to promote any recognition of transgender identities.

In a letter to its members issued last Friday, the group Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies (GLIFAA) explained the reason behind its board members’ resignations and appointed an interim board to help move the group outside of the federal government, The Washington Blade reported.

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The letter asked members to stop using any work email accounts for communications with GLIFAA and start using personal accounts to avoid possible retaliation from the Trump administration. GLIFAA’s leadership also asked members to pay their membership dues so that the group could continue working to support LGBTQ+ federal workers.

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“Since 1992, GLIFAA has successfully advocated for policies that reversed discriminatory security clearance denials, secured benefits and accreditation for our spouses and family members, expanded healthcare and insurance coverage to meet the needs of our community, and promoted the advancement of human rights globally,” its letter to members said.

The group initially began its work without any official departmental recognition. In its letter, the group promised to always “represent all letters of the LGBTQIA rainbow,” adding, “In challenging times, the strength and resilience of our community matters more than ever.”

“We are strongest when we stand together,” the letter concluded. “So, we urge you to reach out to other members, uplift your colleagues and friends, and carry forward GLIFAA’s unwavering spirit of resilience, determination, and support for equality — wherever you are.”

GLIFAA isn’t the only queer federal employee resource group to be affected by Trump’s anti-LGBTQ+ executive orders.

Late last week, the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) LGBTQ+ employee resource group, DOJ Pride, shut itself down, citing the “protection of all members” as its reason. The group had operated for three decades prior to its closure.

Numerous federal agencies have been removing LGBTQ+ and trans-related content from their websites to conform with Trump’s executive orders forbidding any use of federal resources to promote diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), and accessibility efforts.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Census Bureau, the State Department, the Social Security Administration, and the National Park Service have all recently deleted LGBTQ+ informational pages from their websites

In a statement against Trump’s orders, Sarah Kate Ellis, the CEO of the LGBTQ+ media watchdog group GLAAD, wrote, “President Trump claims to be a strong proponent of freedom of speech, yet he is clearly committed to censorship of any information containing or related to LGBTQ Americans and issues that we face.”

“This action proves the Trump administration’s goal of making it as difficult as possible for LGBTQ Americans to find federal resources or otherwise see ourselves reflected under his presidency,” Ellis continued. “Sadly for him, our community is more visible than ever; and this pathetic attempt to diminish and remove us will again prove unsuccessful.”

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