Andrew Yang Thinks His Plan To Give Americans $1,000 A Month Will Bring LGBT Voters To His Presidential Campaign

Andrew Yang believes he can get people from the LGBT community into his presidential campaign the same way he’s been able to win unexpected interest elsewhere: Through his proposal for the federal government to provide all Americans with a basic monthly income of $1,000.

“I have many friends in the LGBTQ community, and what they tell me is that they get kicked out of the house at higher levels, that they get fired from jobs at higher levels, so they’re very excited about the freedom dividend,” Yang explained on BuzzFeed News’ AM to DM, referring to his basic income idea. “If we put economic resources directly into people’s hands, they can make themselves better able to adjust if they’re economically singled out.”

Pushed on what he’d do for the LGBT community aside from implementing a universal basic income if he were elected, Yang said he thinks that the federal government should support programs in schools across the country to help students become more accepting and understanding of the LGBT community.

Later in the interview, Yang defended his decision to appear on Fox News.

“I’ve been on Fox News a number of times and I’m on the record saying, ‘look, if we’re going to win the general election we have to speak to Americans of different political ideologies,’ and Fox is the primary source of news for many, many Americans. So if you’re going to win a general election, it’s just the right thing to do,” Yang said.

He also disavowed members of the far right and white nationalists who’ve become interested in his campaign because of his basic income proposal.

“I’ve completely disavowed any [of] that sort of support,” Yang said. “It’s antithetical to what I stand for both personally and as a candidate. I’m the son of immigrants myself, I’ve experienced marginalization in my own ways, and I want nothing to do with anyone that has that kind of agenda.”