Due to recent events I have witnessed an exponential increase of talk online concerning the safety and rights of those in the LGBTQA+ community. As someone who recently came out to my family and friends as a member of that community, I find it very important to establish where I stand in the midst of this uproar. Obviously I have some very strong opinions on this matter, however I will do my best to back up these opinions with hard facts.
It pains me to see the majority of my friends on social media posting about how frightened and anxiety ridden they are for their future. I’ve seen many speak about how the summer of 2015 (when marriage equality was legalized) seemed to create a feeling of hope, a feeling that America was beginning to truly achieve LGBTQA+ equality. Sadly, electing a president who is so widely against LGBTQA+ rights is seen as not two, but a thousand steps back and many believe we are worse off than even before summer 2015.
However, there are also the few who say not only that this will cause no effect on LGBTQA+ rights, but even have the audacity to say that Trump/Pence will be good for LGBTQA+ rights. I apologize, but this is simply not true.
One of the main reasons that people are misinformed about Trump and Pence’s stance on LGBTQA+ issues is because of Trump holding a pride flag at a rally in Colorado. This led many people to believe that Trump is pro-LGBTQA+ rights. However, there are issues here that many do not see.
The first is that this was not a flag produced by Donald Trump, or something that was
planned in order to show his support for the community. He was handed this flag by a member of the crowd and proceeded to prance around stage with it, clearly pandering and glad for the great photo op. However, the second point is that Donald Trump was actually holding the flag upside down, clearly not even having basic knowledge about the most well known symbol of this community. The third is that many people commend Trump for being “the first political candidate to so openly endorse the LGBTQA+ community.” Are we forgetting when President Obama and Joe Biden literally ran through the White House waving pride flags? Or when Joe Biden officiated the wedding of two white house staffers, a gay couple?
There is a significant difference between acknowledging that you have supporters from a certain community, and actively and openly advocating for their best interest and well being. This is something that neither Trump or Pence have done, or have any intention of doing.
For example, January 2016 Trump stated in an interview that he would “strongly consider” appointing the correct judges in order to overturn the Marriage Equality Act. Later that year he also states that he agreed with Ted Cruz’s opposition to the Marriage Equality Act. This is causing many people to consider rushing into marriage before Trump is officially president and potentially makes it illegal. Others, however are cancelling plans to get married for fear that in the future there being records of such a marriage could become a punishable offense.
However, in some cases Trump is the lesser of two evils, and no, I’m not comparing him to Hillary. Mike Pence, Vice President elect, has repeatedly and openly proved himself to be anti LGBTQA+ equality. In 2015 Pence signed a bill protecting those who discriminate against same-sex couples. In one speech he stated not only that being gay was a choice, but also that same sex couples were the beginning of “societal collapse.”
And finally, the deadly cherry on top of this sundae of bigotry, Pence once suggested that the funding for the Ryan White Care Act (a program supporting those living with HIV/AIDS) should be reallocated toward conversion therapy, which has been repeatedly proven to not work and is actually more damaging than helpful, especially considering the fact that homosexuality is not considered a mental disorder. Trump has not yet confirmed his stance on conversion therapy.
It doesn’t matter how you spin it, or what your opinions are about Trump and Pence. There is simply no way to not understand that they do not and will not ever make presidential decisions with the best interest of the LGBTQA+ community in mind, and if you believe so I’m sorry to say that you are severely misinformed. If there was ever a time for members of the LGBTQA+ community to be scared, it is now.
