With a trump x Spence duo about to man the White House, LGBT+ and QTPoC folk should be rearing themselves for a shift in their experiences of an America "made great again".
LGBT Realities Aren't Safe in the White House
Out in the U.K, me and my pals attempted to stay-up to watch the entire coverage of the U.S elections. Streaming the SkyNews coverage from across the Atlantic, we quickly gave up. Partially due to exhaustion, mostly because there just wasn't enough alcohol. Heading back home and sleeping through this who-will-Florida-vote-for situation, I awoke to a new world.
Donald Trump was now the 45th President of the USA. People shouted into the echo chambers of social media. Using all the caps and emojis they could deploy to work through their feelings about this.
For anyone reading this, brace yourself. We're in for an assault on LGBT rights and other identities disfavoured by society. Rally the troops. SOS. Red alert. Red will be the only color for sometime that we can expect to see from the rainbow now.
LGBT Anxieties Over Trump are Real
The Obama moment of queer politics wasn't 100% peachy, but saw gay marriage, non-binary genders and same-sex adoption all legitimated through the law.
Enter Trump. Though flagged as the most gay-friendly, Elton John loving Republican presidential elect out there, his vice-president is Mike Spence.
A major anti-LGBT figure, we must be wary. This is a guy who said that gay marriage would kick off a societal collapse. Well, I guess he isn't completely wrong there.
Pence plans to disassemble Obama's protections of LGBT peoples. This is coupled with the Republican platform passing of numerous anti-LGBT provisions, such as opposing a ban on 'gay cure therapy' and halting same-sex adoption.
Running smoothly with a bill to affirm 'religious freedom' exceptions from anti-discrimination laws. Yikes.
What Should We Expect?
The rolling back of certain LGBT rights that progressive movements have battled so hard for renders Queer America a troubling place to be in. The direction of liberation groups have been immediately jettisoned and stagnated, in the face a Trump administration championing of anti-transgender laws been supported in local state and the deadening of the Equality Act backed by the Democrats.
Right now, just a few days into this new political era, we don't know what to expect. Right now, we have no idea where LGBT will be in 4 years time. Right now, all we can do is lift ourselves from mourning, glitter up, and get ready to stand up and fight.
