Summary

LGBTQ Americans are deeply concerned about Donald Trump’s second term, citing his anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, policies, and ties to conservative groups like the Heritage Foundation.

His past actions and campaign ads targeting trans individuals have raised fears of eroding healthcare access, legal protections, and rights, especially for transgender people.

Trump’s alignment with the Project 2025 agenda, which promotes rolling back LGBTQ rights, heightens anxiety, despite his appointment of an openly gay treasury secretary.

Advocates warn of significant societal and legal repercussions.

  • tootoughtoremember@lemmy.world
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    4 days ago

    After hearing Democrats talk about how they were “too woke” on transgender issues, I don’t blame anyone for feeling unwelcome.

    My problem with that is, the only time I heard Harris say trans was when she was talking about prosecuting transnational gangs. Democrats didn’t lose for being too woke, they lost cause they don’t know how to talk about the economy to blue collar workers.

    But with this Congress, this President, and this Supreme Court, including any additional conservatives judges Trump adds, no one in the crosshairs of Project 2025 should feel comfortable right now.

    • Queen HawlSera@lemm.ee
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      4 days ago

      After hearing Democrats talk about how they were “too woke” on transgender issues,

      This is the main thing that scares me…

      I’m actually worried it’s a bout to be open season in both Blue and Red states alike for LGB and especially T.

    • BedSharkPal
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      4 days ago

      Talking about the economy? Yeah I don’t think the majority of Trump supporters care. That’s way too abstract for them.

      • MutilationWave@lemmy.world
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        4 days ago

        And one of the many problems with Harris is she kept reaching right and changed approximately zero minds. She could have said “the economy” is the bank accounts of the rich and we all know it, it’s time to change that. But yeah very unlikely to hear that from a politician whose name isn’t Bernie Sanders.

        The problem is to the voters “the economy” is the price of gas or eggs or whatever. In fact it was the self-reported number one issue in the election. So politicians just keep talking past the voters because they mean completely different things by “the economy”.

        • CmdrShepard42@lemm.ee
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          3 days ago

          Yeah Biden and Harris’ (along with the right though they won’t admit it) version of “the economy is good” only applies to you if you’re earning your income via capital gains and not earning your income from wages.

          Of course there’s an argument to be made that healthy companies mean healthy jobs, but these companies have tainted and perverted this so bad that average workers don’t really benefit from it at all.

      • tootoughtoremember@lemmy.world
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        4 days ago

        According to AP VoteCast (who surveyed 110k voters), the top issue for voters was the economy, with 6 of 10 considering the economy to be not so good or poor, two-thirds were very concerned about the cost of food and groceries, 7 of 10 thinking the country is on the wrong track, and 8 of 10 looking for substantial change to how the country is run.

        This is why the Democrat messaging about the inflation rate coming under control (true) or stronger post-pandemic recovery than most other comparable nations (also true) fell flat for most voters. If someone’s real wages didn’t match the price increases to food, rent, and everything else over the last four years, then how good the GDP is doesn’t really matter to them.

        Campaigning on “things will largely be the same”, or saying you wouldn’t have done anything differently over the last four years, is always going to be a real uphill battle against an overwhelming desire for significant change.

        • BedSharkPal
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          4 days ago

          Even with perfect messaging on the economy I don’t think it would do much. Hell Trump fucked the economy the first go around, Biden mostly fixed it.

          IMO we need to tap into fear and lean on social media or non MSM sources. It’s sad we can’t appeal to better angels and a bright star, but we are passed that now.

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    5 days ago

    Never mind not welcome, you’re not safe here. Find a way to get out. Any way you can. Apply for any job anywhere you can think of that will offer you a work visa. I am really sorry for any who can’t get out, but if you are queer, do whatever you can to try.

    • treefrog@lemm.ee
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      5 days ago

      You think trans people were safe before the election?

      I’m not going anywhere this is my home. And if all of us trans adults bounce out of here, the trans kids coming up will have no representation in their communities.

      Fear is the point. My sister’s that started the Stonewall riot, wouldn’t have been running from this shit.

      If the fascists want to get rid of me, they can build a gas chamber.

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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        5 days ago

        I think there’s a reason a lot of my family tree stopped branching between 1939 and 1945. You do you. I am getting my queer daughter the fuck out before it’s too late.

        • treefrog@lemm.ee
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          5 days ago

          I don’t blame you on that one, that’s your kid. I’m an adult with my own kid, who I’m tied to and to his mom. I have encouraged him to get the fuck out once he’s an adult and able to make decisions without his mom’s input.

          We had a good short run of relative safety and visibility. But trans folks have lived here this whole time, and been the victims of violence this whole time. The victim of marginalization, even within the LGBTQ community, this whole time.

          Arm ourselves sure. But to quote Wanda Sykes, I’m not going anywhere, this is my home.

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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            5 days ago

            I am not a big fan of guns, but I wouldn’t blame you or any other queer person planning to stay for arming yourselves. I think in this case it’s probably the smart move. Good luck, I genuinely mean that.

            • treefrog@lemm.ee
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              5 days ago

              I know you do squid, and good luck to you and to your daughter.

              I’m getting emotional thinking about the struggles you two may face in the future.

              • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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                5 days ago

                Thank you. I am emotional about the struggles so many people will face. She’s one of the lucky ones if anything. Of course she’ll still face a lot of struggles, but she’s going to a country outlawing conversion therapy because her grandfather happened to be born there and her father happened to be born before a certain cutoff year. It’s her friends, especially her best friend, a trans boy who already gets a ton of shit just being trans in America and in Indiana and having only semi-supportive parents who will let him wear an uncomfortable chest binder but won’t put him on hormones. What’s going to happen to him? She has a girlfriend too. They’re also going to try to get out, to Canada, but I don’t think they have the money to make it. Even I don’t think we’re going to make it unless I get a job first. I spend hours every day sending out resumes. Not just job websites, but literally looking up every single company in the UK I can find and think of that might use a video or audio professional/content creator, seeing if they have a “send us your CV” link and emailing it there just in the hopes that one of them will hire me. I figure I have about a month and a half to find a job before we really start getting desperate.

                Anyway, I hope we all make it through this. It’s going to be hard no matter what.

    • marciealana@lemmy.world
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      5 days ago

      I will not be leaving California for a bit. That may not be sufficient to avoid all the crap, but it will help.

    • Nougat@fedia.io
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      5 days ago

      I would guess you’re still going to be relatively safe in an urban area like NYC, but if you’re in, say, rural Oklahoma, it’s time to pack your bags.

      • MutilationWave@lemmy.world
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        4 days ago

        It’s good advice, but moving is out of the financial reach of most people. Especially moving to a safer place, which will have much higher cost of living attached.

    • MutilationWave@lemmy.world
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      4 days ago

      Do it. Do it before January 20. My wife just bought her first gun and I’m getting a rifle.

      And what the fuck is up with the gay Treasury Secretary. This post was the first I heard of it. What a traitor. I mean I guess they’re all traitors of some sort but damn.

      • Hathaway@lemmy.zip
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        4 days ago

        Please get ammo and go to the range. I work at a gun store, trust me, your hypothetical, alleged, enemy, has been armed, and has many hundreds/thousands of rounds downrange. Get proficient.

        Edit: also if that rifle happens to be an AR-15, I work more specifically at a custom AR shop, so please hit me with any possible questions either now, or the future!

        • MutilationWave@lemmy.world
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          3 days ago

          That’s very kind but I’m going to get a Zastava M70 N-PAP AK.

          I already own a 9mm and a 12 gauge short barrel pistol grip pump.

    • catloaf@lemm.ee
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      4 days ago

      Make sure you take training, for safety, usage, and firearm law. People who merely own guns are likely to have negative outcomes.

    • GiddyGap@lemm.ee
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      4 days ago

      What a messed up country where you have to arm yourself to feel free. Ridiculous.

  • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world
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    4 days ago

    That’s kinda the point. I don’t see anyone rushing to be the Czar Of Extremely Low Egg Prices, but I do see them making a performative rule against one particular person in Congress about where they can relieve themselves…

    With the qons, cruelty is the point. It’s not about making anyone’s lives better, even their own base.

  • Queen HawlSera@lemm.ee
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    4 days ago

    It honestly feels like even the Left in this country is thirsting for Trans blood. And that scares me as a trans woman.

    • CmdrShepard42@lemm.ee
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      3 days ago

      Don’t confuse the left with the neoliberal-run Democratic party because they’re keen on abandoning more and more of us on the left day by day.

  • AlligatorBlizzard@sh.itjust.works
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    4 days ago

    My passport showed up today. I need to get started on reclaiming EU citizenship now. Maybe I just commit and use this as a chance to start over somewhere better and safe enough to actually build a life.

    But having already done that once, I’m not keen to restart my life thousands of miles away from everything I’ve ever known.

  • GHiLA@sh.itjust.works
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    4 days ago

    You aren’t.

    I’m fine with you being here, it makes conservatives mad, so it’s a win-win for me, but I don’t run the place, so… not really my call.

  • nifty@lemmy.world
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    4 days ago

    Fuck politics, one should just strive for justice and fairness in all situations. Remember that laws may not be applied justly or fairly, but laws change. Principles and ideals shouldn’t change. People who care should become lawyers, politicians, police, entrepreneurs and more. A lot of the anti-lgbt trash comes from religious fervor, all religions are trash.

    • Dragon Rider (drag)@lemmy.nz
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      4 days ago

      Given that you said “all religions are trash”, would you mind if drag applied your statement to a specific religion of drag’s choosing and assumed you had great familiarity with the religion? And would you feel at all misunderstood or misrepresented if drag then proceeded to get upset with you for attacking this specific religion, and drew a number of conclusions about your political views based on you calling this religion trash?

      Based on personal experience, drag guesses that you wouldn’t like this. But if that’s the case, why’d you say ALL religions are trash?

      • nifty@lemmy.world
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        4 days ago

        Apply to any religion you like 🤷‍♀️

        People who need to rely on religions to make sense of the world are indulging in coping mechanisms. I don’t want to judge people, but I will judge the system and the abuse it perpetrates.

        But if someone is unwilling to learn and resolve their cognitive biases, and instead use said cognitive biases to make others’ lives worse, then those people should be judged.

        Humanity can do better than unsubstantiated mythologies. We’re more capable than living in a dark cave of our own making, and I choose to believe that.

        If you believe in a just and fair God, then know that religions are not God, and God is not that religion.

        • Dragon Rider (drag)@lemmy.nz
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          4 days ago

          Well in that case, drag is going to assume you said that nontheistic buddhism is trash.

          And your argument makes no sense! Attacking a system of belief that’s mainly concerned with how to live a good life within the same world you believe in? You clearly understand that there are many Buddhists who don’t believe in any form of supernatural being, so it seems like you’re just lying about their beliefs due to some kind of prejudice. What on earth is your problem with Buddhism?

          • BlitzoTheOisSilent@lemmy.world
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            4 days ago

            I’ve always heard Buddhism referred to more as a spiritual practice than a religious one. Buddhism has no “deity,” the Buddha would not have condoned the worship of himself as a God. Buddhism’s whole thing deals with karma and the path the self enlightenment, which is the key difference between Buddhism (and other spiritual “religions”): spirituality is self contained, religion isn’t.

            Per most actual religions, you need to worship in certain places, listening to certain people, and many religions encourage the conversion of those outside of the religion (sometimes by force). The community aspect is a requirement of the religion, it’s not considered “kosher” to just do it all by yourself in your house.

            And thus, these religions tend to be organized: they have a hierarchy, a power structure, hell, some ever have their own governments/countries. They protect their own, shielding them from the law despite their pedophilic transgressions (cough cough Catholicism), they require tithes or their patrons but rarely offer financial assistance to their own parishes.

            Buddhism can be practiced in groups (monks and monasteries), but those groups are not forcefully trying to convert outsiders (though they may welcome them), and they aren’t necessary. You can practice Buddhism entirely on your own and still be faithfully practicing all of the tenets of the “religion,” despite never interacting with any type of significant religious figures.

            I’ve never met a Buddhist who sat down next to me at dinner and started asking when I’m going to accept Buddha and start going to meditation and find my inner chakra and give up all of my possessions for the pursuit of pure enlightenment, or tell me I’m going to reincarnate as a disfigured creature because I’m trans.

            I have been told by various folks of various Abrahamic-Religion flavors that I’m going to hell for being trans, need to repent/kill myself, been asked when I’m going back to church, how I can turn my back on my creator, told religion will fix my depression/mental issues, and so on.

            And the fact that the majority of religions rely on the indoctrination of children for their member base to remain consistent/strong enough, rather than allowing people to find their teachings and accept/deny them for themselves when they can consent as adults, should tell you most religions are more akin to cults than anything actually beneficial to society.

            • Dragon Rider (drag)@lemmy.nz
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              4 days ago

              So… You’re saying buddhism isn’t a religion because it isn’t bad?

              That seems like circular reasoning if you’re using it to arrive at an anti religious point of view.

              • BlitzoTheOisSilent@lemmy.world
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                4 days ago

                I’m claiming Buddhism isn’t a religion at all, it’s a spiritual practice.

                It’s a spiritual practice, an ideology or philosophy, there’s no centralized Buddhist religion with an unelected figurehead dictating your “religion.” You can buy a pillow and watch some YouTube videos on Buddhist practices, and you’re a Buddhist so long as you follow the ideology and practices. There’s no weekly check-ins at the church, no needing to pass certain coming-of-age rights, no baptisms or indoctrination ceremonies, no pressure to convert those around you.

                But I wouldn’t call you religious, I’d call you spiritual. You’re attempting to gain an enlightened and spiritual connection with the world/universe around you. You’re not trying to appease a God in the hopes you’ll be granted an eternal afterlife, and following every single religious rule/practice is the only way to ensure that.

                • Dragon Rider (drag)@lemmy.nz
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                  4 days ago

                  So… You’re saying buddhism isn’t a religion because it isn’t bad?

                  That seems like circular reasoning if you’re using it to arrive at an anti religious point of view.

          • nifty@lemmy.world
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            4 days ago

            In general, anything which makes unsubstantiated claims and wants to have a say in how humans organize themselves is bunk to me. You can pick and choose from something which resonates with you, and leave the rest. There’s no rule which says you have to accept the whole spiel of something. Only a religion makes you dumb enough to believe that you have to accept something in an all or nothing manner.

            • Dragon Rider (drag)@lemmy.nz
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              Oh, you’ve switched to praising Buddhism for not having any of the negative traits you just listed? Cool, glad to meet someone so open minded.

    • crimsonpoodle@pawb.social
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      4 days ago

      So ok I’ve been hearing the arming argument, but what situation exactly would we use it? Is this for a hypothetical civil war? Or to defend yourself from far right mobs? These are the only two scenarios which it would seem to make sense; and they seem mostly far fetched. Anything less than that is just a great way for the police to add charges and or give them an excuse to shoot you.

      • Seleni@lemmy.world
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        4 days ago

        The second, and it’s far more likely than you think. See the Tulsa Massacre, Chicago Race Riots, Rosewood Massacre, and the Wilmington Insurrection as depressing examples.

      • BlitzoTheOisSilent@lemmy.world
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        4 days ago

        Better to be judged by twelve than carried by six. To me, it’s solid advice (so long as the individual can own a firearm responsibly, which is an individual decision) for individuals of minority groups to arm themselves.

        The majority of situations will be like the other commenter said: arm yourself to protect yourself against groups looking to do you harm. It won’t surprise me to hear about groups of bigots rolling up on LGBTQ+ clubs and following people home to attack/assault/kill them, or if we see more Pulse Nightclub shooting events.

        Remember, Reagan pushed for gun control as the Gov of California only after the Black Panthers started carrying weapons to their rallies. Yeah, push comes to shove, the police/government have way bigger and better weapons than the average American.

        But that was true back then too, and it still scared the government enough to pass firearm restrictions. Peaceful protests can remain a lot more peaceful when the police know the other side is packing too. (I say CAN because obviously once weapons are introduced to any situation, violence is introduced as a potential consequence)

        No one wants to be the first one shot, even if you’ve got a tank/machine gun behind you as backup.