We Should Support the LGBTQ+ Community Suing Trump. Here’s Why.
by Christine Kinori
The LGBTQ+ community in the US is facing many challenges across all sectors. President Trump’s administration has certainly made unjust policies against the rights of the LGBTQ+ community during their time in office. This has definitely added to the heavy burden for the LGBTQ+ community in America. Given the many policies that this current administration has made against the LGBTQ+ community, it is no wonder that some LGBTQ+ people and organizations have decided to sue the Trump’s administration. These matters should be taken with the seriousness they deserve and we need to stand up with our brothers and sisters and fight against a system that is trying to oppress the queer community.
Over the past few years, Trump’s administration has tried or committed injustice against the LGBTQ+ community. For example, its opposition to the Equality Act. In May, the house passed the Equality Act voting to guarantee critical non-discrimination protections for the LGBTQ+ people among other rights. But despite the support from almost all the US population and a majority of Republicans, President Trump opposed the act. He has also appointed two anti-LGBTQ+ SCOTUS judges; Gorsuch and Kavanaugh, federal nominees; Kacsmaryk, Matter, Bounds, Bitter, Menashi and others. Let us not forget Trump’s joke about Vice President Pence’s desire to hang LGBTQ+ people. In 2017, President Trump joked about vice president’s anti-gay agenda saying, “Don’t ask that guy — he wants to hang them all.”
In addition to going against the Equality Act, he banned transgender service members from the military, against the expert advise of military leadership, medical authorities, budget analysts, 70% of Americans and the armed forces of allied countries. President Trump’s administration has also removed federal protections against health care discrimination for transgender patients. They seek to overturn Obama-era protections which would allow doctors to discriminate against LGBTQ+ patients. Many people in the community live in fear of doctors refusing to treat them because of their sexuality or gender identity.
Trump’s administration is also working on dismantling protections for homeless transgender people. This means that shelters can refuse to accommodate transgender individuals because of their sexual orientation and identity. This is a particularly dangerous rule that will mostly affect Black transgender women who are currently facing a disturbing rate of unemployment, homelessness, and violence. It is especially worrying, given the ongoing pandemic and the economic crisis. This basically further endangers the lives of the marginalized instead of trying to keep them safe.
At the moment , a coalition of LGBTQ+ groups have filed a lawsuit challenging Trump’s administration’s on the recent rollback on the Obama-era regulation which prohibits discrimination in healthcare against transgender patients. The group is concerned with Trump’s administration concerted and aggressive efforts to undermine protections for the LGBTQ+ community. The new rule set by Trump is set to come into effect from mid-August and alters the definition of sex discrimination. A coalition of like-minded healthcare workers and clinics in 23 states are trying to prevent the new rule from being put into effect. As a community, we need to support them because this is how it starts — first they will come for the transgender people then slowly they will scrap off the rest of us from healthcare. It is my fear that before long, only heterosexuals will be allowed to have healthcare.
Trump’s government has gone out of its way to be discriminatory against the LGBTQ+ community. It has displayed an unusual and abusive effort to roll back critical protections, programs, and services. It has instituted changes for the worse and chosen to bypass long-standing administrative policies and customs when it comes to instituting its new rules and changes. We need to unite and fight for our human rights, the abuse and discrimination needs to stop. If we won’t fight back for our basic human rights, what life will we live? I don’t want to see America turn into other countries, where we cannot be free. Stand up and fight back in November.
About the Author:
Christine Siamanta Kinori grew up in a little village in Kenya known as Loitoktok near the border of Kenya and Tanzania. All she wanted to do when she grew up was to explore the world. Her curiosity led her to join Nairobi University to pursue a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications. She later got a job with an amazing travel magazine Nomad Africa which gave her the opportunity to explore Africa. She also writes for numerous travel websites about Africa and tries to create a new narrative in the media about our aesthetic continent.
Christine claims to have somewhat unhealthy addiction to TV and reading, as it is a fun way to keep herself occupied during the long journeys for her travel writing. She is also a believer of letting people be their beautiful selves. To her, love is love and it is the greatest gift we have as humans.
