(Editor's note: The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author. This article was submitted by an anonymous contributor.)
Donald Trump has officially been elected 47th President of the United States, set to be in office for the next four years. For many people on campus and within Farmville, it’s a cause for celebration and happiness. However, for many others, it’s a scary and distressing time – especially people within the LGBTQ+ community.
Trump voters may believe it’s explained by a simple difference in opinion, but for the LGBTQ+ community it is a question of, “Will I still have my rights tomorrow”? This editorial is a call to action for LGBTQ+ allies on Longwood Campus and within Farmville to be prepared to help support queer people during these 4 years and a chance to educate people on Trump’s policies and Project 2025.
If you are skeptical of if Trump’s policies will harm the queer community, I introduce you to Project 2025. It is a 900-page public document created by Republican politicians that lists multiple policies they will attempt to enforce if Donald Trump were to become President again.
Although Trump claims Project 2025 is not his plan, and that he has no connection to it, a CNN report found at least 140 people who worked for him are involved in its creation.
There are many policies within Project 2025 that are dangerous to the well-being of the American people, including people of color and immigrants.
Specifically concerning the LGBTQ+ community, gender identity and LGBTQ+ are referred to as “gender ideology” throughout Project 2025 – to which the document is in full opposition. Project 2025 specifically targets the spreading of “gender ideology,” and actively wants to focus its studies on the negative effects of gender-affirming care. These can be found throughout the document, including in Section 11, regarding the education system.
This is a dangerous mindset to push, as there are already a multitude of studies that have shown that providing gender-affirming care to transgender individuals decreases the likelihood of suicide and increases happiness.
According to a 2022 study published in Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience, “Receipt of gender-affirming interventions, specifically [puberty blockers] or [gender-affirming hormones], was associated with 60% lower odds of moderate to severe depressive symptoms and 73% lower odds of self-harm or suicidal thoughts during the first year of multidisciplinary gender care.”
The majority of transgender individuals who ended up de-transitioning (whether permanently or temporarily) did so because of social pressure or discrimination. A 2021 study published in LGBTQ Health states, “Of those who had detransitioned, 82.5% reported at least one external driving factor. Frequently endorsed external factors included pressure from family and societal stigma.”
Project 2025 also enforces the idea that same-gender marriage is inferior and wrong compared to heterosexual marriage, baselessly stating that “the average length of same-sex marriages is half that of heterosexual marriages” (Section 14, Department of Health and Human Services).
If you are an LGBTQ+ ally and are unsure of how to help your queer friends, the first thing to do is spread awareness. Get educated on the laws and statistics involving LGBTQ+ people. Checking in on your queer friends and offering moral support is also an option.
Voting in state and local elections can also really make a difference for LGBTQ+ people, as a large part of the legislation impacting the queer community comes from these levels of government. For example, a bill passed through the state legislature and signed by the governor earlier this year strengthens marriage equality in Virginia.
For education and how to help an LGBTQ+ person during these tough times, The Trevor Project is an incredible resource to start with. If you are still skeptical or dismissive of the struggles of LGBTQ+ individuals, it may be helpful to research the experiences of real life transgender and gay individuals. It is always crucial to be open to understanding a perspective that you may not have ever considered.
On campus, Longwood University has an LGBTQ+ organization called “PRIDE,” an LGBTQ+ specific group counseling option called “Affirm,” and Farmville has its own queer organization called “Farmville Pride”. The Trevor Project is also an excellent crisis resource.
For my fellow queer people on campus and within Farmville, we must remain strong and form a community to brave the storm that’s about to come.
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Sources:
Bhatt, N., Cannella, J., & Gentile, J. P. (2022). Gender-affirming Care for Transgender Patients. Innovations in clinical neuroscience, 19(4-6), 23–32.
Contorno, S. (2024). Trump claims not to know who is behind Project 2025. A CNN review found at least 140 people who worked for him are involved. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/11...
James, S. E., Herman, J. L., Rankin, S., Keisling, M., Mottet, L., & Anafi, M. (2016). The Report of the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey. Washington, DC: National Center for Transgender Equality.
Manning, W.D., Brown, S.L. & Stykes, J. Same-Sex and Different-Sex Cohabiting Couple Relationship Stability. Demography 53, 937–953 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13524...
Policy | project 2025. Project 2025. (2023). https://www.project2025.org/po...
Turban, J. L., Loo, S. S., Almazan, A. N., & Keuroghlian, A. S. (2021). Factors Leading to "Detransition" Among Transgender and Gender Diverse People in the United States: A Mixed-Methods Analysis. LGBT health, 8(4), 273–280. https://doi.org/10.1089/lgbt.2...
