By AFRO Staff
abrent@afro.com
LGBTQIA+ voters emerged as a vital and active demographic in the 2024 general election, shaping discourse around civil rights, health care, education and safety.
According to an NBC News Exit Poll, “Harris led President-elect Trump 86 percent to 12 percent among LGBT voters. That’s a 15 point change from 2020, when Trump won 27 percent of the LGBT vote against Biden.”
With a variety of offensive comments and a history of implementing discriminatory policies, including banning trans-people from serving in the U.S. military, Trump’s stance on LGBTQIA+ issues has members of the community on edge.
“It is rare that we as American people get the chance to directly engage in political processes in a way that is as obvious as voting. Personally, other forms of civic engagement, such as keeping up legislation, lobbying, community organizing and mutual aid feel far more meaningful to me,” said Aimaloghi Eromosele of Brooklyn,N.Y. “I did not want to see blatant fascism progress in the White House, via Donald Trump, so voting against him was the only thing to do.”
Eromosele, like many others recognized her vote was of the most impactful ways she could truly voice her feelings about Trump running for president- despite the outcome of the election. Other members of the community noted that voting wasn’t an option– but a requirement.
“It was imperative that I vote during this election because our lives are at stake, the way we are at the mercy of the government and could have our rights stripped away is unacceptable,” said Marshawn Grady of Richmond,Va.
As election results were announced in the early hours of Nov. 6, members of the LGBTQIA+ community experienced a mix of emotions.
“I’m highly disappointed in these results. I was hoping Kamala was going to be elected, but in the back of my mind I knew it wasn’t going to happen,” said Justin Brent of Columbus, Ohio. “Trump has been so clear in his feelings towards the queer and the Black community, I’m sure none of his policies or actions will be in our favor.”
According to the platform publicly posted to Donald Trump’s official website, he plans to “cut federal funding for any school pushing critical race theory, radical gender ideology, and other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content” to children in K-12 classrooms.
He also has said he wants to “keep men out of women’s sports.”
In the wake of Trump’s win, many queer people of color seem to be in mourning.
“Living through Trump’s previous presidency and living through many of my rights being revoked for years was hard. Not only did I lose my right to marry my partner at the time, I was also losing my right to make decisions over my body,” said Ashley Bryan of Brooklyn, N.Y. “There were many more rights taken away from my loved ones. Those times were extremely scary to live through.”
Several national LGBTQIA+ organizations such as the Trevor Project and LGBTQ+ CenterLink released statements on social media addressing the election results and assuring the LGBTQIA+ community that they have support and resources during this time. They also took the time to highlight some of the positives of this year’s election.
LGBTQ+ CenterLink released a statement from CEO, Denise Spivak.
“While the outcome may be disappointing, we see undeniable proof of hope for the future. The first ever openly transgender member of Congress will be sworn in, as will the first ever LGBTQ+ member of Congress from the south,” said Spivak, in the statement. “Marriage equality amendments prevailed with overwhelming support in California and Colorado. And across the country, voters continued to pass ballot referendums protecting access to abortion.”