Responses to last week’s presidential election have ranged between rage and fear for the LGBTQ+ community, according to advocacy organizations. Exit polling found LGBTQ+ voters backed Democrats by an 86%-12% margin, making them one of the top supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris over Donald Trump.
That fact only served to intensify concerns as voters felt locked out of the promises Harris had made to continue support for LGBTQ+ people. Concerns also rose over what the Trump administration’s Project 2025 plans augur for queer and trans people in the coming months.
As PGN previously reported, Project 2025 would dismantle anti-discrimination protections by removing terms such as “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” from federal laws, allowing for legal discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals. In addition, marriage, adoption, IVF and surrogacy would be under threat. So too would education and access to housing.
Trump has also stated that he wants Congress to pass a law establishing a gender binary system in which only one’s assigned gender at birth is accepted. Whether such a law could pass even a Republican-run House is doubtful, but it is a chilling concern for trans and non-binary people.
Trump also vowed to end gender-affirming care for minors if re-elected president and said he would push schools to “promote positive education about the nuclear family” and “the roles of mothers and fathers.”
GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement, “After the election, trans Americans will have to deal with the dangerous fallout from the shameful lies and misinformation that far too many political candidates are intentionally spreading.”
LGBTQ+ youth in peril
The Trevor Project has seen a massive spike in crisis calls from LGBTQ+ youth following Donald Trump’s win. The suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ+ youth saw a nearly 700% rise in communications compared to weeks prior.
Election-related concerns among young people contacting the nonprofit skyrocketed by nearly 5,200% compared to averages leading up to election day.
This data bolstered results of a recent national survey by The Trevor Project and Morning Consult polling that found 90% of LGBTQ+ young people said “their well-being was negatively impacted due to recent politics.”
Reason for fear
In 2017 on his first day as president, Trump scrubbed all federal agency websites of nearly all mentions of the LGBTQ+ community. This included a page dedicated to LGBT rights. A report on the Labor Department’s website on LGBT workers rights was also removed.
The first Trump administration was also virulently anti-LGBTQ+, as PGN reported over four years.
In addition to fighting their own EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) over the Supreme Court decision in Bostock, Trump put three anti-LGBTQ+ justices on the Supreme Court who have repeatedly fought against LGBTQ+ rights, most notably in 2023 when they established discrimination as precedent.
Elon Musk’s trans daughter weighs in
Elon Musk’s trans daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, posted on the Meta-owned social media platform Threads the day after the election that, “I’ve thought this for a while, but yesterday confirmed it for me. I don’t see my future being in the United States.”
She said, “Even if [Trump is] only in office for 4 years, even if the anti-trans regulations magically don’t happen, the people who willingly voted for this are not going anywhere anytime soon.”
In response to Wilson’s comment, Musk wrote on Twitter/X, misgendering Wilson, “The woke mind virus killed my son.”
Republicans spent nearly $215 million on anti-trans network TV ads during the 2024 election cycle. The Trump campaign and associated groups, including the National Republican Senatorial Committee focused attacks on the LGBTQ+ community and trans people in particular with ads depicting Democrats as supporting “they/them” while Trump and fellow Republicans were “for you.”
Vice President Kamala Harris was targeted specifically for her stance on protecting incarcerated trans people and their health care during her time as Attorney General of California. The issue was thought to have influenced both white women, who voted 53% for Trump, and Latino men, who voted more than 50% for Trump over Harris.
Positive words from advocates
In a statement following the election, Trevor Project CEO Jaymes Black said, “The Trevor Project wants LGBTQ+ young people to know that we are here for you, no matter the outcome of any election, and we will continue to fight for every LGBTQ+ young person to have access to safe, affirming spaces — especially during challenging times. LGBTQ+ young people: your life matters, and you were born to live it.”
Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, issued this statement, “Like millions of other Americans, we’re heartbroken by the results of the presidential election, as well as the loss of other pro-equality champions across the country. We know our community is feeling scared, angry and worried about what’s next for them and their families. We see you — there’s no question that we will face more challenges in the years to come as part of our fight for full LGBTQ+ equality.
Robinson said, “Our ancestors taught us that resilience is our superpower. Make no mistake — we are not backing down. And we are going to continue to show up for each other and for the march toward progress — no matter what.”
Robinson pointed to positive aspects of the election that flew under the radar for many amidst the stark fact of Trump’s re-election.
Robinson said, “Despite these disappointing results, we see undeniable proof of hope for the future. Sarah McBride, a trail-blazing champion for Delawareans, will be sworn in this January as the first ever openly transgender member of Congress. Julie Johnson, a dedicated fighter for civil rights and longtime HRC champion, will be the first ever LGBTQ+ member of Congress from the South. 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 in the face of an onslaught of misleading transphobic attacks — just the latest example that attacks on the trans community are political losers.”
Robinson said, “For more than 40 years, HRC has been on the front lines of the fight for LGBTQ+ equality — one of the most powerful movements this country has ever seen. From Stonewall to the AIDS crisis to attacks against transgender Americans and our unwavering fight for marriage equality at the Supreme Court, the LGBTQ+ community has always persevered and defied the odds to make progress that once seemed unimaginable.”
She concluded, “The path ahead will be challenging, but we are prepared. We will use every tool at our disposal — from advocacy to education to litigation to campaigns — to protect our communities and advance progress where we can. We will build power by building each other up, with a dedication to forging a better path for our future. To every LGBTQ+ person feeling scared, I see you. I feel you. And I need you to hear this: You are not alone. You are loved. You are worthy. And you have an entire community standing with you, today and every day.”