LGBTQ Discrimination
On June 12th, 2016, forty-nine people were murdered in the horrific hate-crime shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida, regarded as the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history (“They”). Acts of LGBTQ discrimination such as this happen everyday and will continue happening with President Trump and Vice President Pence. Thanks to former President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, same-sex marriage is the law of the land throughout the United States, but unfortunately discrimination against the LGBTQ community still exists in many other shapes and forms whether it be through monstrous hate crimes, or even in today’s politics. Now with the new republican government administration of the United States, a new wave of anti-LGBTQ supporters have risen because the people in office have a long history of being anti-LGBTQ themselves, and the community is now scared and more at risk than ever. Therefore, today’s politics have heightened LGBTQ discrimination by the increase of mental health issues, the rise in numbers of hate crimes, and the fear of equal rights being taken away.
Due to constant fear of discrimination, the LGBTQ community experiences heightened mental health issues compared to heterosexual or cisgender people. Mental health issues such as depression and severe anxiety can come about due to many causes including bullying, more likely than others to experience a mental health condition. (Bronski ) The fear of coming out and suppressed LGBTQ feelings, and gender identity dysphoria. Being discriminated against because of sexuality or gender identity is so bad that it leads to innocent individuals having thoughts of suicide or also turning to substance abuse. For LGBTQ youth ages 10-24, the leading cause of death is suicide. (Lang) This heartbreaking fact alone shows how being LGBTQ is still a dangerous thing in today’s society and our new presidential administration only makes that worse. Since Vice President Pence has openly supported gay conversion therapy camps and even stated that LGBTQ people should be imprisoned (Lang), it has led to many conservative citizens to speak up and harass the LGBTQ community with a rise in hate crimes and verbal abuse. The community is scared because if the country’s administration doesn't support them, their rights are in question. Going further into detail, the transgender community faces mental health problems the most n the LGBTQ community. The problem that politicians currently have trying to fix the problem is that they blame transgender individuals for these issues and not the people harassing these people. “None of these risks for suicide are about being transgender. They are about what is being done to transgender people.” (“The Truth”)
The legal definition of a hate crime according to Webster’s dictionary is “a crime that violates the victim's civil rights and that is motivated by hostility to the victim's race, religion, creed, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender”. The terrifying number of hate crimes against LGBTQ people today expresses that homophobia and transphobia are real threats to the LGBTQ community. Of every minority, LGBTQ people are targets of violent hate crimes the most causing a huge fear from those who have yet to come out and those who want to express themselves outside of the comfort of their homes and safe places. In 2014, the LGBTQ community faced a shocking 145 in one million people ratio of being victims of hate crimes (Park). Yes, there are laws against hate crimes, but sometimes these laws are used disproportionately and justice for the victim is not served. For example, a person of color or a person of a lower class may not get the same respect and attention as a hate crime victim over someone who is white and has money. In our administration today, Vice-President Mike Pence is strongly against laws that fight hate crimes and he has even stated that LGBTQ people should be imprisoned themselves just for being homosexual (Bronski). This man is not only a man with power in the country but he is the Vice President of the entire country. A country that is supposed to be progressive and accepting of all people no matter race, religion, or sexual orientation. The “land of the free” is being run by people who believe in banning same-sex marriage and want to send LGBTQ people to conversion camps to “fix” them. They can’t “fix” LGBTQ people because there is nothing to fix. With people like Trump and Pence in administration, it is a sign to homophobic and transphobic people living in the country that disrespecting and harassing people of the LGBTQ community is OK. It is not.
Far too often, the names and stories of the victims of hate crimes in the LGBTQ community are forgotten and lost. A way to help support the LGBTQ community is to listen and share the stories of those lost. T.T, 26, was a black transgender woman who was found murdered in Chicago’s Garfield Park on September 11. Reports from those who knew her say she was a “lovely” and “happy, cheerful” person who was always laughing (“Violence”). Reecey Walker, 32, was a black transgender woman from Wichita, Kansas, who was fatally stabbed by a 16-year old boy on May 1st. He was charged with second degree murder. (“Violence). India Monroe was a transgender woman who was fatally shot to death in Newport News, VA. When police investigated her murder, they called it a domestic case instead of a hate crime and addressed her as the wrong name and gender that she identified as. (“Violence”). These are just a few of the names and stories of those taken too soon by an act of hate and violence. Say their names and share their stories. Don’t let them be another lost victim to a hate crime.
Today, the majority of the hate crimes against the LGBTQ community are targetting the transgender community. Transgender lives are being cut short everyday at the hands of hatred and transphobia. The average human life expectancy is 79 years, but the average life expectancy of a transgender woman is only 30-32 years old (“Violence”). Transgender people are literally living less than half of the life of an average human does. This is unacceptable. Transgender people, specifically transgender women are more often targeted for violent crimes and harassment more than any other minority (Park). This is something that the media does not even cover. Too often, these transgender lives are taken so easily and quickly from people with hate in their heart and the trans lives are dismissed and forgotten. This is not OK. Transgender lives are at risk and our presidential administration today has done nothing to help that. More and more innocent people are dying everyday and too many stand as bystanders. The problem a lot of Republicans have talking about hate crimes against the LGBTQ community is that some of them refuse to even acknowledge an obviously anti-LGBTQ motivated crime as a real hate crime. In fact, some Republicans even refused to acknowledge the Pulse massacre in Orlando, Florida as a hate crime (Park). Hate crimes are taking innocent lives everyday and all Trump and Pence have done nothing to address it or try to help, all of their efforts have been against LGBTQ people, promoting homophobia and transphobia. President Trump has been recently known for his disgusting comments degrading women, so how should any of the LGBTQ community really expect him to support other women like gay women, trans women, and also gender nonconforming women.
The only efforts seen by Trump and Pence regarding the LGBTQ communtiy is seeing the LGBTQ community face the fear of their rights being taken away. The country’s current vice president, Mike Pence, has openly supported gay conversion therapy, and gay conversion camps which have no psychological support in actually “curing” people of their LGBTQ thoughts and feelings (Lang). Pence has even stated that he believes homosexuals should be imprisoned simply for being homosexual (Lang). Pence is not the only person with ignorant thoughts like these. Homophobic people exist and have existed since homosexuals have existed, forever. They are also not going away anytime soon, but the president and vice president should be accepting and supportive of all people in the United States, not just the straight, white men. The Tump administration have shown zero support for the LGBTQ community and have just instilled fear and allowed for more transphobic and homophobic discrimination to take place.
Since Trump’s executive order of the Muslim ban at airports, there have been rumor of another executive order going out that allows anti-LGBTQ discrimination everywhere. What this kind of executive order would entail would be allowing businesses, workplaces, medical aid, etc., to discriminate anyone because of their sexuality or gender identity (Taylor). For example, a transgender man could have a heart attack. Their partner would immediately call 911and wait for the paramedics to come and help her partner. When the paramedics arrive and start undressing the man, they might realize that he is a transgender female to male. The paramedic may be immediately disgusted, not being educated or growing up in an environment where non-cisgender people are looked down upon, and they would be able to legally refuse to treat this transgender man and he would be left to die. This is something an anti-LGBTQ executive order would allow. Not only this but it would also allow LGBTQ individuals to be turned away from jobs, and not be able to get married, taking our country 5 steps back instead of forward, where we should be going. The order is expected to come with an entire package of a so-called “religious freedom” order, which contends that one’s religious beliefs are enough to prevent them from having to provide services and goods to members of the LGBTQ community if doing so would conflict with their said beliefs. Not only is this order full of hate, but it is also purely inhumane. Disguising ignorance as “religious freedom” does not hide the hate.
On February 22, 2017, the Trump administration withdrew federal protection of transgender students using the bathroom of their comfort and identity in all public schools (“Transgender”). Not only does this create a hostile, uncomfortable environment for transgender students, but it endangers them as well. Based on Title IX, sex discrimination in schools is illegal and against the constitution, and this should include gender identity (“Transgender”). One of the biggest reason politicians and families are against allowing transgender students to use the bathroom of their choice is because they believe it will put children in danger of a pedophile or creeper going into the opposite sex bathroom pretending they are transgender. Is this possible? Yes. Is it likely? Absolutely not. Most of the danger in letting transgender people use their choice of bathroom is coming from the non-trans people who attack transgender people for simply doing their own thing and following their heart. They mean no harm, they are really just trying to use the restroom like everyone else. Without the protection and support from the Trump administration, trans people are endangered and scared of what else the Trump administration might attack the LGBTQ community with next.
Opponents insist that having anti-LGBTQ feelings and morals aren’t hateful, but are actually the “right” feelings to have because they are simply following their religious beliefs. One person who strongly abides to this is United States Senator, Ted Cruz. When same-sex marriage became legalized throughout the U.S., he followed it with saying that the decision was, “was illegitimate, it was lawless, it was utterly contrary to the Constitution,” and he vowed to “defend religious liberty,” (Brydum). Though he does have a valid point emphasizing his religious freedom, there is a difference between following a religion and just being ignorant and discriminatory. This country was built on many freedoms, one of them being freedom of religion, but it was also built on equality and if a straight man can get married, so should a gay man be able to as well. For years, fundamentalist religious-political organizations have spewed hate at LGBTQ people. LGBTQ individuals are people too. People who live, eat, sleep, breathe, and love just like anyone else, so they should be able to do the same as anyone else despite what anyone else’s beliefs say they can and can’t do.
In today’s world, the LGBTQ communtiy has thr most freedom and rights they have ever had, but threats like the Republican agenda, Trump’s administration, and the spread of transphobic and homophobic ideals, makes this country still a scary place to be yourself in. The LGBTQ community is constantly battling mental health issues due to harsh and violent discrimination from family, strangers, and our government, which has resulted in suicide being the leading cause of death in LGBTQ youth. Hate crime numbers are rising and innocent LGBTQ individuals are losing their lives every day. Trump’s administration claims to “be there” for the LGBTQ community but continues to attack and mistreat them, only promoting homophobia and transphobia. Today’s politics have heightened LGBTQ discrimination by the increase of mental health issues, the rise in numbers of hate crimes, and the fear of equal rights being taken away. The LGBTQ community needs to be protected and supported in every way possible because today’s Republican ideals in office really are a major threat. The fight for LGBTQ equality is not over, and the people shouldn’t stop fighting until it is.