Reddit Q&A: LGBTQ Political Questions, Answered

Brooke Migdon, a reporter for The Hill who covers LGBTQ politics and policy, answered questions about the state of LGBTQ rights in the U.S. and what’s at stake in the upcoming presidential election.

Selected “Ask Me Anything” responses are below:

Question: What are the most tangible ways LGBTQIA+ Americans will see their lives impacted by another Trump administration?

To respond: Hello, thanks for the question. Trump has promised to enact several policies that will directly impact the LGBTQ community if he is re-elected in November, including a nationwide ban on transgender student-athletes competing according to their gender identity and a federal law that recognizes only two genders. He also promised to punish doctors who administer gender-affirming care to minors and roll back new anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people. At a campaign event last year, Trump said he would restore a ban on transgender people serving openly in the military, as he did in 2017.

Some more links to The Hill reports here:

Question: Do you think a change in administration would mean a noticeable “change in vibe” for the LGBTQ community? Are people in the LGBTQ community worried about a possible Trump administration? Do they find the rhetoric troubling?

To respond: This is a high-stakes election for LGBTQ people, and the voters I spoke to are certainly anxious about what November will bring. Trump has already laid out a number of policies he will enact as president that explicitly target LGBTQ Americans, and transgender Americans in particular. But voters are also unenthusiastic about voting for Biden, especially after the administration signaled its opposition to gender-affirming surgeries on minors, which many see as a reversal of the president’s commitment not to interfere in private medical decisions. .

Question: What’s the biggest LGBTQ story in politics that may not be getting as much coverage, but you think will become even more important over time?

To respond: This is a good question. There definitely needs to be more focus on how Project 2025, a conservative wish list for a potential Trump administration, will impact LGBTQ people if it is implemented.

Question: In political terms, what has been the Biden administration’s level of support for LBGTQ issues? Let’s say that ignoring Biden’s memory issues (and the alternative’s lack of support), if a second Biden administration happens and they remain at the same level of support for LBGTQ issues, would that be seen as generally acceptable? Good? Bad?

To respond: Biden has done a lot for LGBTQ people. He expanded federal protections against discrimination and broadly condemned attacks on the community. Last month, he pardoned thousands of former US military personnel convicted of military convictions under an old law banning gay sex.

That said, Biden has failed to deliver on several promises, including one to safeguard access to gender-affirming health care for transgender youth, which is now banned in half the country. The administration last week issued a controversial statement opposing transition surgeries for minors. Although such procedures are not normally recommended for trans youth under the age of 18, the statement shook the community. A group of transgender state lawmakers, in a letter to Biden last week, called the statement a “shocking repudiation” of the president’s promises to protect transgender Americans.

Question: What are the most significant stories you are following right now (lawsuits, state laws, general campaigns, etc.)?

To respond: Right now, I’m following Republican efforts to overturn the Biden administration’s new Title IX regulations, which cover discrimination based on gender identity for the first time.

More than two dozen GOP-led states have sued over the changes, which they argue undermine existing protections against discrimination for students who are not transgender. Federal judges sided with those states in three cases, blocking the regulations, which are set to take effect Aug. 1, in 14 states.

House Republicans are expected to vote today on a Congressional Review Act resolution to overturn the administration’s Title IX rule, though it is unlikely to pass the Senate, which is controlled by Democrats.

Question: If Trump were president again, would LGBTQ+ policies be different in each state? For example, I live in Minnesota, which offers relatively strong protections for LGBTQ+ people. Is there any likelihood that these state-granted protections could or would be crushed under a second Trump administration?

To respond: This is an important question. The short answer is yes. We know from Project 2025, a roadmap for the next conservative administration authored by the Heritage Foundation, that certain federal protections for LGBTQ people could be in jeopardy during a second Trump term. (However, Trump has recently tried to distance himself from Project 2025, saying he has “nothing to do” with the initiative and disagrees with some aspects of it.) States with laws protecting access to health care and abortion that gender-affirming, we could also see those policies challenged under Trump, and local hospitals and school districts with trans-inclusive policies could lose government funding.

This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story