With the news of former President Donald Trump’s re-election on Wednesday, LGBTQ+ organizations across the state released statements and videos in response. From defiance to empathy, these messages encouraged action, reflection and possible paths forward for the LGBTQ+ community.
According to exit polling data, 86% of LGBTQ+ voters cast their ballot for Vice President Kamala Harris. Only 12% voted for Trump, a 15-point decrease in his LGBTQ+ support from 2020.
Following the results of the election, many Ohio organizations immediately held space to talk about the election, or otherwise decompress.
LOVEboldly held two online virtual sessions on Thursday, Nov. 7 and both Stonewall Columbus and the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland encouraged local residents to drop by their spaces to be among community in person.
“No matter what, we’re here together, holding space for hope, healing, and the continued journey toward equality,” read a post from the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland.
A national coalition
Nearly 100 LGBTQ+ organizations across the country signed onto a letter vowing to keep pushing to advance queer rights.
TransOhio and Equality Ohio represented Ohio on the list of signatories.
The letter — written by a coalition with no identifiable author — concludes with a call to action.
“We know that so much more work lies ahead of us. Yet as an [LGBTQ+] movement, we will continue to work towards what we always have: a country where all [LGBTQ+] people are safe, seen, and accepted for who we truly are, without exception,” the letter read. “We are here together, and we will move forward. We’ve got this. We’ve got us.”
Trans Allies of Ohio released a statement on their Facebook page articulating how the organization is “stressed, saddened, and scared.”
“While there are some victories to celebrate, Ohio took a step towards even more danger for the trans community,” the post stated. “We are resolved to stand strong and fight every way we can for those being thrust towards harm.”
A tone of defiance
Ohioans Against Extremism, a nonprofit dedicated to voter education and connecting people to boots-on-the-ground political organizations, struck a more defiant tone. Executive Director Maria Bruno said in a TikTok and Instagram Reel that those who voted for Trump could be targeted by his deportation measures even if they are legal citizens. Additionally, with Trump’s statements indicating his desire to deregulate the Food and Drug Administration, Bruno said this could lead to future outbreaks of food-borne illnesses.
“[Those who voted for Trump are] gonna have to live with the fact that they picked shit off the menu,” she said. “Okay, you’re gonna get racially profiled too [and] you’re gonna get the poison from rotten milk too.”
According to AP VoteCast 2024, around 80% of people who voted for President-elect Donald Trump were white. More than half of Black and Hispanic voters voted for Harris, though it was by a lower margin than who voted for the Democratic ticket in the 2020 election.
“For the halfway decent people who woke up feeling like they got hit by a bus knowing that a bunch of people around them have just picked a racist misogynist yet again… The folks that are really struggling right now, let’s have a conversation,” Bruno said.
The path ahead
Equitas Health shared a statement on social media, reiterating their commitment to work “for a better tomorrow.” They also shared organizations for Ohioans to connect with, such as their related program Brothers in Unity, Toledo Mpowerment and Mozaic.
Equality Ohio’s new executive director, Dwayne Steward, said on Thursday, Nov 7 that the organization is working to help enact nondiscrimination statements in at least one city for every county in the state.
“We are going to hold elected officials accountable at the Statehouse, and we will continue to keep fighting for the prosperity and the safety of our transgender community,” Steward said in an Instagram Reel.
In their own Instagram Reel complete with soaring music, Stonewall Columbus posted a video from various staff members vowing to continue the fight for LGBTQ+ civil rights in Central Ohio.
“Community is not who we are,” individuals on the reel said. “It is what we create together.” 🔥
This piece was updated to include the exist polling data of LGBTQ+ voters.
IGNITE ACTION
- To register to vote or to check your voter eligibility status in the state of Ohio, click here.
- To find contact information for your Ohio state representative, click here.
- To read all about the LGBTQ+ legislation currently proposed in Ohio, click here.
- If you are a young LGBTQ+ person in crisis, please contact the Trevor Project: 866-4-U-Trevor.
- If you are an transgender adult in need of immediate help, contact the National Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860
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