Actions To Take Right Now To Combat The Rise in LGBTQ+ Hate
There's no longer time to be complacent
It’s felt like Groundhog Day for a decade.
But as President Trump’s plethora of Executive Orders continue to put our most vulnerable in the crosshairs, something feels different.
The air has changed.
They don’t care anymore about being polite, or being kind. They’re not beating around the bush, and they’re not waiting for a quiet moment to slip their prejudicial motions into play. They’re doing it in broad daylight, with a smile on their face and confidence in their chests.
So we need to do the same.
Do I believe that we need to match people where they’re at? Sometimes. Of course we don’t need to be doing any storming, that’s a bit much. But if transphobia is being vocalised with clarity and confidence and an awareness that repercussions do not exist, then something is devastatingly wrong. So organising and being proactive with the ways we demonstrate our defiance need to be stepped up.
Some of us can’t protest in ‘traditional’ ways, but there’s always things we can do in our local area. It might take more energy, it might be that we are the first ones to do something in our neighbourhood. But we don’t really have time anymore to be sitting on our hands waiting for the activists we look up to, to do it all for us.
That’s not how community movements work.
So, here are some things you CAN do right now wherever you are to help LGBTQ+ communities across the world.
Know What Legal Documents You Need
Even if you’re not trans or have no desire to change your gender marker on your passport, it’s important to know your rights (and the rights of trans/non-binary people) when it comes to legal documentation.
After Trump signed an Executive Order making it US Government policy to only recognise male and female sex, the US State Department stopped processing passports with the X gender marker.
Although the situation is ever changing, many trans people have taken to social media to share their experiences with attempting to renew or change their official documentation. Some being told they aren’t allowed, with others having their documents taken from them.
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Keep up to date on the ever changing situation and go with trans/non-binary people to appointments/Government spaces if they face discrimination.
Complain to Ofcom
The Good Law Project shared a TikTok earlier this week of GB News guest Josh Howie speaking of LGBTQ+ people, identifying that this ‘includes paedophiles’ (see below).
Not only is it deeply homophobic, it’s a tactic pulled swiftly from the playbook of hate groups from the 20th century to paint LGBTQ+ people as a danger to children.
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His comments went unchallenged, so what can we do? Complain to Ofcom, the UKs communications regulator. By raising a complaint with the regulator we can apply pressure on them to raise his comments to GB News directly, potentially resulting in action against GB News and Howie.
You can complain directly here.
Promote and Implement DE&I In Your Workplace
According to Forbes, Google announced this week that they will no longer have hiring targets around improving diverse representation amongst its staff. But they’re not the only ones who have taken to dismantling their DE&I practices.
Target, Amazon, McDonald’s, Walmart, Bloomberg, Ford and John Deere are just a few household names in the States that have all either distanced themselves or stopped implementation of ‘cultural awareness’ schemes or internal DE&I training and/or targets for hiring - some announcing these changes in August 2024.
If you can, it’s time to push for these programmes to stay in your workplace. If you know that they provide solace to those internally, then champion them when they appear. Don’t just wait until Pride.
Use PepTalk to find speakers to come into the workplace to speak on the ever-changing LGBTQ+ landscape and help educate everyone on issues the community needs support on.
If you have the powers, use accessible language when writing job applications so people of all identities know they are safe within your workplace.
Do more than just Pride or LGBTQ+ History Month activations.
Speak to your line manager about small changes that can continue to be made to ensure trans/non-binary people feel safe in the workplace. Eg: pronouns in bios/email signatures, gender neutral spaces, subsidised therapy, time off for gender-affirming care recovery.
Don’t presume that this doesn’t impact you if you’re not LGBTQ+
AIDS Awareness & Prevention
On his first day in office President Trump put hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of foreign aid donations on hold for 90 days. However, a waiver on the financial contributions the US Government provides to HIV/AIDS programmes in foreign countries was announced, meaning the funding isn’t completely lost - for now.
According to Reuters, more than six million people could die from HIV and AIDS in the next four years if President Trump does decide to pull it's funding. The United Nations AIDS Agency announced also that in Ethiopia, 5,000 public health worker contracts funded by the US were terminated and that many community clinics are “entirely dependent” on US funding.
What can we do? Know our own status. Knowing our own status helps us to keep informed on HIV prevention and the latest medical advancements in the sector. Even if it doesn’t directly impact us, we need to know how it is treated, what we can do for those in our local community who need support, as well as those abroad whose lives often depend on it.
We can also support grassroots organisations working in foreign countries who can continue helping those in need that are not directly financed from the US Government.
Groups like Elton John AIDS Foundation, Terrence Higgins Trust, International AIDS Society, Kaleidoscope Trust and National AIDS Trust work in the US and UK to help those impacted by HIV and AIDS across the world.
If you’re in the UK you can get a free testing kit sent to your house (discreetly) at freetesting.hiv
Challenge Wes Streeting MP On Anti-Trans Healthcare Policy
After newly appointed Health Secretary Wes Streeting MP announced that it would be his Labour Government that would continue with a ban on puberty blockers for trans young people, many saw their life-affirming medications stopped.
After the announcement, many raised their concerns with their local MPs as well as directly to Mr Streeting, who himself is a gay man. His lack of solidarity and understanding of his actions means that its down to us to campaign for his puberty blocker ban to be reversed.
Here is an open letter to Wes Streeting MP, organised by the LGBTQ+ folk of Brighton & Hove, challenging his implementation of The Cass Report, as well as highlighting his lack of understanding and awareness of what support young trans people need in the UK.
You can also find your local MP here and write directly to them to let them know the personal impact this will have on the LGBTQ+ community.
Know of more ways we can get involved and help the LGBTQ+ in your local town, city our country? Comment below and let us know how we can help. We are in this together, and us having each other's backs is one of our strongest tools right now. Don’t lose hope.