by Joe Siegel and Fred Kuhr

Shock waves rippled throughout the nation as Donald Trump won a second term as president on November 5, defeating Kamala Harris, who would have been the first female to lead the United States. Reaction from LGBTQ media reflected the dismay many Harris supporters were feeling.

“Many of us are wondering how this could happen again,” wrote Kevin Naff, editor of the Washington Blade. “Kamala Harris is one of the most qualified presidential candidates to run in our lifetime. She ran against a 34-times convicted felon who staged an insurrection against the government and who faces a sentencing hearing in just three weeks for his crimes. A man who was twice impeached, who courts Vladimir Putin’s attention and approval, and who was found liable for sexual assault. Despite that last fact — and Trump’s bragging about overturning Roe v. Wade — 44 percent of women voters supported him, far more than the polls and pundits predicted.”

Naff pointed out the reasons why he thinks voters went for Trump over Harris.

“Those polls turned out to be pretty accurate and Harris was brought down by lingering concerns over the economy and the toll inflation has taken on lower and middle class Americans,” Naff wrote. “Sure, sexism, and racism played a role in this, but too many of us live in a bubble, insulated from the everyday concerns of disaffected blue collar Americans. While many of us crowed about last week’s Wall Street Journal lead story on the booming U.S. economy being the envy of the world, voters in the former ‘Blue Wall’ states were struggling to put food on the table. When you can’t feed your family, you’re not going to vote for the incumbent vice president.”

For its cover, the Blade chose to focus on LGBTQ candidates who won their elections, including Sarah McBride, who now becomes the first transgender member of Congress, with the headline, “Fight on!”

Also in D.C., Metro Weekly chose a cover image of a rainbow flag pulling away from the White House with the headline, “A Brutal Loss.”

OutSFL, based in Wilton Manors, Fla., chose an even more mournful image, with a cover that was completely black with no headline.

“Today is a dark day in America,” wrote Jason Parsley, publisher of OutSFL. “None of us can be certain of what the future holds, but it’s clear that this moment will embolden the most hostile and intolerant elements of our society — especially those who target the LGBTQ community. OutSFL may be just a small droplet in a vast pond, but even a droplet can spark a ripple. Now, more than ever, we must hold our heads high. Though we may feel stunned and disheartened, our mission at OutSFL endures. We will continue forward because our work is more vital than ever. A free press is our strongest weapon against the many challenges that lie ahead.”

Mark Segal, publisher of the Philadelphia Gay News and a veteran of the Stonewall Riots, provided some historical perspective.

“As we have done for the past 55 years since Stonewall, we will continue to stand tall, proud, and ready to wage the good fight,” Segal wrote. “This isn’t new; there have been times when elections in this country directly impacted our lives. Let’s reflect on those moments, the challenges we faced, and how we not only survived but made progress. Consider two examples. First, Ronald Reagan refused to acknowledge or act to save our community during the HIV/AIDS crisis, leaving us vulnerable when our lives were at stake. He was influenced by the so-called ‘moral majority,’ a coalition of anti-LGBT religious organizations. Sound familiar? He won by a landslide, but it took the courage and determination of ACT UP and others to stand tall and push his administration into action.”

Michael Yamashita, publisher of San Francisco’s Bay Area Reporter (BAR), wrote a letter to readers.

“As I reflect on and absorb the devastating results of the election, I feel the need to reiterate the Bay Area Reporter’s resolve and commitment to our community’s continuing fight for LGBTQ rights,” Yamashita wrote. “We can no longer take for granted that our hard-won legal and social rights are irreversible and settled. The Bay Area Reporter will continue to report on the issues important to our community in the face of mis- and disinformation that are likely to increase. We will continue to speak out as we did in our current editorial below. Our community has faced hatred and violence against us before and we must gird ourselves for the battles that lie ahead.”

The BAR’s editorial, written by the newspaper’s editorial board, carried the headline, “Rough times ahead for LGBTQs.”

“Despite the election of Sarah McBride (D-Delaware), the country’s first transgender member of Congress; the reelection of lesbian U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin); and the victories of several other out members of the House of Representatives, the next four years portend poorly for LGBTQ people, especially those who are transgender, nonbinary, or immigrants,” the editorial stated. “… In the end, it will likely be deep blue states like California that provide a safe haven for LGBTQ people. The Golden State has some of the strongest protections in the country, and on Tuesday, voters added another — enshrining the right to marry as fundamental by jettisoning the old Proposition 8 language from the state constitution that proclaimed marriage is only between a man and a woman. Trump as the next president is frightening on many levels. But as a community, we must stand strong and repudiate any actions he takes that seek to desecrate our rights.”

The Dallas Voice published a statement from more than 70 LGBGQ organizations across the country with the headline, “A message of solidarity, hope.”

“Our LGBTQIA2S+ community has risen again and again to meet moments that have challenged our rights, our humanity, and our freedom. Today is no different,” accordant to the statement. “Ours is a long history of never backing down from a fight for our rights. United in our strength, during the most difficult of times, we have pushed forward and achieved significant progress across the decades. From the early days of the Mattachine Society and Daughters of Bilitis, to the Stonewall Uprising and HIV/AIDS activism, to achieving marriage equality and anti-discrimination protections in the workplace, to the fight for transgender rights, and beyond, we march on.”

The Los Angeles Blade spoke with LPAC, the nation’s only organization dedicated to advancing the political representation of LGBTQ women and nonbinary candidates.

“A victory for Trump and his racist, fascist and misogynist platform is not a victory for America,” Janelle Perez, executive director of LPAC, told the Los Angeles Blade. “Today, we mourn not only the loss of a true leader, but also the dream that Kamala Harris might be the first woman, the first woman of color, and the first South Asian person to serve as president of the United States. This is a profound loss for the country we believe in — a place where every one of us, regardless of who we are, is treated fairly and our fundamental rights are upheld.”

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Volume 26
Issue 9