The President and his surrogates are doing everything in their power to roll back hard-won freedoms for the LGBTQ+ community. Through destructive mandates, they aim to entrench discrimination and demonize LGBTQ+ people. In his first two weeks in office, President Trump issued multiple executive orders targeting the trans community in particular, despite the fact that trans people make up only about 1% of the population. These orders have included declaring trans and non-binary identities nonexistent in the eyes of the federal government, threatening funding to institutions that provide gender-affirming care to people under 19, and banning trans people from school sports and the military.
Hateful rhetoric and actions do grave harm to members of the LGBTQ+ community as well as families, friends, and allies. They tear at the social fabric of our country as individuals in power marginalize not only the trans community but also women, immigrants, and people of color. All indications point to ongoing actions to punish and debase others.
We are aware of a recent incident in Belmont where a resident’s rainbow pride flag was ripped from his house. We encourage anyone who experiences similar incidents to report them to the Belmont Police Department, the Belmont Human Rights Commission, and the Belmont LGBTQ+ Alliance.
The Belmont LGBTQ+ Alliance rejects all hateful, discriminatory, and debasing rhetoric and actions. We aim to ensure that Belmont is a safe and welcoming community for all. To learn more about us and to join our Belmont Welcomes Initiative, find us at: belmontlgbtq.com/
Gladys Unger and Fran Yuan, Belmont LGBTQ+ Alliance