Right now, Trump has unspecified plans to ban all Muslims from entering the country. Why stop there?
What prevents Trump from stopping at-risk LGBT asylum seekers from finding refuge in America? United States immigration law has been welcoming persecuted homosexuals since 1994. But this law, and others favouring homosexual rights, can be overturned by Trump’s anti-LGBT only Supreme Court candidates. If this happens, then America would be no different from other countries that persecute homosexuality.
Harmful precedents on LGBT rights would be established for decades -not just four years- if a conservative majority is built inside the Supreme Court. Trump has “strongly considered” exploiting
his power to overturn equal marriage. Would this come to pass? Perhaps not. Trump himself is ambivalent on transsexual issues. He initially supported the North Carolina’s Bathroom law, which would allow people to use the bathroom that is consistent with their gender identity, but rejected it later.
However, Mike Pence, the vice president, has been adamantly against LGBT issues since 2000, when he advocated to use HIV/AIDS money to fund conversion therapy. He affirmed that he will “guard religious freedom at the expense of LGBT rights.”
Movements in one country could influence other countries in the same vein. Women in Iceland protested their country’s 14% gap in equal pay by leaving work early on October, 24 2016 at 2:38 pm, the time when their unions determined that they effectively work for free. This inspired women in France to also protest their 15% gap in pay, in a similar manner. This applies to negative practices as well. If anti-LGBT legislation is allowed to pass, then America would be telling the world that these discriminatory acts are okay.
“This is a crucial moment for our nation and for the LGBTQ movement,” says Chad Griffin of the Human Rights Campaign. “The election of a man who stands opposed to our most fundamental values has left us all stunned. There will be time to analyze the results of this election, but we cannot afford to dwell. We must meet these challenges head on.”
