What an Emerging Trump Administration Means for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health

Abstract

The policies of the Trump administration are likely to have direct and indirect implications for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) health. With the assistance of a Republican-controlled Congress, President Trump may repeal President Obama's health reform law, undermine same-sex marriage laws and other nondiscrimination protections, reduce funding for research on sexual and gender minority health, and institutionalize discrimination through new legislation, such as the First Amendment Defense Act. Public health researchers, healthcare providers, and professional organizations must continue to combat discrimination and advocate for LGBT health equity under an emerging Trump presidency.

Mapping the Landscape of Support and Safety Among Sexual Minority Women and Gender Non-conforming Individuals: Perceptions After the 2016 US Presidential Election

“…The recent 2016 presidential election represents an important political event that has led to significant shifts in policy and social climate on both national and local levels (Gonzales & McKay, 2017;Williams & Medlock, 2017). These shifts have included efforts to impede and retract policies designed to protect the rights of marginalized citizens, including LGBTQ people, and have created a growing wave of concern about the health and well-being of LGBTQ communities (Gonzales & McKay, 2017;Tan, Baig, & Chin, 2017).…”

“…The recent 2016 presidential election represents an important political event that has led to significant shifts in policy and social climate on both national and local levels (Gonzales & McKay, 2017;Williams & Medlock, 2017). These shifts have included efforts to impede and retract policies designed to protect the rights of marginalized citizens, including LGBTQ people, and have created a growing wave of concern about the health and well-being of LGBTQ communities (Gonzales & McKay, 2017;Tan, Baig, & Chin, 2017). Emerging studies exploring the impact of the election on SGM health and well-being have documented increased concerns about health and safety and reports of violence, hate speech, and discrimination as well as increased anxiety, depression, alienation, and reduced self-disclosure (Garrison, Doane, & Social support and safety after 2016 U.S. election Page 6 Elliott, 2018; Gonzalez, Ramirez, & Galupo, 2018;Haimson & Hayes, 2017;Veldhuis, Drabble, Riggle, Wootton, & Hughes, 2018a;Veldhuis, Drabble, Riggle, Wootton, & Hughes, 2018b).…”

“…Health researchers and practitioners have raised concerns about the negative health effects of election-related events, policies, messages and general hostility toward individuals and communities that may feel stigmatized, marginalized, or targeted (e.g., race/ethnic minorities, SGM communities, Muslims, or immigrants; Williams & Medlock, 2017). Negative impacts on SGM communities are probable if there are reductions in funding for SGM health research, reductions in access to health care, or the adoption of policies that enable discrimination (Gonzales & McKay, 2017). For example, negative impacts are likely with the passage of state policies that allow health care providers to discriminate against LGBTQ individuals for selfproclaimed religious or moral reasons (Gonzales & McKay, 2017;Wang, Geffen, & Cahill, 2016) and the creation of a new division in the Office of Civil Rights (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) to protect health providers from the consequences of violating nondiscrimination policies when they deny services to LGBTQ individuals.…”

“…Negative impacts on SGM communities are probable if there are reductions in funding for SGM health research, reductions in access to health care, or the adoption of policies that enable discrimination (Gonzales & McKay, 2017). For example, negative impacts are likely with the passage of state policies that allow health care providers to discriminate against LGBTQ individuals for selfproclaimed religious or moral reasons (Gonzales & McKay, 2017;Wang, Geffen, & Cahill, 2016) and the creation of a new division in the Office of Civil Rights (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) to protect health providers from the consequences of violating nondiscrimination policies when they deny services to LGBTQ individuals. Tan and colleagues (2017) suggest that increased hostility in the social climate and health-related policies proposed since the 2016 election would likely have an even greater negative impact on SGM people of color.…”

“…Additional research is needed to examine the impact of emerging federal and state policies on SGM health (Gonzales & McKay, 2017). Furthermore, in the context of emerging threats to federal support for SGM research and explicit inclusion of SGM populations in nondiscrimination laws, continued advocacy and scientific inquiry is essential to preserving and maintaining momentum toward achieving health equity for SGM individuals (Byne, 2017).…”