Being LGBTQ+ in modern society is a tricky business. On one hand, the United States looks like it is on a path to more LGBTQ+ rights. On the other hand, however, it seems society is on the road to transphobia, homophobia, discrimination, and less rights.

With the election of our new president, the LGBTQ+ community as a whole was shaken to its core. Our current president and his staff are very anti-LGBTQ+ and could possibly repeal many bills protecting the community and could bring into light several new bills and laws that discriminate LGBTQ+ people. Mike Pence, our current vice president, has reportedly funded and sought to fund conversion therapy groups in the past. When running for Congress in 2000, Pence made the following remark concerning the Ryan White Care Act, a bill that gives money to organizations helping individuals with HIV/AIDS, “Resources should be directed toward those institutions which provide assistance to those seeking to change their sexual behavior.” This has been perceived as an attack on the LGBTQ+ community and an endorsement for conversion therapy.

With the White House featuring so many homophobic and transphobic figures, LGBTQ+ people are starting to fear for their rights and possibly even lives. The less rights a group of people have, the less human society perceives them to be. The less human a group appears, the less people care about them, sometimes leading to an increased rate of murder or assault on that population. LGBTQ+ people already experience expressed violence towards them, but if they were to be dehumanized, the violence expressed towards them could be unimaginable. As of now, the demographics on murder, suicide, and violence all have LGBTQ+ leads. Trans women of color consistently have the highest murder rate in the country yearly. LGBTQ+ kids and teenagers are also far more susceptible to depression and suicidal intentions. 41% of transgender and gender nonconforming people have attempted suicide compared the the 1.6% of all people everywhere.

Within the White House, executive orders can be created. These bills require no vote from the House of Representatives or Senate. Executive orders are published by the president and can begin implementation immediately after they have been written. With a president such as the one currently in office, homophobic and transphobic executive orders are not impossible. In July of 2017, our president attempted to ban transgender people from joining the military. This was a shockwave felt throughout the entire LGBTQ+ community, felt as a direct assault on everyone.

When objectifying a group of people isn’t beneath one of the most powerful men on the planet, you have to wonder, did we go too far this time?