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Greater than 100 attendees — lots of them on edge and afraid of the longer term — crammed into seats and overflow standing room on the LGBT Neighborhood Heart in Manhattan on Nov. 13 for a crowded post-election city corridor to debate tips on how to defend LGBTQ rights within the face of a hostile Trump administration.
The “Voices Beyond the Vote” city corridor occasion got here barely one week after America voted to ship Donald Trump again to the White Home with a GOP trifecta. The election outcomes prompted widespread concern amongst group members after many Republican politicians, led by the president-elect, spent the marketing campaign season voicing anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and vowing to roll again the rights of transgender people in areas like sports activities, healthcare, and training.
“The results of last week’s election left many of us with a mix of grief, uncertainty, and fear,” Dr. Carla Smith, the manager director of the LGBT Heart, stated throughout a gap deal with to the viewers. “But even in this moment, I want to assure each of you that The Center is here… I want to remind everyone that we do not and cannot achieve our mission alone. As the first lesbian of color to lead the center in its 41-year history, I know how important collaboration and unity are to achieving our goals.”
The occasion represented the newest instance of the LGBT Heart’s longstanding position as a queer group hub in vital moments — together with bill-signing ceremonies and group organizing conferences. The city corridor featured a number of state lawmakers who delivered remarks concerning the election and outlined their objectives to “Trump-proof” New York.
Whereas many questions from the viewers centered on the looming threats on the federal degree, the elected officers typically redirected the main focus of the dialog to New York by outlining methods through which the Empire State can take issues into its personal arms.
“Today, I found myself screaming at the television set before I got here in between meetings,” stated out homosexual Manhattan Assemblymember Tony Simone, who referred to the president-elect’s picks as “triggering” and “a clown show.”
“I had a flashback to the last time this motherf–er — excuse me, I’ll be in trouble for that — occupied the White House,” Simone stated.
He later added: “We can’t react to everything this insane megalomaniac does. We can’t obsess over Twitter and everything that’s going to affect us. We need to organize, not agonize.”
Different out elected officers available included State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, additionally of Manhattan, and Brooklyn State Senator Jabari Brisport. Queens Assemblymember Zohran Okay. Mamdani, a 2025 New York Metropolis mayoral hopeful, additionally spoke in solidarity with the group.
“When we stand together, we will get through this,” Brisport stated. “Now, my part in this as a state legislator: I’m going to push for our legislature to reconvene as soon as possible and pass a full package of pro-LGBTQ+ bills before Donald Trump sets foot in the White House. And throughout the legislative session, I will be making sure we are ready at all points to meet the moment.”
State Senator Jabari Brisport of Brooklyn delivers remarks.Donna Aceto
These feedback had been echoed by different state lawmakers, together with Hoylman-Sigal and Simone, who acknowledged that “it’s going to be a fight” within the days forward.
The elected officers harassed that the general public should not abandon the LGBTQ group as a result of election outcomes after Trump repeatedly ran blatantly transphobic commercials mocking non-binary people, trans Individuals, and drag artists, amongst others.
“We didn’t lose the election because of trans kids,” Simone stated. “We may have made a mistake without responding to the attack ads on trans kids, but we lost it because of bread and butter issues.”
Questions from the viewers touched on areas reminiscent of the way forward for marriage equality, healthcare entry, LGBTQ training, and extra. A number of individuals, together with Simone, denounced some Home Democrats — particularly Tom Suozzi of New York and Seth Moulton of Massachusetts — for his or her post-election remarks arguing that the celebration ought to oppose trans inclusion in sports activities.
On the problem of training, one viewers member requested concerning the incoming administration’s pledge to close down the Division of Training.
“The federal US Department of Education doesn’t determine the curriculum for states,” Hoylman-Sigal answered. “But we haven’t done enough in New York. We don’t teach LGBTQ history in our statewide curriculum. We have had a struggle to even teach holocaust history and Black history in our statewide curriculum in New York. It’s taken us years to get this far, so I would say we need to double down in the State of New York and pass a real queer history curriculum for our students so it’s not just tolerance of queer people, but understanding and acceptance.”
There have been a number of questions pertaining to healthcare. One viewers member requested what New York would do if the Inexpensive Care Act is repealed. Hoylman-Sigal, in response, known as on the state to cross the New York Well being Act, which might create a single-payer healthcare system. Hoylman-Sigal and Briport are among the many co-sponsors of that laws.
“Let’s make New York the leader in universal healthcare,” Hoylman-Sigal stated.
A pair of Manhattan state lawmakers — State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assemblymember Tony Simone — reply questions from the viewers.Donna Aceto
Staying on the subject of healthcare, Hoylman-Sigal warned concerning the potential impression of RFK Jr., a vaccine skeptic who’s the president-elect’s choose to steer the Division of Well being and Human Companies. He has made false claims that vaccines trigger autism and likewise falsely recommended that “there’s plenty of evidence” that HIV originated from a vaccine program. He stated “a lot of people” say HIV is “not a virus,” however fairly “environmental” and “part of the gay lifestyle.”
Hoylman-Sigal recalled that one of many first payments he handed within the State Senate greater than a decade in the past pertained to vaccines such because the meningitis vaccine, which was wanted in response to an outbreak amongst homosexual males within the metropolis.
“RFK Jr. is going to be advising, potentially, on HIV/AIDS policy,” Hoylman-Sigal stated. “We’ve doubled down on vaccine protections in the State of New York because we know vaccines work. They’re effective. They protect our HIV-positive community and our kids from vaccine preventable illnesses like measles and COVID-19.”
Talking about how New York may help defend group members from states led by anti-LGBTQ governments, Hoylman-Sigal pointed to final 12 months’s passage of the Trans Secure Haven Invoice, which bars New York State from contemplating a regulation from one other state directing a baby to be faraway from their mum or dad or guardian for permitting the kid to obtain gender-affirming care and bars regulation enforcement companies from working with any out-of-state company or division investigation associated to gender-affirming care in New York State.
“So what we can do in healthcare in New York State is continue to protect New Yorkers from vaccine-preventable illnesses, and we also have to continue to make New York a beacon for transition care — transition care that allows parents and physicians to provide that gender affirming care to young people without fear of prosecution.”
Amongst different matters had been marriage equality. Cathy Marino-Thomas, who was an activist through the combat for marriage equality in New York, informed viewers members to “get your paperwork ready.”
“Dont just leave stuff to your spouse,” Marino-Thomas stated. “Leave stuff to your spouse’s name.”
Cathy Marino-Thomas asks the state lawmakers concerning the stability of marriage equality.Donna Aceto
Marino-Thomas, arguing that “the real rights are at the federal level,” requested elected officers concerning the energy of the Respect for Marriage Act — a federal regulation handed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden after the 2022 midterm elections and simply weeks earlier than the the GOP assumed management of the Home of Representatives.
Marriage equality was legalized nationally by the Supreme Courtroom in 2015, but when the nation’s highest court docket goes after marriage equality prefer it did with abortion rights, the Respect for Marriage Act would not less than require the federal authorities to acknowledge marriages carried out in states the place marriage equality is the regulation of the land. New York State has had marriage equality since 2011.
In response, Simone conceded that he didn’t know the reply to the query, however stated “the fear we have is the Supreme Court.” The Supreme Courtroom is dominated by conservative justices, together with two — Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas — who’ve forged doubt on the legality of nationwide marriage equality.
Hoylman-Sigal provided a special response, pointing to the protections delivered by the passage of Proposal 1 in New York State this previous election day, which amended the State Structure to defend towards discrimination on the premise of being pregnant, sexual orientation, gender id, and extra.
“Not only do we have marriage codified — we now have it in our state constitution, which is good as you’re going to get at the state level,” Hoylman-Sigal stated. “Yes, there could be an opening and we’ve heard Trump talk about ‘leave it to the states’ that returns marriage rights for queer people to the states. That’s going to be a huge problem for families, for children, parents, and for our loved ones. There is no question that the supremacy clause of the US Constitution is going to be our biggest challenge over the next four years.”
On problem after problem, the city corridor dialogue returned to the duty of New York State to uphold the values of the individuals who dwell right here and to guard LGBTQ people. Attendees, too, had been significantly fascinated about listening to concerning the state’s position in defending towards the incoming administration.
Whereas city corridor attendees shared their disdain for President-elect Trump, there have been some attendees who stated they didn’t vote for Vice President Kamala Harris, who was the Democratic nominee. One attendee, who recognized solely as Corazon and sat in the course of the gang, was attending the LGBT Heart for the primary time.
Regardless of a lingering sense of shock from the election, Smith and the elected officers sought to inspire a crowd that was pleading for solutions about tips on how to transfer ahead.
“We have to work together,” Hoylman-Sigal stated. “It’s a lot of work for us to do, but as a community, I think we will come back stronger. I do believe that, because we’ve been in this room before with great challenges before us, and of course, we have one before us today.”
