Over the course of his presidential campaign, Donald Trump called for a ban on Muslims entering the U.S., offended immigrants with his comments regarding Mexican people, shed light on his opposition to marriage equality and LGBTQ rights and mocked a reporter with disabilities.
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Now, faced with the reality of a Trump presidency, members from each of these communities are voicing their fears, as the U.S. moves into what some have described as “uncharted waters.”
Those who identify as LGBTQ immediately questioned their personal safety following the announcement that Trump had won the election, with many expressing fears that vice-president-elect Mike Pence had advocated for so-called “conversion therapy,” which aims to change a person’s sexual orientation from gay to straight.
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Others wondered if Trump, who has publicly opposed marriage equality, would follow through on threats to overrule the 2015 landmark U.S. gay marriage ruling.
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Latinos, Mexicans, Muslims, people of colour and immigrants also expressed disappointment over Trump’s victory. Initially Trump vowed to deport any illegal immigrant living in the U.S., but later said he would deport anyone living in the country illegally who is arrested “for any crime whatsoever.” The president-elect also created massive controversy when he referred to Mexicans as “rapists and criminals” early in his campaign and promised to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
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Last year, Trump was heavily criticized for mocking a reporter with a disability, which has led to an outpouring of tweets from those with disabilities worried that their future president would mock them.
But among the tweets laced with despair, anger and grief, were many with positive messages, encouraging members of these communities to move forward and fight for their rights should they be affected under the new government.
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