Many in the LGBTQ+ community are afraid of what will happen when President-elect Donald Trump begins his second term. Leading up to the election, Trump ran anti-trans ads and talked disparagingly about members of the queer community at rallies.
Even before the election, there was a heightened sense of anxiety. Jessyca Leach, the executive director at the Southwest Center for HIV and AIDS in Phoenix, says fear is what many are feeling.
"Absolute fear. Not knowing if, especially our younger kids that are trans, not knowing if they're going to be able to continue the treatment that's basically keeping them alive is a huge concern," Leach said. "Not knowing if more rights are going to be rolled back. I mean, we know Roe v. Wade is obviously gone. Are they going to attack marriage next?"
There's also a concern nationwide. According to the Trevor Project, a national LGBTQ+youth organization, their crisis line saw a 125% increase in contact volume since Election Day.
"We know that the new administration has said that it would not provide federal funding for gender affirming care any longer," Leach said. "Are they also going to cut funding for sexual reproductive health care services, which we are grant recipients through Title X? Are they going to cut services for free HIV and STI testing and treatment?"
Leach says these services make up more than $3 million of her budget.
Despite everything, Leach says it's important to remember that this is a resilient community.
"And we are a community that comes together, and we will continue coming together to try to make this place a better world for everybody, not just one body," Leach said.
