Trump Win Prompts Volunteer & Counsel Spike At Local LGBTQ Outreach

By Stephen Gossett in News on Nov 9, 2016 8:22PM

Photo: Rob Hart

The not-an-Onion-article on Tuesday night's presidential election of Donald Trump serves as an alarming reckoning for progressives of all backgrounds. But for many of the often marginalized among us, it feels like nothing short of existential threat. One of the many minority groups in Chicago feeling the immediate worry of a Trump presidency is the LGBTQ community, which now faces a president with a poor-to-hostile record on marriage equality, trans rights, federal protection against gender-identity and sexual-orientation discrimination, et al.

Advocacy and community-center staple Center on Halsted acknowledged the tumultuousness of the new reality and confirmed an immediate uptick in people extending offers both to and for help.

“Over the last twenty-four hours many of us have gone through a huge range of emotions,” said CEO Modesto Tico Valle CEO, in a statement. “As the morning dawned on us, an air of uncertainty and fear was palpable. Values we hold so true to ourselves, that all people are created equal and should be treated with equity, kindness, and compassion, seemed both truer and more vulnerable than ever. Core tenets of our identity have been put at risk. People from across our community are reaching out to Center on Halsted searching for connection to make sense of what has happened.

Anxiety is particularly acute within the trans community, where staggering reports of suicide in the wake of Trump's election continue to prompt local efforts for legal assistance in document/ID changes.

Peter Johnson, Director of Public Relations, did not have exact figures at the ready, but said the Center saw a “certainly greater than normal” outreach from Chicagoans, some seeking assistance from counselors and others looking to volunteer.

“People specifically reached out because of the election to get involved,” he said.

“On the one hand, people come in times of need looking for a safe place, looking for refuge,” Johnson said. “On the other hand, people have been energized. We ‘ve doubled down as we’ve faced adversity."

The election has “proven our work is not done,” he said, and that “equality is not a given.”

"But love always wins and has proven to be win in the past," he said.

"It's been a busy day" for Equality Illinois, too, CEO Brian Johnson told Chicagoist.

“Well over 100 supports and stakeholders have reached out to the office, to volunteer," Johnson said. "They want to continue this fight for justice. They're committed now more than ever to make sure we move to a more equitable future for the country." The spike in outreach occurred just "within the first few hours of today."

Johnson echoed the feeling of surprise, combined with a sense of commitment renewed. "There is still a bit of shock that our country—and so many in our country—chose to elect somebody who has maligned so many members of historically marginalized groups, be they Muslims, disabled, women, trans persons, people of color. But we have a deep conviction that we're better than those attacks."

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