Carle Jasmin (Photo : Google Earth)
Gay Globe met with a young gay man from the Montreal area who does not wish to have his real name published. We will therefore refer to him as Martin, in order to protect his identity.
Martin is 28 years old and works in the fashion industry. Montreal is a major global capital in this field: several institutions train fashion designers and other specialists, and the Quebec metropolis is also a significant producer of garments.
Martin contacted Gay Globe last May, wanting to share his views on the United States and his concerns about the rise of the far right in that country, fueled by the hateful rhetoric of its president, Donald Trump. Given the importance of the topic—and because Martin had much to say about the human aspects of Canada–U.S. relations—we decided to give him a voice, as a testimony of what many are thinking and feeling.
A few facts about the United States and Montreal
The distance between Montreal and the U.S. border in Quebec is approximately 60 kilometres—less than an hour’s drive south, mostly via Highway 15. This proximity makes Montreal one of the major Canadian cities closest to American territory, particularly the state of New York.
The border between Quebec and the United States stretches nearly 813 kilometres, shared with four U.S. states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. This border serves as both a vital route for commercial exchange and a critical point of security control.
It is crossed every year by millions of travellers and goods, making certain customs posts—like the one at Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle—among the busiest in Canada.
Enter Martin
I’m scared. In fact, ever since Donald Trump was elected president of the most powerful country in the world—just minutes away from where I live—I’ve been terrified. I already had fears, fed by what I was hearing or reading in the news, but now everything seems to be slowly confirming itself, day by day.
Our southern neighbour, once seen as an example of democracy—even though, to be honest, I’ve always considered Canada to be much more advanced in that regard—has now become, in my eyes, the Fourth Reich. All the ingredients that led to the Third are here: hatred, the cult of personality, division, manipulation. And we know how that ended: a bloody world war, millions of deaths, and a humanity forever torn apart.
Of course, I’m afraid to visit my friends or attend fashion events in the U.S. because I know exactly who they’re targeting with their hatred. They despise what I am and everything I represent. If I were to set foot there, I would be a target, and I would be foolish to put myself in that position.
I’m a young gay man. That’s it.
That alone is enough for them to want to arrest me, imprison me, or even sentence me to death—just like in the worst countries where homosexuality is violently repressed, like Iran, Afghanistan, or Saudi Arabia.
What troubles me the most is realizing that this country had the capacity to become this way. Once, laws were much more respected, and political authorities actively opposed hateful behaviour. But under the new president, hate has become a virtue, a badge of honour. It now serves to prove that you’re a “real American,” by identifying the weakest, the most vulnerable, and anyone who is different as obstacles to their so-called greatness.
Political discourse has grown increasingly radical, directly targeting LGBTQ+ people. Bills are being proposed—and even passed—that ban trans youth from accessing medical care, that exclude LGBTQ+ content from schools, and that attempt to censor our very existence. Books that talk about us are being banned. Teachers are pressured to remain silent about our realities, as if we were a threat to children simply because we exist. And all of this is happening in a country that calls itself free.
This isn’t just about politics or ideological debate. This is a witch hunt. Drag queens are being attacked. Libraries are being threatened. People are losing their jobs for simply being visible or defending diversity. In some states, even basic legal protections—like the right to housing, employment, and safety—are being stripped away simply because you’re gay.
Hate speech is no longer on the fringe. It’s broadcast on major right-wing news channels, spread as truth, and normalized. And when the president himself or his political allies express ambiguous or openly hostile views toward us, they’re giving a green light to part of the population to act out.
There’s a clear rise in violence. Assaults in the streets. LGBTQ+ spaces threatened or attacked. Men stabbed just for holding hands. Young people dying by suicide because they’re bullied, rejected, criminalized in their own schools. This is the atmosphere now spreading across our southern border.
And that’s why I feel in danger just 60 kilometres away from the line that separates light from darkness. That’s why people like me feel increasingly isolated, desperate, or on the run. We no longer feel welcome in a country that’s turning inward and looking for scapegoats. And we, as homosexuals, have become the perfect targets.
A testimony that could come from millions of Americans
As a journalist and contributor to Gay Globe for many years, I’ve long been used to speaking with people in crisis, on the run, or living as refugees in troubled countries. But I never thought that in 2025, I would be speaking of the United States as a totalitarian state ruled with an iron fist by a mad dictator.
And yet, here we are. People are suffering. Every single day.
Something to add? Feel free to comment below if you’d like to share your own experience with this country and its head of state.
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