Roger-Luc Chayer (Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
At Gay Globe, we have always dedicated many cover pages to heads of state with the potential to positively or negatively influence LGBTQ+ communities. Over the years, we have highlighted President Zelensky, Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin, as well as Princess Stéphanie of Monaco, Queen Elizabeth II, Pope Francis, Prince Harry, and, of course, Donald Trump when he was in the White House.
It is clear that Trump’s power on LGBTQ+ issues at a global scale was considerable. President Obama had previously set an example by tying American financial aid to the respect of LGBTQ+ rights in certain African countries that criminalized homosexuality, which had a significant impact.
The issue with Donald Trump, however, was that he didn’t seem particularly interested in these matters. He even considered criminalizing the presence of homosexuals in the military, excluding transgender people from sports, and supported several anti-LGBTQ+ laws passed in certain U.S. states.
At Gay Globe, we decided to consider Mr. Trump a potential ally by initiating communication with him to encourage a positive response on the issues we wished to raise. A letter was carefully drafted and sent by special delivery directly to the White House. Here is the full text of the letter, which had been translated into English:
Mr. Donald J. Trump, President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20500
United States
Mr. President,
I am writing you this open letter today to discuss the issue of the LGBT communities, both in your magnificent country and worldwide. I am doing so as part of an edition of this magazine because much has been said in the media and online about allegedly “anti-gay” policies that are said to originate from your administration.
Unlike the traditional stance of media outlets and gay groups, which tend to publicly condemn you without often bothering to verify the information they denounce, I have chosen to write to you to share our realities and concerns regarding what may also turn out to be mere rumors. In the same spirit, if you wish to respond and engage with us, I offer you all the space necessary in these pages upon receipt of your reply.
For years, the United States has been a tremendous example for many countries and governments on issues of social rights and individual freedoms. On both racial equality and LGBTQ+ equality, your country has been a leader and a powerful driving force, earning respect and admiration, even though not everything seems perfect. However, since your election—and even during your campaign—many voices have risen to label your social program and objectives as “homophobic.” Some even claimed that you were against marriage equality and equal rights for homosexuals and that you intended to overturn recent advancements on the matter.
Needless to say, such statements are concerning not only for American LGBTQ+ people but also for the international community. The example you set could inspire other leaders to take similar actions and implement policies aimed at reducing these individuals’ rights or even punishing them more severely for their differences—for our differences.
Nonetheless, before writing to you and drawing my conclusions, I conducted extensive research on the White House website and found no information on any policies targeting LGBT communities. I searched using keywords such as « homosexual, » « homosexuality, » « gays, » « trans, » and « lesbian » and found no mention of any relevant policies.
Of course, similar searches on Google, coupled with your name, yield hundreds of thousands of results, but I must admit that it is impossible to corroborate what appear to be grave insinuations.
Is it possible, then, that all these claims, presented as facts, are merely rumors spread by groups with an interest in disseminating such information—fake news? I am also personally troubled by the comparison of Vice President Pence’s past statements to Nazism. While everyone is entitled to their opinions, equating the Vice President of the United States to a Nazi or an equivalent to Adolf Hitler amounts to defamation. I do not endorse such remarks made in the name of LGBTQ+ communities.
Only one person can provide clarity on all this, and that is you, Mr. President!
You see, homosexual people are not responsible for who they are. They simply exist naturally—neither by choice nor by fault. But, like anyone else in your country and mine, they are equal to heterosexuals. No one should treat LGBT people as inferior, depraved, or morally lacking.
Personally, I find nothing shocking in homosexuals being able to love and legally unite, wish to adopt children, receive survivor pensions, or simply exist in peace and equality before the law. Your country is a beacon of democracy, and it is in this spirit that I invite you, at least on LGBTQ+ issues, to clarify your position to reassure these individuals and treat us as a protective and unifying father figure.
In many countries where these rights have been improved—such as in Europe, Canada, or Oceania—not only have LGBTQ+ communities flourished socially under equal laws, but society as a whole has become more open and accepting of them. Is it possible to believe that the President of the United States can be a good father figure to all and set an example internationally? I sincerely believe so. I say yes!
Thank you, Mr. Trump, for reading this open letter, which was sent to you before publication to give you the opportunity to respond. It would be a historic first, and this dialogue could greatly benefit our communities.
Best regards,
Roger-Luc Chayer, Editor
Unfortunately, Mr. Trump chose not to respond to this letter, closing the door on any possibility of communication, though it gave us certainty that the letter was read—if not by him, then at least by a member of the White House staff.
Now, two weeks away from a new U.S. election, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are facing off once again. Do we have a chance this time that candidate Trump, if he were to return to the presidency, would consider addressing LGBTQ+ issues? I don’t believe so.
Since leaving the White House, throughout the current campaign, and with his running mate J.D. Vance, the topic of LGBTQ+ rights has never been raised or addressed. More than ever, we are confronted with absolute obscurantism on these issues. Listening to his rhetoric on immigration, his intention to act as a dictator on the first day of his re-election, or his hateful tirades on everything and nothing, it seems unlikely that our collective situation would improve under his potential return to the White House.
For these reasons, we do not support his candidacy, for what it’s worth, and we hope that the coming years under a possible Harris presidency will provide an opportunity to improve the lives of LGBTQ+ people in the United States—and, by extension, around the world.