Burning Flame

Article by Domonique Villalobos

The LGBTQI community has been constantly affected throughout American politics. Not

only that, but the outrage of our political climate is coming to the last straw. In our present day,

Donald Trumps presidency has sparked all ends of controversy among our government. It

especially hit had when it came to the LGBTQI community. According to the article LGBT

community prepares for a march and a fight, by Eugene Scott and Paul P. Murphy from

CNN, Democratic Rep. David Cicilline has stated "Since taking office, President Trump has

rescinded guidance to public schools regarding transgender students, He has appointed an anti-

LGBT Supreme Court Justice and several anti-LGBT officials in his administration. And he has

done nothing to respond to the violence targeting gay men in Chechnya. From this evidence, it

is clear that Trump has no tolerance for the rising LGBTQI community, he just wants to shut

them down and discriminate against. It was announced on July 26,2017 through Trumps favorite

social media platform, Twitter, that transgender citizens could not be a part of the U.S. military.

He states, After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the

United States Government will not accept or allow Transgender individuals to serve in any
capacity in the U.S. Military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming

victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that

transgender in the military would entail. Thank you. This was a spark that created multiple fires.

Trump is deliberately making money an excuse regarding the transgender community. It is an

outrage to limit ones ability to fight for their country because of their gender. Such strike downs

have created a much prominent limitation that is absurd for the LGBTQI community. However,

there is some good that has come out of this retched political sphere. Engagement in the political

realm has begun to arise and shine some light, especially in Virginia. According to an NBC

article by Julie Moreau, Danica Roem has become the first openly transgender women to win

the Virginia Primary as a Democrat. Not only was she the one to win, there were five other

transgender candidates running who as well won too. According to The Washington Post, those

candidates were, Andrea Jenkins, Phillipe Cunningham, Lisa Middleton, Tyler Titus, and Stephe

Koontz . Danica has been a major influencer and role model for many people of the LGBTQI

youth and adults to look up to. In Washings Top News article, Gavin Grimm, a transgender

Virginia teen who filed a landmark lawsuit over being denied access to the boys bathroom at his

school, said he had been following Roems race closely and rooting for her. Her presence of

winning really made an impact towards striving for any type of goal you may come across upon.

Overall, such great influences around the nation, inspire and push boundaries of the conservative

atmosphere we have tried to break away from.

 Works Cited

Barakat, Mathew, Finley, House elections bring new diversity to Virginia. Associated Press,

November 9,2017,https://wtop.com/virginia/2017/11/new-faces-to-bring-new-diversity-

to-virginia-lawmakers/ Date Accessed November 17,2017

Diamond, Jeremy, Trump to reinstate US military ban on transgender people. CNN, July

26,2017,.http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/26/politics/trump-military-transgender/index.html

Date Accessed, November,18,2017

Eltagouri, Mara, Transgender people have been elected before. But they can finally let the voters

know. Washington Post, November 9, 2017

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2017/11/08/transgender-people-

have-been-elected-before-but-they-can-finally-let-the-voters-

know/?utm_term=.5b931988204b Date Accessed, November, 16,2017.

Moreau, Julie, Transgender Candidate Danica Roem Wins Virginia Primary, Makes History.

NBC, June 14, 2017 https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/transgender-candidate-

danica-roem-wins-virginia-primary-makes-history-n772486 Date Accessed, November

16,2017.
Scott, Eugene, Murphy, LGBT community prepares for a march -- and a fight, CNN, June 11,

2017.http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/09/politics/lgbt-policies-march-pride/index.html Date

Accessed November 17,2017