“In the Voices of People Like Me”: LGBTQ Coping During Trump’s Administration

Abstract

The present study explored strategies that LGBTQ people used to cope during the U.S. presidential administration of Donald Trump. Coping strategies can buffer the impact of identity-related stigma and decreased psychological well-being, however, little is known about the ongoing coping strategies used by LGBTQ people during Trump’s presidential administration. This research addresses this gap in the literature. Participants included 335 LGBTQ individuals who were negatively impacted by the discriminatory policies of the Trump administration. Participants completed an online survey where they discussed the coping strategies they used during the Trump administration. Thematic analysis revealed five coping-related themes, including: (a) Coping Through Connecting With People, (b) Coping Through Self-Care and Self-Preservation Activities, (c) Coping Through Relational Disengagement, (d) Coping Through Activism, and (e) Coping Through Outness Decisions. Our discussion explores how counseling psychologists can work with LGBTQ clients to maximize coping strategies for managing distress during anti-LGBTQ presidential administrations.

“Previous resilience has taught me that I can survive anything:” LGBTQ resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“…However, we did allow participants to provide feedback about the survey and no participant expressed any difficulty with comprehending the survey questions. Additionally, even though the sample was predominately White, the authors intentionally selected quotes from BIPOC participants so as not to perpetuate the erasure of BIPOC individuals in LGBTQ research (see Gonzalez et al, in press). Our sample was also mostly cisgender, with a relatively small sample of transgender and nonbinary participants in the study.…”

“What American dream is this?”: The effect of Trump’s presidency on immigrant Latinx transgender people.

“…The participants in this study cited their intersecting identities as immigrant Latinx transgender people as the reason for persevering during the current political climate. While current research has documented individual and collective coping practices of LGBTQ people since the election of Donald Trump (e.g., self-affirmations, self-preservation activities; Brown & Keller, 2018; Gonzalez et al, in press; Riggle et al, 2018), these studies have included predominantly White participants. Similarly, although recent research has explored ways in which Latinx people are coping during the current political administration (e.g., expressive writing, journaling; Fernández & Gamero, 2018), there is an absence of acknowledgment of the added layers of oppression for Latinx LGBTQ people, and specifically, immigrant Latinx transgender people.…”

“…Transgender people are at a higher risk for suicide and report fears related to discrimination, rejection, and threats to rights and safety under the current political administration (Bockting et al, 2020; Hirsch, Cohn, et al, 2017; Hirsch, Kaniuka, et al, 2017). In addition, immediately after the election of Trump, transgender people reported increased anxiety, depression, hypervigilance, and gender identity-based rumination (Brown & Keller, 2018; Gonzalez et al, in press; Gonzalez, Pulice-Farrow, et al, 2018; Gonzalez, Ramirez et al, 2018; Riggle et al, 2018; Veldhuis et al, 2018a, 2018b), and emerging scholarship suggests that these trends have continued during Trump’s presidency (see Gonzalez et al, in press). Given the pervasive and chronic identity-based stress experienced by transgender people during Trump’s time in office, researchers have begun to explore the coping strategies used by transgender people during Trump’s presidency.…”

“…After Trump was elected as President of the United States, transgender people engaged in a variety of coping strategies to manage their own stress responses, including engaging in activism, being an ally to other oppressed groups, and building relationships with supportive others (see Brown & Keller, 2018; Riggle et al, 2018). Other scholars have identified the ongoing coping strategies that transgender people use to cope during Trump’s presidency, including: (a) coping through connections with other people, (b) coping through self-care and self-preservation activities, (c) coping through relational disengagement, (d) coping through activism, and (d) coping through shifting how transgender and sexual minority people disclose their identities (Gonzalez et al, in press). Effective coping strategies can help transgender people be resilient and fight against oppression during antitrans political administrations.…”

Resisting colonization in higher education and empowering LGBTQ+ students: Mobilizing toward liberation.

“…We propose that institutions of higher education must, regardless of the political climate at the time, unequivocally support the needs of LGBTQ+ students on campus. In fact, because of the negative effects that oppressive political climates have on the well-being of LGBTQ+ individuals (Abreu et al, 2021;Gonzalez et al, 2018Gonzalez et al, , 2022, we believe that institutions of higher education must invest in the well-being of LGBTQ+ students across campus. For example, now more than ever colleges and universities should require safe zone trainings for all faculty, staff, and students.…”