June Crenshaw

Dear President Trump,

Sixty nine days ago, you were elected to become our next president. Since then, I have experienced a lot of feelings, but the main one has been that of dismay. This election has changed the way I look at my neighbors, family and friends. I am suspicious of who would have voted against my very existence. I am scared and unsettled. I don’t know what to expect or what to do to ensure my safety or well-being.

My trust in the very process that I have participated with since I was 18 doesn’t feel reliable or trustworthy. The really horrible thing about my situation, Mr. President, is that I am probably one of the privileged ones. Yes, I am black and lesbian. Yes, your campaign rhetoric targeted me as a woman, as a person of color and as an LGBTQ person. Yes, your hateful and hurtful platform directly undermined the work around equality, diversity and inclusion that I have personally been dedicated to for many, years. Your cabinet selections have shown that you are committed to doing harm to a large portion of the American population.

Despite this, your presidency will probably have the least impact on my life and well-being. You see, sir, my fear is not for me. It is for our most vulnerable population. I am outraged and dismayed by the harm that will be caused to our LGBTQ youth, especially our LGBTQ homeless youth. I am afraid for our undocumented sisters and brothers — especially our undocumented LGBTQ sisters and brothers.

I am afraid for the many black and brown kids that have to live in a country that currently doesn’t honor or respect their existence. I have so many friends and family with little or no hope in the system, with little or no hope in their future. I am so worried about how to continue to make progress towards full equality for us all. It feels as though this election has taken away my ability to be effective in my community.

You know, Mr. President, I have to be honest. I am not being completely forthright. Although everything I have shared is true, it’s not the complete story. My fear is also for me. I have been sent into a tailspin and I don’t know what to do to stop the panic within me. I have been stunned and silenced for sixty nine days, and that scares me more than anything you can threw at me. My silence has shown me just how vulnerable I really am and it has been shocking to me. I am holding my breath and bracing for the worst. Fortunately, I can’t stay in the position for much longer. In fact, sixty nine days has been too long.

Mr. President, I don’t want to fight you for the next four years. I don’t want to be on heightened alert or scrutinize every word you say or every action you take. But, sir, that is exactly what I plan to do.

June Crenshaw

Interim Executive Director
The Wanda Alston Foundation
@junecrenshaw

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Kate Kendell

Dear President Trump,

As you embark upon the next four years, you have an opportunity that no other President has had — to put an end to our nation’s toxic culture war over LGBT people.

In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples have the same freedom to marry as other Americans. That ruling was the culmination of decades of struggle by LGBT people to win equality and respect for our families and our lives. Today, across our country, same-sex couples can protect their families, LGBT young people can grow up without the devastating stigma of being treated as outlaws or outcasts, and businesses no longer have to waste time and money navigating a confusing patchwork of conflicting state laws treating gay and straight families differently.

Increasingly, however, those gains are under a senseless and destructive attack. In virtually every red state, a vociferous minority of state officials and legislators are seeking to reignite a culture war over LGBT people by introducing so-called “bathroom bills” and sweeping exemptions to anti-discrimination laws that prey on unsupported fears about LGBT people.

This backlash has already caused significant economic and social harm. In North Carolina alone, the enactment of a radical anti-LGBT law has roiled the state, leading to multiple lawsuits, millions of dollars of lost revenue as businesses cancel contracts and relocate new ventures, and the loss of countless opportunities for increased understanding between LGBT people and their families, friends, neighbors and coworkers. We cannot afford to see this turmoil spread to other states. And yet, already in 2017, legislators in multiple states have introduced similarly divisive anti-LGBT bills, with no end in sight.

As someone who has long been deemed an outsider in many ways yourself, perhaps you can understand something of the fear and despair this backlash is generating for LGBT people. In a way that may be unique in our nation’s history, you have the power to reach across partisan lines and put these issues behind us, once and for all.

By opposing divisive anti-LGBT bills, you can bring the backlash against LGBT equality in state legislatures to an end. By embracing policies that support LGBT youth, you can save lives and keep them in their families and schools. And by insisting upon fair treatment of LGBT people, you can model a truly new era in our nation’s politics and ensure a legacy that will endure.

Kate Kendell

Executive Director
National Center for Lesbian Rights
@katekendell

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Mark Pocan

Dear President Trump,

The LGBT community has made great strides under President Obama, but your incoming Administration’s radically conservative advisers and the Republican Party’s anti-LGBT platform gives me grave concerns that this progress will be undermined. During your presidential campaign, you stated you were a supporter of LGBT rights. As an openly gay Member of Congress, I urge you to live up to your claim to be a president for all people, including LGBT Americans.

There are many individuals in the LGBT community who fear that their rights will be taken away under your Administration. Their fears are warranted. You, yourself, have made some troublesome promises to roll back gains our community has made. You have vowed to abolish all of President Obama’s executive orders, including one that protects LGBT federal workers from discrimination and another that allows transgender students to use the bathroom according to their gender identity. You have also previously pledged to sign the First Amendment Defense Act into law, which would allow healthcare providers, businesses, landlords, and others the right to legally discriminate against LGBT people under the guise of religious freedom. Not to mention, you have selected individuals with horrible records on LGBT rights to serve in your Administration.

Vice President Mike Pence signed a bill into law that allowed businesses to refuse service to LGBT people as governor of Indiana in 2015. Your nominee for Attorney General, Senator Jeff Sessions, has opposed every major piece of legislation to expand LGBT rights that has come before him in Congress. Potential Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has a long family history of donating money to anti-LGBT groups including one that supports conversion therapy. Lastly, your Chief Strategist Steve Bannon, as the former head of Breitbart News has published headlines tying the LGBT community to ISIS.

The LGBT community has fought difficult battles for equal rights and our struggle for equality continues. LGBT men and women can now openly serve in the military, same-sex couples can legally marry, and federal contractors can no longer discriminate against LGBT employees. This progress should not be undone.

Together, we must fight to make sure employers cannot discriminate against anyone on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. This injustice extends to the majority of states in our nation, and the absence of a federal law makes the LGBT community incredibly vulnerable. This is just one of many equality issues we need to address.

I will continue to advocate every day for full equality and I sincerely hope you will keep true to your word and join me in this fight.

Sincerely,

Mark Pocan

U.S. Representative for the Second District of Wisconsin
@RepMarkPocan

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Mike Daisey

Donald:

I don’t see any reason to address you with names and honorifics that you’ve never earned and don’t deserve. Your family name is a lie, made up as your family immigrated to America. It has never occurred to me to strip someone of the office in my speech, but you have crossed the bar and I won’t grant you it here. All that is left is Donald.

You’re a coward and a crook. We all know that already — it’s been amply documented. You’ve bragged about sexually assaulting women — we’ve all listened to you. You’re a small and pathetic man who gets off on bullying — we watched you in debates and press conferences. You have succeeded in amplifying your voice so loudly for so many years that there is no period of adjustment — we all already know your worth, and we have rejected you.

The majority of voters rejected you. The majority of Americans don’t want you. This city is overwhelmingly embarrassed by your presence. None of us respect you. You’ll never make us kneel. We will never treat you as our leader.

You have lived a long life. But no matter how long you live, we’re watching you. And one day, no matter how rich you are or how much you tweet, you assuredly will die, just as we all will.

And when that happens we will celebrate. There will be parties and we will make a joyous noise. I have never celebrated someone else’s death, but I will celebrate yours. And in time, I promise you, I and many others will dance on your grave.

This is not a threat — don’t send your goons for me. I wish you well. Live as long as you wish.

We will outlast you.

Mike Daisey

Author and Working Artist
@mdaisey

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Mitchell Gold

Dear President Trump,

It’s honestly hard for me to live with the fact that you are now the highest-ranking official in America and will wield great power over the lives of victims of bullying. I’m hoping that the gravity of your new position sinks in, that you find compassion in your heart and mind, and that you change your approach and stop setting an example that empowers bullies.

In the rural area where I live, and where the company I cofounded employs more than 600 people at our factory alone, I’ve seen first-hand the pain bullies cause, from taunting meeker-looking folks on the street to abuse in the home to the words anti-LGBT clergy use to coerce innocent LGBT kids into attempting the impossible task of changing the way they were created. Because of this, for over a decade I’ve worked to end bullying of LGBT people through Faith in America, the nonprofit I co-founded to educate people about the harm religious-based bigotry causes.

Through Faith in America, and the many, many smart and caring people who support us, we’ve made incredible progress that benefits all Americans—helping to create true comfort for all at home, in the workplace, and in the world. Highlights of FIA’s work include educating at the Southern Baptist Convention, guiding clergy of many faiths in understanding the extreme harm they cause so that they reject misguided religious teachings, developing our LGBT Mental Health Project, and working with the Family Acceptance Project.

I won’t stand by and watch our country take even one step back from the gains we’ve made. LGBT people of all ages have experienced so much pain through lack of understanding or being thought of as an “issue” instead of individuals. My hope is to meet with you and Vice President Pence to get a very special book I edited into your hands — one I’ve shared with many in politics, religion, and education. Entitled CRISIS: What Everyone Should Know About Growing Up Gay, it shares all-too-true heart-wrenching stories of those abused and rejected simply for being themselves. I believe it can help take you both from using the Presidency as a bully pulpit to making it a platform that empowers everyone.

If you will change and be a President for ALL the people, a guiding light of empathy and wisdom, and an upholder of the separation of church and state, then I’m certain I can tolerate the gaudy style of your NYC residence and various properties. I’d even be willing to help you make them better. And help with the White House. Design tip: shiny brass is okay, but in limited doses.

Mitchell Gold

Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO
Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Home Furnishings
@MGBWHome

Co-Founder, Board Co-Chair
Faith in America
@faithinamerica

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Nicholas F. Benton

Dear President Trump,

Like the courageous civil rights champion U.S. Rep. John Lewis, I do not consider your presidency to be legitimate. As Rep. Lewis, the great ally of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., stated this week, the overwhelming evidence confirmed by U.S. intelligence agencies of interference by a foreign power hostile to the U.S. in favor of your election last fall has severely flawed that outcome.

Moreover, the manner of your seeking the presidency and your ongoing behavior since being declared the winner underscore this grievous concern. Still sadly, most of your Republican colleagues in Congress have shamefully embraced this sorry development to already advance legislation that will eliminate health care coverage for 22 million Americans.

Since the election of President Obama, our first African-American president, in 2008, you and your Republican allies, along with the so-called “Alt-Right” radical white supremacist fringe, have worked tirelessly to erode President Obama’s power and influence through brazen and callous appeals to racism, the very lowest and most degraded of dispositions, antithetical to the moral standards required to preserve our precious and tenuous democracy.

You spearheaded a high-profile “birther movement” to discredit the president by the same means that African-Americans have been unfairly disenfranchised throughout history. Your behavior was as shameful then as it is now. But it is about far more than your personal immorality. Indeed, you appear to be advancing a hostile takeover of our core democratic institutions by a foreign power that prefers authoritarian tyranny. As such, you, sir, are a grave danger to this nation.

With the American revolution and miraculous success crafting a Constitutional democracy that has endured stormy times to survive two centuries and two score years later, the abiding animating spirit of America has been an openly-embraced deference to the benefit of all in equal measure. Our founding mothers and fathers, emboldened as they were by the universal aspirations of the Great Enlightenment of their century, were keenly attuned to this sensibility, and written between all the lines of their brave actions and words has been an almost otherworldly optimism that informed their testaments to the shared and equal values of all human beings, most recently extended to my LGBT brothers and sisters. There is no America without such an animating generosity of spirit guiding her.

This spirit is the polar opposite of a disposition seeking advantage over others by exploitation through politics or business as you represent.

Nicholas F. Benton

Publisher & Editor
The Falls Church News Press
Author
Extraordinary Hearts: Reclaiming the Central Role of Gay Sensibility in the Progress of Civilization

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Rayceen Pendarvis

Dear President Trump,

My name is Rayceen Pendarvis. Since I’m known as the Goddess of D.C., and you are going to be living and working here, I thought it would be appropriate for us to be properly introduced. I was never on Celebrity Apprentice, nor have I hosted or attended any of your events. Perhaps this will soon change. I know how to get to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and I have some beautiful frocks I could wear for a state dinner, the Easter Egg roll, or a casual stroll through the Rose Garden.

I am a lifelong Washingtonian. I was here before gentrifying, when D.C. was truly Chocolate City and was much different than it is now. I’ve seen presidential administrations, mayors, councilmembers, and various scandals come and go. I saw my city enact marriage equality long before the Supreme Court ruled on it. I’ve known many members of the armed services who worked at the Pentagon and various military bases in the region who lived their lives in fear before the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” I’ve seen marches, rallies, and riots. My city has a rich history and is constantly changing. From Lincoln Heights to Georgetown, from Takoma to Anacostia, there is so much taking place in this vibrant city, I couldn’t even begin telling you.

I hope that you and members of your administration can appreciate this city and all of its diversity. There are people from many nations, who have various religions and philosophical views, differing incomes and educational backgrounds, and are of every hue. Washingtonians use various terms to define their sexual orientations, and some of us are transgender, genderqueer, nonbinary, or, like me, are gender-blenders.

I have had the honor of hosting some of our wonderful annual LGBTQ events in the city, including Capital Pride, DC Black Pride, OutWrite LGBT Book Festival, Reel Affirmations International LGBTQ Film Festival, and more. I host The Ask Rayceen Show, a free monthly event which returns on March 1 at our new venue, the HRC Equality Center. (Did I mention my other moniker is “Queen of the Shameless Plug”?) Maybe I could help you with some outreach in the community. My rates are very reasonable if you would like me host an LGBTQ soiree at the White House.

I am also a nail technician, so when Melania is in town, I could help her find the perfect color for whatever the occasion requires. I’m located in a lovely nook at VSL Hair Design which can accommodate members of her Secret Service detail. I accept cash and credit cards.

I want to welcome you, your family, and everyone who will be moving to our city while you are president. I too have been known to be a risk taker and a trouble maker, so we might get along wonderfully. Much like you, I also like the Twitter, so as the kids say, hit me up in the DMs.

Rayceen Pendarvis

Emcee, Entertainer, Activist
@RayceenHRH

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Rea Carey

Dear President Trump,

We are LGBTQ people and we are resilient.

Having lived in Washington, D.C. since 1989, I’m used to the passing of the presidential baton from one party to another with opposing policy arguments and the requisite bipartisan banter. I’ve watched the ever-increasing polarization of American political parties, but your actions during the campaign and in these days leading up to Inauguration have demarcated an altogether different era. And while your tweets are headline news, we view them as harmful distraction away from what really matters: freedom, justice and equity for the people of this nation.

LGBTQ people and our families are part of every community in this nation and we are standing together. We stand with non-LGBTQ people. We resist your attempts through words or actions to dehumanize any of us, to discriminate against any of us just because of who we are. We have each other’s backs — an attack on any community is an attack on us all.

If Muslims are attacked, we stand together. If Black people are attacked, we stand together. If Jews are attacked, we stand together. If transgender people, or immigrants, or women are attacked, we stand together. If government workers are attacked, we stand together. If people with disabilities are attacked, we stand together.

Welcome to Washington. We are watching.

Rea Carey

Executive Director
National LGBTQ Task Force
@rea_carey

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Schuyler Bailar

Dear President Trump,

You probably don’t know who I am,

But I stand for everything that scares the shit out of you.

My mother is an immigrant,

I am a mixed-race child,

My best friend is a gay woman,

And I am a transgender man.

You probably think this means I am the opposite of you,

The antithesis.

But I, too, am a son,

A brother.

I, too, have a mother, a father.

You have fought your entire life to be a leader,

To stand tall and proud of yourself and what you believe in.

So have I.

I spent the morning wondering what I would do if your administration

Took away My Rights.

Would I still be able to go to school?

To compete on my swim team as a transgender athlete?

To go to the bathroom in peace?

Maybe.

But maybe not.

Still, I know that we,

The beaten down, the marginalized —

The people of color, the LGBTQ community, women, disabled people,

Muslims, immigrants —

The list goes on,

We have fought for decades, centuries, even,

For our right to live peacefully and truthfully.

From emancipation,

To women’s suffrage,

To Martin Luther King, Jr.,

To the Stonewall Riots,

And the marriage equality act,

We have always, somehow, lived through to today.

And each and every one of us is living proof that our survival is possible.

We are here today.

And we will be here tomorrow.

So let’s work on making America Great.

Not “Again,”

Because there is no part of American history

To which any black person would want to return,

In which any queer person would care to live,

During which any woman would feel free,

So, not “Again.”

But simply: Make America Great.

Because, Mr. President,

You have the power to change the world.

And you have already started.

And it is up to you

To lead this country to greatness.

Because we will never stop fighting for our Life, our Liberty and our pursuit of Happiness.

We will never step down.

We are headstrong and proud,

Just like you.

So we will not hide.

This is not a time

To be small,

To turn our heads in shame or cower in fear.

This, Mr. President of the United States of America,

Is a time when to stand tall and united, in our stubborn pride,

And grow together.

Schuyler Bailar

First Men’s NCAA D1 Transgender Athlete
Harvard University
@pinkmantaray on Instagram
@sb_pinkmantaray on Twitter

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Serge Seiden

Dear President Trump,

In 1985 I wrote a college paper on the theater of politics by examining the 1980 televised presidential debate between Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter. As a Political Science Major who was also studying acting, I wanted to understand how our political system was becoming increasingly performative with television as the medium. Many of us at the time were horrified that a B-movie actor could harness the power of television as well as Mr. Reagan. Given the power that television had in 1980, it should come as no surprise that a reality TV show and social media celebrity has become President. Unfortunately, this all feels eerily familiar.

But Reagan was old-school. His use of TV was all about acting — about projecting a warm, trustworthy personality through the cameras to our screens. He was just good at that role. You have turned the election — and now our entire public life — into a reality TV show. No acting necessary.

During the primaries any candidate who played by the traditional rules was eliminated from the show, and we ate it up with a spoon. As President-elect you’ve had to introduce the latest round of contestants — “cabinet appointments,” each one clearly cast for the entertainment value of their confirmation hearings. As a theater director, I’ve marveled at your ability to control the focus and keep us entertained. Like a good reality TV show, we’re disgusted, but we just can’t stop watching.

But how long can you as the ringmaster keep this circus going? And what happens at the end? What’s the season finale you’re planning? And meanwhile, what damage will you inflict on real people while we’re all distracted by the high-wire act?

For me, and many of my peers, Reagan’s warm, trustworthy TV persona was vile mask that refused to address a deadly epidemic, broke unions, gave tax cuts to the rich, and spent billions on the military. Our TV addiction had real and deadly consequences.

As a theater practitioner, I’m always telling myself that the reason live theater never dies out completely is something to do with community. As isolated and screen-addicted as we are, we still need community. We will always enjoy being together in a dark room as actors tell a story. It goes back to our human origins. I’ve got 11 people staying at my house for the Women’s March coming from all over. This weekend we’ll be renewing real community bonds — in protest — that will eventually overtake the Reality TV nation we’ve temporarily become.

Sadly, I can’t blame you, Mr. Trump. You’re just a bit of casting genius. You’re the flavor of the month. We’ll soon tire of you. And our real bonds of community will remain. But again, what damage will you inflict as the wheel of fortune turns on you?

Tune in next week to find out.

Sincerely,

Serge Seiden

Theater Maker
Washington, D.C.

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Sterling Washington

Dear President Trump,

I’m writing to you as the nation reflects on the legacy of an American hero — the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. — and am aware of the stark contrast that your upcoming presidency presents. After all, your campaign rejected so much of King’s vision for America by appealing to the unwarranted fears many Americans hold about immigrants, multiculturalism, and the nation’s recent gains towards equality.

The optimist in me would love to be pleasantly surprised by your presidency because it means the country would continue moving towards progress. Specifically, I’d like to see your Justice Department pursue federal hate crimes charges against domestic terrorists who violate Americans’ civil rights under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Both of President Obama’s Attorneys General took this seriously, which I as a Black gay man truly appreciated. By contrast, Senator Sessions, your pick for Attorney General, voted against the act. Leadership is important and nominating Sessions sends the message that bigotry is once again acceptable in America.

Also, your flip-flopping on climate change has been nauseating. By contrast, the outgoing President has been a leader on this issue. When faced with a Congress that refused to act on this most critical of issues, President Obama ratified the Paris Climate Accord, established a Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and issued executive orders that would protect the environment. As a person of faith, I believe in protecting the natural resources that we have inherited for future generations and thank the President for his actions. It’s worth noting that as he achieved these historic environmental protections, the economy grew and unemployment fell, despite detractors’ claims that going green would kill the economy and jobs.

With respect to killing jobs, the Republican-controlled Congress would undermine Americans’ health and destroy myriad jobs if it repeals the Affordable Care Act. You support such an effort, even though your party has no viable plan to replace it. According to a December 2016 Kaiser Family Foundation poll, more Americans support expanding the ACA or leaving it as is than support repeal or scaling it back. Listen to the people by expanding it or at least leaving it alone!

You will soon learn that campaigning is easier than governing. As your presidency begins, I pray that you heed Dr. King’s words from a 1964 speech at Oberlin College: “It’s always the right time to do the right thing.” As President, you will have countless opportunities to do the right thing.

Your campaign and transition have overwhelmingly played to the worst of our nature, but you can change that. It would be wise to do so. Remember, your Electoral College victory and popular vote loss have galvanized progressives, and we will pressure our representatives to vote according to America’s interests, not yours. Moreover, there are enough Democrats, Independents, and Republican allies in the Senate to thwart the worst of your agenda.

Sterling Washington

Consultant, Musician
Former Director, Mayor’s Office of GLBT Affairs
@straws73

The opinions expressed in the above letters are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organizations and this magazine, its staff and contributors.