Spencer Macnaughton | Uncloseted Media Election Newsletter
Hello all! I know many of y’all may be hungover without having had a drop of alcohol last night. And I know others may be pleased with the election results.
Donald Trump will be the 47th President of the United States. He beat Kamala Harris. It wasn’t even close. These are facts.
Uncloseted Media is a nonpartisan news organization. We are also committed to reporting the truth. These are also facts.
With this in mind, here are other truths: Trump ran a campaign rooted in transphobia, where he spent $19 million on anti-trans attack ads. His lead slogan was “Crazy liberal Kamala is for they/them, Trump is for You.” He has lied about kids going to school and coming home with sex changes. He’s been intrinsically linked to Project 2025, the 920-page document that suggests we return to the traditional definition of marriage and strip terms like sexual orientation and gender identity from “every federal rule, agency regulation, contract, grant, regulation, and piece of legislation that exists.” He has said countless times we need to get rid of “transgender insanity.”
I have spent this morning interviewing folks on both sides of the political aisle. I spoke to Ciora Thomas, a trans woman in Pennsylvania, who—through tears— told me multiple young trans people have called her this morning expressing suicidal thoughts. She told me she fears there’s a strong “possibility of not existing under the [Trump] administration.”
For those who have never met a trans person, please understand that there is intense fear because the next President has bullied this community with vitriolic language and weaponized their existence. He has used trans folks as pawns to effectively win the ticket as the leader of the United States.
I launched Uncloseted Media to investigate anti-LGBTQ hate. Today underscores the deep and intense need for nonpartisan journalism that drills into systems of hate against marginalized groups. We are just getting started and refuse to allow hate, power, or bullies to go unchecked.
Thank you for your support, and check out other relevant election news below.
Spencer Macnaughton | Editor-in-chief, Uncloseted Media
Election News Roundup:
America, again, chooses Trump over a woman (The 19th)
Sarah McBride Makes History as First Transgender Member of Congress (The 19th)
She won Delaware's at-large House seat on Tuesday, beating her Republican opponent John Whalen.
Julie Johnson becomes the first openly LGBTQ person to represent Texas in Congress (The Hill)
She will fill the seat left vacant by Colin Allred, who unsuccessfully challenged Ted Cruz for a U.S. Senate seat.
Silenced transgender state lawmaker Zooey Zephyr wins reelection in Montana (AP News)
Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr won reelection in a race that will allow the transgender lawmaker to return to the House floor nearly two years after she was silenced and sanctioned by her Republican colleagues.
Randall becomes first woman, LGBTQ person to represent Washington’s 6th district (The Hill)
Democrat Emily Randall was projected to win her bid for Washington’s 6th Congressional District Tuesday, making history as the first woman and openly LGBTQ person elected to represent the district in Congress.
California voters approve Proposition 3, reaffirming gay marriage in the California Constitution (LA Times)
The California Constitution will no longer include outdated language that defines only marriages between a man and a woman as valid, after voters approved Proposition 3 on Tuesday.
Julie Johnson becomes first openly LGBTQ person to serve Texas in Congress (The Hill)
Julie Johnson was projected to win her election Tuesday for Texas’s 32nd Congressional District, making history as the first openly LGBTQ person to represent Texas in Congress and the first elected from anywhere in the South, where legislation targeting LGBTQ rights is largely concentrated.
NY Prop 1, so-called ‘Equal Rights Amendment,' passes as state constitutional amendment (NBC New York)
While there were perhaps more noteworthy or highly publicized races being determined on Election Day, there was one item New Yorkers may not have been as familiar with on the backside of their ballot.
US Anti-LGBTQ Groups Spending in Africa Soars, Report Says (Bloomberg)
US conservative groups have significantly increased spending in Africa amid a wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation across the continent. 17 American groups spent $5.2 million in 2022, up 47% from 2019, according to an analysis of the most recent US tax filings.
Thanks for reading! And feel free to email me with questions, complaints and ideas!
Spencer Macnaughton, Editor-In-Chief
spencer@unclosetedmedia.com
