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Trump has taken quick action regarding the trans community since the inauguration, to the outrage of many in the LGBT community. But in the midst of this, he also appointed Scott Bessent: the first openly gay Treasury Secretary, who now holds the highest elected position of an LGBT person in the history of the US. So, what should we make of this? So far, the community seems to be torn and relatively silent. Bessent’s position poses numerous questions that I think we must consider. As a gay therapist, I’ve seen how strongly Trump has impacted the mental health of gay men in this country.
Who is Scott Bessent?
Scott is 62 years old. He is a very successful businessman, with a net worth of over a billion dollars. He’s built companies and hedge funds. He’s now married with two children. He is pro-tariff, and seems to be very aligned with Trump’s economic policies. With his confirmation, he’s now 5th in line for president. He’s spoken openly about how dramatically LGBTQ rights have evolved over his lifetime. He notes how, having survived the HIV/AIDS epidemic, he could never have fathomed holding such a high position in a presidential administration.
Gay Republicans
For a long time, being gay was synonymous with being a Democrat. It was just assumed that any gay man was liberal for quite some time. This made sense. The Democratic Party had long championed marriage equality and other LGBT causes, while conservatives had lobbied against our rights—often claiming they wanted to protect “traditional” marriage. But recently, a growing number of gay men now identify as Republicans. According to 2024 exit polls, 15% of LGBT voters identify as Republicans. And only 50% identify as Democrats. These numbers truly took me by surprise, challenging long-standing beliefs that only gays on the fringe could possibly support conservative ideologies.
LGB vs. TQ
Here’s where it gets complicated. On the Democratic side, there’s largely been a group approach, where we focus on LGBTQ rights as a whole, rather than the rights of each sub-community. The truth is, and has always been, our rights are not exactly the same. Trans folks have always been marginalized more than gay and bisexual folks, for example. And now in the current administration, we’re seeing a true split, where some legislation stands against part of the LGBTQ community, while other measures support the LGB. Scott Bessent’s appointment is a clear example of that. Whether you like his political leanings or not, Scott is now the highest elected out gay man ever in our government. He holds a position of power that would have been unfathomable for a gay man just a decade or so ago.
A Cause to Celebrate?
But most folks seem ambivalent about celebrating this progress, or even calling it progress at all. Most of the major LGBTQ media outlets have barely mentioned Bessent’s appointment, much less celebrated it. The glass ceiling Scott’s shattered has been overshadowed by the person who appointed him: Donald Trump. Disdain for Trump is so strong that it seems to supersede the suggestion that something positive has happened for LGBTQ rights. Mostly, a lot of folks feel torn. While they may want to celebrate a step in the right direction for gay rights, it’s hard for them to witness so many steps backward for trans and queer rights.
Finding the Gray Area
Some folks look at politics in black-and-white, all-or-nothing terms. Either you’re good or bad. Either you’re on our side, or you’re not. Others are more inclined to look at each individual issue in isolation. No president or candidate gets it right on everything. Many folks are willing to celebrate the small wins, even if they’re dissatisfied generally speaking. Part of what we as LGBTQ folks are faced with is digesting harsh truths. America has historically oppressed LGBTQ folks. But more importantly, the oppression isn’t equal for each letter in our alphabet. For example: recent polls show that 70% of Americans support gay marriage, while 80% oppose trans athletes in competitive sports.
Can We Work Together?
What complicates this further is that it’s difficult to even talk about these issues without triggering uproar. Some feel as though even discussing the possibility that Trump has done something positive is aberrant. I think we can all agree that tensions are high right now. And rightly so. But it’s become incredibly difficult to have any constructive dialogue anymore. People are so quick to demonize and denounce that they may be missing opportunities for constructive conversations. Many gay conservatives were hoping that Bessent’s appointment would offer an opportunity to bring both parties together, offering a reason to put partisanship aside in favor of social progress. But, again, not everyone sees it that way.
Gay Men and Trump
So, is Trump now a gay ally? Well, the community doesn’t seem to think so just yet. Trump’s track record of supporting gay men is still relatively barren. Rather than saying anything hateful or anti-gay, the truth is that Trump hasn’t said much about gay rights at all. It remains to be seen if he will, or if he will continue to take actions that support us over the next four years. We’ll have to stay tuned.
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