In front of the County Administration Building at Waterfront Park in Downtown, local LGBTQ+ organizations held a press conference affirming their united vision of protecting human rights days before President-elect Donald Trump re-enters office. In addition to representatives from The San Diego LGBT Community Center, San Diego Pride, North County LGBTQ Resource Center, and TransFamily Support Services speaking on Jan. 15, local elected officials, San Diego’s largest school district and other human rights organizations stood behind them.
“The incoming administration has threatened to challenge the rights and dignity of our LGBTQ+ community, but we are stronger, our resolve is deeper, and we believe justice is on our side. The San Diego LGBT Community Center is ready to stand strong and protect our diverse binational LGBTQ+ community from potential threats,” said Cara Dessert, CEO of The Center.
Supervisor Monica Montgomery-Steppe, Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, and representatives from Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, San Diego API Coalition, and San Diego Unified School District were among those invited to speak.
“I stand with our LGBTQ+ residents and denounce the rhetoric and violence that threaten their safety and dignity,” said Whitburn, who represents San Diego City Council District 3. “While San Diego has been a leader in fighting discrimination, we must do more to protect our residents and ensure our city remains a beacon of equity, inclusion, and pride.”
Ahead of the conference, Norma Chávez-Peterson, executive director of the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties, noted that the ACLU will largely focus on litigation, but people cannot depend on the courts to protect them. She urged a larger coalition of people to hold elected officials accountable and leverage the power of state and local governments.
“We strongly condemn the litany of unjust promises, untruths and bigotry that defined President-elect Trump’s campaign. His dangerous rhetoric sets the stage for a second Trump administration characterized by terrible injustices and inhumane public policies that target marginalized communities. This is in stark opposition to our shared values of human dignity, equity and inclusion,” said Chávez-Peterson.
The event comes after Trump made rolling back transgender rights a key part of his campaign. His day-one promises include immediately limiting participation in women’s sports and restricting gender-affirming care for all ages. San Diego, and San Diego’s LGBTQ+ community, would also be impacted by mass deportation plans.
“As threats loom over access to gender-affirming care, the rights of LGBTQ+ students, and the safety of our community, we are more determined than ever to fight back with strength, compassion, and unity,” said Kathie Moehlig, founder and executive director of TransFamily Support Services.
The coalition urged San Diego to stand against hate and misinformation directed towards vulnerable communities, such as immigrants and LGBTQ+ people. Reproductive justice was also part of the coalition’s platform, as bodily autonomy is a pillar of the philosophy of both abortion access advocates and gender-affirming healthcare advocates.
Under Governor Gavin Newsom, California has positioned itself as a ‘sanctuary state’ for those seeking abortions, undocumented immigrants and families of transgender youth. With San Diego officials in attendance at the press conference, they echoed Newsom’s opposition to Trump administration crackdowns on those communities. The public move is also notable after former Supervisor Nora Vargas did not take her second term of office amid security concerns weeks after receiving national backlash to a sanctuary county policy for immigrants she pushed through.
Pride executive director Leane Marchese summed up the press conference in a follow-up email as the group of organizations, elected officials and allies declared in one voice: “We are ready to meet any challenge.”
