As part of LGBTQ Nation’s January issue, we asked readers to tell us how one year of the second Trump administration has affected their lives and what they hope LGBTQ+ leaders and allies do differently in 2026.

We received dozens of submissions and will be sharing them throughout the month (you can also still submit).

Related

“Fear & instability”: A trans man craves a sense of home while battling Trump for the right to exist

Peter Klicker, a 63-year-old transgender veteran, expressed anger that he cannot take advantage of the international opportunities afforded by his graduate program due to the Trump administration’s anti-trans passport policy. This year, he hopes to see more strength from LGBTQ+ leaders and allies.

Here’s what he had to say.

Never Miss a Beat

Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights.
Subscribe to our Newsletter today

How has living under the second Trump administration affected you personally over the last year?

I got extremely depressed beginning with the first few anti-trans executive orders. I’m a disabled veteran with PTSD and felt like I was under attack, despite having done everything right. I got fired from my last job on Feb 25th… filed for 100% VA disability. It was approved.

Then I did some intense therapy at the VA, including a crisis management plan. It helped me realize the strength I do have, so despite being old (physically 64 next month, mentally going on 30), I applied to the Master of Human Rights program at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs.

I just completed my first semester back. However, I’m angry that a disabled veteran of the United States Marine Corps, honorably discharged in 1988 with a flawless record as a Sergeant of Marines, cannot get a passport with the correct gender marker.

I believe I would be endangered if I tried to travel with any documents that say female. I have NEVER been misgendered. I am a carbon copy of my next older brother… so that means I can’t travel to China this spring with classmates, I can’t do an internship at the UN in Geneva, I can’t travel anywhere outside of the US, Canada, and Mexico.

Why am I being punished?

What do you hope to see from LGBTQ+ leaders and allies in 2026?

I would love to see more people with the intestinal fortitude of Congresswoman Sarah McBride (D-DE). I had the pleasure of interviewing her for a school assignment and learned so much from her –  and she’s 29 years my junior. 

We need our LGBTQ+ representatives to stand up to the bullsh*t.

Perhaps you’ve seen the video in which McBride is deliberately misgendered by a Republican man. She responded without anger, “Yes, Madam Chair?” No snark – just doing what she can to make an impact. That’s what I’d expect from LGBTQ+ leaders and our allies.

Subscribe to the LGBTQ Nation newsletter and be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.