This isn’t the election Nate Larwa thought it was going to be.
A freshman music education major, Larwa was disappointed that Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were his choices. He was hoping for Bernie Sanders, whom he voted for in the primary.
“Hillary did not embody many of the things I wanted for our nation, she embodied the change I wanted for our nation,” Larwa said. “She was a much better candidate. However, the Electoral College has spoken, and Trump is our new president, so we have to do with what we were given. Just hope and pray that it will be a positive thing.
“I’m hopeful that it will be, but worried that it won’t be.”
After finding out Trump had become the new president, Larwa, who identifies as gay, said he was in absolute shock. He said campus seemed to share his feelings because after Election Day, he said NKU was a somber, quiet place.
“I definitely think people were shocked by it,” Larwa said. “We were all still in disbelief that this man was able to win the presidency, especially after our current president is the exact opposite of everything that President Trump is. I don’t think I’ve ever felt such a legitimate fear, which you know is scary. That’s the man that’s going to be in charge of our country.
“I know I’m not the only one that’s scared.”
Taylor Healy, freshman theater major, was also feeling overwhelmed with the election results. Healy, who identifies as a lesbian, said that when she found out, the next morning on Wednesday, it didn’t seem real.
“I felt like it was a nightmare,” Healy said. “I just kept thinking ‘how could America go from loving all to voting this man our new leader.’ My friends and I could lose all these rights we just got. It’s terrifying.”
Healy is also a member of Common Ground, a student organization, part of the LGBTQ Programs and Services, whose mission is to not only provide a safe and supportive place for members but to educate the public about the LGBTQ+ community.
The LGBTQ Programs and Services at NKU has many resources for students who are seeking support, which are available at their website, lgbtq.nku.edu. The office promotes an equitable and safe environment for student success regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Healy said that she has seen more articles that claim Trump supports the LGBTQ community and is hoping that he follows through.
“I feel like Trump could actually try to protect the LGBTQ community the best he can, or he could not,” Healy said. “We just have to wait and see, but I’m hoping.”
Larwa said he thinks that Trump running alone isn’t as big of a threat, however, because he chose Indiana Governor Mike Pence as his vice president, Larwa thinks the pair could do some damages.
“Trump is a classic example of male establishment, and he chose a vice president that’s politically savvy and knows what it takes, knows what he can do and knows the direct routes to do it,” Larwa said. “I think it may very well end up being a Pence-influenced presidency. We’ve seen presidencies before where the vice president ran things and I think this could be harmful, especially for the LGBTQ community.”
Healy agrees that with Pence being the vice president, there is more potential for negative things to occur.
“With Pence wanting to make conversion therapy real, it’s very daunting,” Healy said. “I’m worried about our younger generations, too. They might not feel safe coming out and we don’t know what to say. I feel like more and more kids won’t come out and people will be even more mean to the LGBTQ community, since they’re seeing our leaders say it’s okay. I feel like some people are probably lost and confused.”
Larwa said one of the things that scares him most is how Vice President Pence feels towards the LGBTQ community.
“I think Pence could cancel out the positive things Trump could do for the LGBTQ community, especially with some of things he’s tried to do as governor in Indiana,” Larwa said. “If you’ve seen anything Pence has said, he’s said some pretty scary stuff. Pence firmly believes in electro-shock therapy. Hopefully the conversion therapy doesn’t become a thing. It’s literally insane to think it would happen. I would definitely say Pence is worse than Trump.”
According to CNN, the election of Vice President Mike Pence set off panic in gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities across the country, as people worried if he would pledge to repeal the Affordable Care Act, appoint conservative judges to US Supreme Court who could roll back marriage equality, and support conversion therapy translate to a directive for LGBTQ youth.
Larwa said that several of his friends are just as frightened as he is, and he said some parents are telling their children that they should consider keeping quiet about their sexuality.
“I got my scholarship because of my sexuality, so for a lot of people it’s not a secret,” Larwa said. “I have a lot of gay friends that are just worried for their lives. I’m hopeful that President Trump won’t do some of the things he’s said he would do. I have seen several articles that say that Trump is pro-LGBTQ which I can believe that, but Pence is very much not. We’ll see how that turns out in the long run.”
Although Larwa has worries for the future of the LGBTQ community, he says that people need to come together and support the decision.
“The Electoral College chose him, and people voted for him because they believe he can make a change and they believe it’s going to be a good change,” Larwa said. “So, I’m hopeful that it will be positive. I’m in a very hopeful state right now, I hoping that everything I’m thinking is wrong. Things go the way they go, politics are politics.”
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