You are likely familiar with Project 2025, a conservative policy plan put together for the second term of Mr. Trump’s presidency. This plan calls for sweeping anti-LGBTQ+ executive action and coordinated legislation during the early days of the administration. PrideVMC is a 501c3 organization, and as such is non-partisan, representing the constituency of the entire LGBTQ+ community in veterinary medicine. We cannot however ignore the impact of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation that has preceded this election in 2022-2024 on LGBTQ+ youth, and transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming adults. Mr. Trump has previously made statements about removing support for LGBTQ+ students and ending legal status and gender-affirming care for transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming adults. These statements have continued and become more and more concerning in the last several months.
As of mid-2023, up to 250,000 transgender people in the United States were estimated to have been displaced including members of our board with a million considering moving. We do not know what this total number is currently. We are concerned that we will see a diaspora of LGBTQ+ people leave the United States and discrimination and/or incarceration of those left behind. For example, with existing legislation several PrideVMC and PrideSVMC board members could be arrested for using a public restroom in certain states. At PrideVMC, our mission revolves around several pillars, which include supporting our students and being purposefully antiracist. We believe that we will see the most extensive impact on our intersectional members and in particular students.
We appreciate the significant support that over 290 organizations have expressed in being a signatory of the Gender Identity Bill of Rights (GIBOR) and the ongoing collaboration with PrideVMC and other vet med affinity groups from many organizations in the veterinary space. We as an organization are committed to continuing to support the LGBTQ+ community in the veterinary profession. We are taking steps to safeguard the organization and its members and to prepare for an escalation of the national LGBTQ+ crisis far beyond the prior impact. As such we are specifically asking for your assistance of in the following:
- Opening access to organizational crisis funds for your team members in need
- Assisting with relocation and placement of displaced LGBTQ+ team members and all those that are no longer safe in their current location
- Advocating for LGBTQ+ and all marginalized communities
- Taking steps to protect LGBTQ+ and BIPOC individuals in your organization
- Amplifying the PrideVMC Virtual First Aid Kit
We are available if it would be helpful to set up a meeting for our board to discuss this further with your organization. Please contact ceo@pridevmc.org to do so. This is an unprecedented moment in the history of our community in the United States and we will meet this challenge with hope, resilience, and the determination to safeguard a better future for the organization and our members.
Submitted by The PrideVMC Board of Directors
