In the aftermath of Tuesday’s election, which brought former President Donald Trump a decisive victory, advocates for immigrants, LGBTQ+ people and those seeking abortions are urging Vermont officials to do more to protect the rights of the groups they represent.
The ACLU of Vermont didn’t waste time in calling on state leaders to pass legislation to bolster Vermonters’ data privacy, ramp up immigrants’ rights protections and strengthen oversight of law enforcement.
“We hoped we would not have to put many of these plans in place but when we look towards a future Trump administration we know that they are going to be attacking the basic rights and liberties of folks in our immigrant communities, LGBTQ+ communities and the rights of folks who are trying to get legal reproductive health care,” said Falko Schilling, a lobbyist for ACLU of Vermont.
Trump has pledged to roll back existing protections that cover sexual orientation and gender identity, threatening to ban transgender people from serving in the armed forces and from accessing gender-affirming health care.
The Republican president-elect has also made threats of mass deportation, saying he would use the military to round up and detain undocumented immigrants. He has used anti-immigrant and anti-trans rhetoric, including a multimillion dollar anti-trans ad blitz. Advocates also worry that Trump would pursue a federal abortion ban, though he sought to distance himself from such proposals on the campaign trail.
In a press release Friday, the ACLU of Vermont elaborated on its plans. It said it would push for an end to the practice of using Vermont prisons to house federal immigration detainees and seek further limitations on the use of local resources to support federal immigration actions. It’s also calling for a ban on “reverse warrants,” which it says “could be used to target people receiving reproductive health care or engaging in peaceful protest” and asking lawmakers to beef up data privacy protections for Vermonters.
Christine Hallquist, who became the country’s first openly transgender major-party nominee for governor when she ran for that post in Vermont in 2018, penned a commentary this week similarly urging the state to begin “preparing contingency plans now.”
In an interview, Hallquist said Vermont should start stockpiling abortion pills to shore up against the possibility of anti-abortion policy actions, pass a state law that bolsters the right to protest, and declare itself a “sanctuary state” to combat any major rollbacks in national immigration and climate change laws.
And although it seems like members of the transgender community are “quite afraid” of what’s ahead, Hallquist said, “This isn’t time for fear. This is a time for strength.”
Hallquist, the executive director of the Vermont Community Broadband Board, said she’s also concerned about potential loss of funding for states that pursue policies in conflict with Trump’s agenda.
“I think we have to make a statement, a firm statement of law that says we will not give up our values when our federal aid is threatened,” she said. “And I’m the canary in the coal mine.”
The board is handling more than half a billion dollars — one of the largest federal investments made in broadband infrastructure since interstate funding, she said. “I’ve been clearly an anti-Trump activist. I don’t know how deep he’s going to go down his enemies list, but you know, he could clearly say, ‘Look, Vermont, we’re not going to approve your plans.’”
Jessica Barquist, a Vermont lobbyist for Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, said the organization is also concerned about the possibility of a federal abortion ban that “would supersede our constitutional amendment, and Vermonters would be impacted alongside the rest of the country.”
For now, abortion remains legal in Vermont, and patients can access abortion care and services such as mental health counseling and gender-affirming support through Planned Parenthood of Northern New England health centers and telehealth from anywhere, regardless of citizenship status, free of charge, according to a statement from the organization.
As Vermont continues to resettle refugees from conflict zones across the world, the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants put out a statement this week predicting that, “As we move forward, it is certain that we will encounter challenging times.” The organization pledged to continue to offer critical services and support to “refugees, asylees, unaccompanied migrant children, survivors of human trafficking, and immigrants.”
“As we reflect on the path ahead, we do so with resolve, optimism, and an unwavering commitment to continuing our work as champions for those who seek safety and opportunity in a new land,” the statement read.
Dana Kaplan, executive director of Outright Vermont, a statewide nonprofit advocacy group for LGBTQ+ people, emphasized the importance of community and access to accurate information.
“I can’t understate the importance of people trying to take good care of themselves, trying not to isolate and being in community during these really terrifying times,” he said.
It’s important for people not to lose hope, he added, pointing to historic wins for LGBTQ+ people, including candidates of color, in local elections in Vermont and across America. “That’s really, really important. That really matters,” he said.
Mia Schultz, president of the Rutland area NAACP, said advocacy organizations and allies need to come together, assess needs and figure out what kind of support, information and clarity they can provide marginalized communities in Vermont.
“There’s an incredible amount of fear but also a moment of truth with a real sense of understanding of what’s at stake right now,” she said, suggesting that critical freedoms and democracy are under threat.
“For Black and marginalized communities these struggles are not new. Our ancestors have long stood at the forefront of this fight for justice, and we carry their legacy forward with determination and pride,” Schultz said in an emailed statement. “Whether you’re Black or white, a United States citizen or an immigrant, transgender or cisgender, most of us share a common desire: to live in a world where the fundamental right to exist with dignity and peace is honored.”
Concerns have filtered down into schools as well.
Caitlin MacLeod-Bluver, a teacher in Winooski, which is the state’s most diverse city, shared some of her students’ reactions this week. They included, “My hope is that each state will think of the women and the trans community when it comes to health care”; and “I’m so glad I have papers. Everyone else like me without papers is going home.”
Read the story on VTDigger here: Civil and reproductive rights groups in Vermont make plans in advance of Donald Trump’s return.