Meanwhile in… the USA: LGBTQ+ and women’s rights

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WUR is incredibly diverse, with hundreds of internationals working and studying here. In the Meanwhile In column, we ask one of them to comment on events in their home country. This time, Animal Sciences MSc student Wayne Grindle (24) shares his thoughts about the current situation in the US under President Trump.

‘My main concern right now is for my friends back home, many of whom are women or in the LGBTQ+ community. My best friend, who is gay, worries about his right to marry, especially with a Supreme Court dominated by conservative judges rolling back rights. As a straight white man, I don’t personally face these threats, but those I care about do. The revoking of Roe v. Wade is an example of this: if one of my female friends in Ohio needed an abortion, she’d have to drive at least two hours to Pennsylvania, deal with the travel costs and pay the costs of the abortion as well. Beyond politics, I’ve told my girlfriend that I don’t want to raise kids in the US. The cost of parenting is very high, there’s no strong social support system and school shootings still happen a lot.

‘On social media, I see many people comparing Trump to Hitler. While the situations aren’t identical, they are both populists saying wrong things to rally their base and scapegoat marginalized groups. Right now, transgender people are the target. They’re being mistreated just for existing. The US was founded on freedom of speech, but now we see the opposite happening: right-wing individuals were once censored for spreading misinformation and now those advocating for human rights are being silenced.

‘Trump doesn’t unify people. However, someone once said he was the most unifying president in history because he has united the world against the US. I think rather than focusing on global conflicts, America needs to address its internal struggles right now. If we lose our rights and the ability to share information, we can’t effectively help others. We can’t raise awareness of others if we can’t do it for ourselves.

‘My Dutch housemates are a little worried because they see their own country moving to the right as well. They also feel the effects of the Trump government. Donald Trump’s election will indirectly cost the average Dutch person about 2000 euros a year.’

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