I’ve spent a significant amount of time every day considering if I should buy a gun and get a concealed carry permit. There are people attacking trans women in public while onlookers cheer.
I’m also worried about losing access to my hormone therapy and ADHD meds, and having the hospital (or insurance) I’m on a waiting list for surgery decide they’re not going to do trans healthcare anymore. Also worried that the federal government will outlaw legal gender transition.
I’ve considered trying to leave, but there aren’t really any countries that seem viable to go to that aren’t also actively passing anti-trans laws. My only marketable skill is IT, but I’ve only got an associates degree, no certifications, and I’m not specialized in any particular in demand area.
I’ve also lost the shred of faith in humanity I had left. I find myself wondering which is more likely: assuming 70+ million people are actually that malicious or if they just on average have the intelligence of a potato chip. I fear it’s probably both.
So yes, I suppose you could say it’s had an impact on my everyday mental health.
Leaving the us for one politician with limited term is more than most Americans will do - I do have a few friends on work visas considering whether they really want to be here any longer though
Per state might be more significant. I have a kid in high school and so many of his friends have made comments about never leaving the blue states when they grow up. My kid in college has some “atypical” friends who are now afraid to travel within the country; not so much from laws but more the normalization of hatred
I do have the luxury of living in a deep blue state that will be fighting for our rights every step of the way, so somewhat insulated from changes
Heck, this might even be good for our climate goals. As a small state, we’re limited in what we can do for electricity generation. However being near Ontario, we’re in the market for some of that sweet zero emission hydropower. We’re blocked from building the long distance powerlines through natural areas to support that. Maybe a new administration that prioritizes business over the environment will let us sacrifice a few trees for the much greater carbon emissions savings
I guess I’m getting old enough to wonder what I would do when I retire. Previously I would consider what cheaper and warmer area I might move to, but none of them seem like a good idea anymore
Edit:
- my older brother works for the FAA, but he’s fine with being privatized and relocated somewhere cheaper. He’s on the lookout for somewhere cheap to retire, plus he’s on the conservative side
- my younger brother works for a legacy car manufacturer, so abandoning the transition to EVs would give a few years of good business and he can retire before they’re hopelessly outdated in the global market and everything comes crashing down
- my Mom is completely dependent on social security and Medicare so a bit worried, but my brothers and I can kick in more
- my older kid wants to be a teacher so jobs everywhere plus our state pays better than most
- my younger kid wants to do politics but he’s got four more years, so that will be completely different
I know plenty of people that talk a big game but don’t have the funds to actually move. Although my ex is packing up and moving to within 3 miles of Canada so she can…idk. swim after a small hike?
Nothing has actually changed yet beyond a constant state of low level dread.
Nope, his previous presidency did not affect me at all. No one I know seems worried about it either. That said, the his last term my sister got married to her wife in part to get ahead of any anti lgbt legislation he might he might have passed.
To be sure, if you’re only looking at direct immediate impact, no president has ever affected most of us, not even Trump. However if you paid attention to pretty much anything larger than yourself, pretty much everything was negatively impacted.
Most of us were never “grabbed by the pussy”, or defamed and slandered, held up for national ridicule. Most of us were not attacked in a vain attempt at reversing an election, nor were most of us physically harmed when he instigated an attempted coup. Most of didn’t lose anything when he enriched himself from wealthy benefactors and foreign influence, nor lose anything as he instigated trade wars and bickered with our allies. Most of us did not lose our lives as a result of his giving up classified information including names of agents. Most of us were not singled out from spite or racism. Most of us have not yet been harmed by climate change, especially that part he managed to speed up. Most of us did not unnecessarily die from denial of a pandemic. Almost half of us have not been harmed by losing any rights to our own bodies. I guess we weren’t harmed when he never even attempted to follow through with most of his promises.
Don’t get me wrong, I would love to leave the US, but I’m just trying to avoid homelessness at this point - I can’t financially afford to pack up my life and move to another country. I can’t even afford to get a passport. I’m mentally preparing for the incoming tariffs I suppose, it’s possible I’ll have to get a second job when they hit just to be able to like eat instant noodles every day. I’m trans, and do worry about what that will mean for my safety under this administration. Tension is high, there’s a lot of anti-trans propaganda being spread - and being totally honest we cannot ignore the possibility of concentration camps (especially with how much donald wants to deport every immigrant). The US has been fascist for a long fucking time, but now they’re saying all the quiet parts out loud.
