Many people in the queer community are on edge after Donald Trump’s reelection in November.

The Trevor Project, a leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people, reported a 700% increase in calls after the 2024 election.

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Trump has uttered no shortage of transphobic rhetoric, leaving many concerned that he’ll roll back federal protections for transgender people.

Detroiter Valerie Jean Blakely, who has a 16-year-old transgender son, shares those same concerns. She joined The Metro on Thursday to discuss her feelings of anxiety and fear for her family with Trump back in the White House.

After the presidential election, Blakely said she and her family sat in a bedroom for two days, unpacking their anxieties and discussing what Trump’s reelection could mean for their family, and for transgender rights more broadly. 

Blakely shared her fears that Trump’s election has emboldened transphobic people to openly come after the LGBTQ community.

“Trump supporters immediately came for trans people, like, immediately,” she said. “It was so stark to me, it does not feel like it’s getting better. It felt like it was a little easier when he was six, to be fair, because it didn’t seem… the hate and the bigotry didn’t seem so, you know, violent.”

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More headlines from The Metro on Dec. 12, 2024: 

• The city of Detroit is the 10th U.S. city to get a designated Michelin Green Guide highlighting its cultural attractions, Visit Detroit announced this week. Claude Molinari, president and CEO of Visit Detroit, joined the show to discuss the designation.
• The Ruth Ellis Center is well known within the LBGTQ+ community, often being a lifeline for our most unprotected LGBTQ brothers and sisters. Ruth Ellis herself was one of the oldest and proudest Black lesbians of her time. Mykell Price, director of talent, equity and inclusion for the Ruth Ellis Center, joined the show to discuss what it’s like to be a trans person in Detroit today, and what resources are available.
• In partnership with the State of Michigan and Detroit at Work, The Michigan Central Talent Innovation Training Fund was created to support start-ups. More than $1.5 million will go towards skill building, growing and diversifying Detroit’s business community.
• Democrats have had control of the state House, Senate, and Governor’s office since the 2022 midterms. The “trifecta” government meant the state legislature and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer could pursue and advance a policy agenda without Republican support. But that’s changing come January, when Michigan House Democrats will lose their majority.  To discuss this, Michigan Public Radio Network reporter Colin Jackson joined the show.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court heard the most high-profile case of its term on Wednesday, weighing Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming health care for transgender minors.

Similar laws have been passed by other conservative-leaning states. Challengers say they deprive kids of treatment they need, while the states defend them as protecting minors from life-changing decisions.

The conservative-majority court appeared ready to uphold Tennessee’s law. It comes against the backdrop of escalating pushback to transgender rights, notably from President-elect Donald Trump.

Here are some takeaways from the arguments:

What did key conservative justices say?

In the arguments on Wednesday, five of the court’s six conservatives seemed skeptical of the argument that the ban on gender-affirming care for minors is discriminatory.

Two key conservatives, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett, repeatedly challenged the arguments from lawyers challenging the ban.

Roberts questioned whether judges should be weighing in on a question of regulating medical procedures, an area usually left to state lawmakers. Barrett sounded skeptical of the administration’s argument that the law discriminates because of sex.

Conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch was notably silent, asking no questions.

The court’s other three conservatives seemed to favor Tennessee. The three liberals largely backed the challengers, with Justice Sonia Sotomayor highlighting the risks of suicide among kids with gender dysphoria.

What’s the court’s track record on the issue?

The litigation marked only the second time the high court has heard a case that represented a fundamental test of transgender rights.

In a case involving LGBTQ+ rights four years ago, two conservative justices, Roberts and Gorsuch, joined with its liberals to expand protections for transgender workers. Barrett wasn’t on the bench at the time and had no record on transgender rights.

Gorsuch wrote the opinion, which left open claims of discrimination in other situations.

What happens next?

The court isn’t expected to rule for several months. The decision could have direct effects in the 26 states that have passed versions of the bans, and might have ripple effects on other measures that restrict sports participation and bathroom use by transgender people.

Supporters of the health care laws argue the gender-affirming treatments are risky, and the laws protect kids from making decisions before they’re ready.

Challengers say many medical interventions come with some degree of risk, and families should be able to weigh those against the benefits. The arguments in favor of Tennessee’s ban could also be used to back federal restrictions, said Chase Strangio, the ACLU attorney who represented three families challenging the law.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said that his state’s arguments would still let each state set its own policy.

Reporting by Lindsay Whitehurst, Associated Press