Donald Trump has issued six executive orders affecting the LGBTQ+ community in 2025.
“[The executive orders] affect me pretty directly,” Avery Eringis ‘26 said. “Because I am trans, and a lot of my friends are also part of the queer community.”
Eringis says he is glad to be in Vermont, but he is still frightened by the situation.
“It’s still not a good feeling knowing that the person in charge of the country that you live in doesn’t really think that you should deserve to exist,” Eringis said.
Eringis is not the only one at the school worried about these executive orders. Ducky Jones is the Counseling Admin Assistant at BHS and identifies as nonbinary.
“I am quite nervous that the ‘X’ gender marker may not be available, even though that is the most accurate representation of my gender,” Jones said.
In room 113, there is a space called “Tide Pools,” which Jones runs. There, students can take 10 minutes to de-stress, self-regulate, and refocus before going back to class.
“I have had several students come to take Tide Pools breaks in the counseling office as a result of the laws Trump has put into place,” Jones said. “Additionally, the most heartbreaking questions I have received as of late have come from queer and transgender students who are worried they will no longer be able to play sports.”
Both Eringis and Jones agree that teachers should keep reminding LGBTQ+ students that they are seen.
“Teachers should reaffirm that LGBTQ+ students are welcome here – they could hang pride flags in their room, ask for pronouns/use the correct ones and use inclusive language,” Jones said. “This can ensure that no matter what is going on outside, students are assured they are valid members of the BHS/Burlington community while at school.”
Dana Kaplan is the executive director of Outright Vermont, one of the oldest LGBTQ+ organizations in the U.S., founded in 1989.
“As a statewide organization, we remain committed to our work in Burlington and across Vermont, providing opportunities for connection, advocacy and access to accurate, up-to-date information,” Kaplan said. Outright Vermont has created an FAQ on Trump’s Anti-Trans executive order as well as a survey called the “Loud and Proud Post-Election Survey,” the results of which found that people are “deeply worried.” In response, Outright Vermont says they are creating spaces for listening and understanding the concerns and needs of LGBTQ+ youth.
“We want to remind people that no attempt to erase trans people will ever succeed,” Kaplan said. “Trans youth have always existed and will always exist. Trans youth are loved, valued, and belong exactly as they are. No executive order or legal document can change that truth.”