It’s near midnight on Election Night — on the West Coast — and the presidential race still hasn’t been called.

At this point, Democrat Kamala Harris has 224 electoral votes and Republican Donald Trump has 267, just three short of the total he needs to clinch, as Pennsylvania has been called for him. The swing states of Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Nevada haven’t been decided. But Trump was already celebrating a win with a speech in Florida. Also, the U.S. Senate has flipped to Republican control.

More 2024 Election Coverage from The Advocate:
- Why The Advocate endorses Kamala Harris for president
- How pro-LGBTQ+ is Kamala Harris?
- Our 2024 LGBTQ+ voter guide
- Kamala Harris's 'first priority' as president
- Where does Donald Trump stand on LGBTQ+ rights?
- Kamala Harris: Our One-on-One With the Vice President

Vice President Harris, who became the Democratic presidential nominee when President Joe Biden exited the race in July, is a strong LGBTQ+ ally who has run an issue-oriented campaign, with focuses on reproductive freedom and economic policies to support the middle class. She has promised to champion LGBTQ+ rights as president, as she has throughout her career.

Trump, in his effort to reclaim the White House, has delivered unhinged, hate-filled rants with bizarre references to movie villain Hannibal Lecter and the late golf legend Arnold Palmer’s genitals. He has voiced ambitions to be a dictator and plans to fill his administration with loyalists. He has tried to distance himself from the right-wing extremism of Project 2025, a blueprint crafted by the Heritage Foundation for the next conservative president, but many onetime Trump aides have contributed to the project. His campaign has also been filled with anti-transgender rhetoric, with him vowing to outlaw gender-affirming care for minors nationwide and to ban “men” from women’s sports.

Harris has promised that as president, she will fight to pass the Equality Act, which would outlaw anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination nationwide in employment, housing, public accommodations, and a host of other aspects of life. It’s come up in Congress several times but has never been passed by both houses. When Trump was president, he did not support the legislation, and it’s unlikely he’s changed his mind.

As San Francisco district attorney and California attorney general, Harris was an early supporter of marriage equality, and she fought for LGBTQ+ rights as a U.S. senator and vice president. Trump has called marriage equality settled law, but the Supreme Court justices he’s appointed may well endanger it. His presidency was marked by many anti-LGBTQ+ actions, especially actions specifically targeting trans people, such as his ban on military service by trans Americans.

If Trump wins, it certainly doesn't bode well for LGBTQ+ people and other marginalized groups. But we will have no choice but to fight back. Our recommendations for readers include getting involved with local and national LGBTQ+ and other progressive groups, as volunteers, donors, or both, and perhaps running for office yourself. Also, speak out to your elected officials. Even if they're against us, they need to hear from us, and if they're on our side, they need to know we support them. The Advocate will have more to say about this in the coming days and weeks.