Be like Sarah: A trans veteran describes his gold standard for LGBTQ+ advocacy

As part of LGBTQ Nation’s January issue, we asked readers to tell us how one year of the second Trump administration has affected their lives and what they hope LGBTQ+ leaders and allies do differently in 2026.

We received dozens of submissions and will be sharing them throughout the month (you can also still submit).

Peter Klicker, a 63-year-old transgender veteran, expressed anger that he cannot take advantage of the international opportunities afforded by his graduate program due to the Trump administration’s anti-trans passport policy. This year, he hopes to see more strength from LGBTQ+ leaders and allies.

Here’s what he had to say.

How has living under the second Trump administration affected you personally over the last year?

I got extremely depressed beginning with the first few anti-trans executive orders. I’m a disabled veteran with PTSD and felt like I was under attack, despite having done everything right. I got fired from my last job on Feb 25th… filed for 100% VA disability. It was approved.

Then I did some intense therapy at the VA, including a crisis management plan. It helped me realize the strength I do have, so despite being old (physically 64 next month, mentally going on 30), I applied to the Master of Human Rights program at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs.

I just completed my first semester back. However, I’m angry that a disabled veteran of the United States Marine Corps, honorably discharged in 1988 with a flawless record as a Sergeant of Marines, cannot get a passport with the correct gender marker.

I believe I would be endangered if I tried to travel with any documents that say female. I have NEVER been misgendered. I am a carbon copy of my next older brother… so that means I can’t travel to China this spring with classmates, I can’t do an internship at the UN in Geneva, I can’t travel anywhere outside of the US, Canada, and Mexico.

Why am I being punished?

What do you hope to see from LGBTQ+ leaders and allies in 2026?

I would love to see more people with the intestinal fortitude of Congresswoman Sarah McBride (D-DE). I had the pleasure of interviewing her for a school assignment and learned so much from her – and she’s 29 years my junior.

We need our LGBTQ+ representatives to stand up to the bullsh*t.

Perhaps you’ve seen the video in which McBride is deliberately misgendered by a Republican man. She responded without anger, “Yes, Madam Chair?” No snark – just doing what she can to make an impact. That’s what I’d expect from LGBTQ+ leaders and our allies.

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Originally published here.