"Professionally, the impact was absolute. For decades, I managed complex IT projects for global giants and, most recently, for Sanford Health. I am a builder of systems. But this year, I watched the federal government systematically dismantle the data structures that acknowledge LGBTQ+ people exist. When the administration stopped collecting Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) data, it wasn't just a policy change; it was an erasure."
"From the vantage point of January 1, 2026, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the answer to how the second Trump administration has affected me is simple: It has turned my existence into a logistical problem I must solve daily. Professionally, the impact was absolute. For decades, I managed complex IT projects for global giants and, most recently, for Sanford Health."
The cessation of federal collection of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) data removed formal recognition of LGBTQ+ identities within healthcare records. IT professionals in healthcare systems faced mandates requiring retrofit of data systems to remove or obscure LGBTQ+ markers, effectively erasing community visibility. Decades of experience managing complex IT projects confronted policy changes that dismantled established data structures. The change created cognitive and operational burdens, turning everyday existence for transgender and pansexual individuals into logistical problems involving access, documentation, and care within an environment of increased legal and systemic vulnerability.
Read at LGBTQ Nation
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