However, her political stance shifted after witnessing pro-Palestinian campus protests against the Israeli government’s war on Gaza, which she described as “appalling.” And now, Tsikanovsky's friends have turned their backs on her given their legitimate concerns about what the second Trump administration could signal for LGBTQ+ rights.
Speaking to Fox 11, she said:
"I definitely feel like I’m on an island alone. The queer people have turned their backs on me, and I’m queer, so it’s very painful."
"I was absolutely that person who would say if you’re a Trump supporter, I don’t want you in my life. I can say I regret that."
Once pro-Palestinian protests started, Tsikanovsky says she shifted to the right:
"Israel [changed my mind]. I am a Jew, and what was happening on campuses was appalling. They should have sent in the National Guard as soon as Jewish students were being blocked on campuses."
Recalling that she "had like 50 unfollows right away" after voicing her support for Trump on Instagram, Tsikanovsky shared that longtime friends and members of her LGBTQ+ basketball team began distancing themselves from her:
"Ever since I publicly said I was voting for Trump, I am no longer welcome in the social spheres they provide. If there was a birthday party I was invited to, I’m no longer able to attend. I think it’s disgusting someone can push me out of something [like this]."
"They liked me 2 weeks ago, and now they don’t, just because I voted for someone. I want to say I echo their pain, [and] I understand their fear. [However], I was a lesbian under the Trump presidency before and my rights haven’t changed."
"I’m not all of a sudden anti-gay now because I voted for Trump. I want to bring humanity to this. The only way we can come together is if we sit together and have hard talks."
You can hear what she said in the video below.
- YouTubewww.youtube.com
But no one feels too sorry for her.
@John-mu2js/YouTube
@dsmith8859/YouTube
@tallyholightguy5353/YouTube
@MayfaireOquinn1210/YouTube
The Trump administration has been criticized for its record on LGBTQ+ rights and the non-governmental media monitoring organization GLAAD kept a running tally of its attacks against the community.
During his term, Trump was scorned for banning transgender individuals from serving in the military, a move that was later overturned shortly after President Joe Biden took office. Last year, he denounced "biological males," telling supporters that he did not believe transgender women and girls should compete on sports teams consistent with their gender identity.
A few months after entering office, Trump signed a "religious liberty" executive order that eased the ban on tax-exempt organizations such as churches engaging in political speech.
Just months prior, a leaked copy of a draft executive order, titled “Establishing a Government-Wide Initiative to Respect Religious Freedom," signaled sweeping plans by the Trump administration to legalize discrimination, even by private companies and religious organizations.
The order, had it been signed, would have allowed wholesale exemptions for people and or organizations to cite religious objections to not only same-sex marriage and gender identity, but premarital sex and abortion, as grounds for otherwise discriminatory action, news that prompted swift condemnation from human rights groups.
Per Project 2025, a comprehensive document detailing what a future Trump presidency would entail, the Department of Homeland Security would be disbanded to create a new agency with 100,000 workers, limiting the role of the Office of Civil Rights and its ability to address violations.
Additionally, the plan expels transgender individuals from the military and cuts public funding for transgender surgeries and abortions for service members. It also calls for a federal ban on pornography, with an implied potential for banning content related to gay and trans people.
