You may remember Jackie Evancho, the young America’s Got Talent teen opera singer who infamously became one of the only musicians in America who had no qualms about performing at Trump’s inauguration. Then he lied and claimed this decision increased her album sales.
Evancho opted to sing the National Anthem despite the fact that his administration clearly doesn’t support the rights of the LGBTQ community, which includes people like her transgender sister.
After Trump’s team rescinded critical legislation impacting teen transgender students in schools today, it looks like Evancho might have finally figured out what her president really is about. To her credit, she decided to speak up, and asked Trump to meet with her and her sister to discuss transgender rights.
I am obviously disappointed in the @POTUS decision to send the #transgender bathroom issue to the states to decide. #sisterlove
— Jackie Evancho (@jackieevancho) February 22, 2017
. @realDonaldTrump u gave me the honor 2 sing at your inauguration. Pls give me & my sis the honor 2 meet with u 2 talk #transgender rghts ❤
— Jackie Evancho (@jackieevancho) February 23, 2017
I’m not optimistic that Trump will respond to Jackie, or meet with her and her sister, but I am optimistic that the teen is finally being realistic about the kind of action she might need to consider taking if she wants to live in a country that supports her sister’s right to exist freely in public, and do something as simple as go to the correct bathroom for her identifying gender. If you’d like to learn more about what coming out as transgender was like for Jackie’s sister Juliet, read the moving piece she wrote on the subject for Teen Vogue.
