The threat of Trump: the religious rhetoric of the Trump administration and the threat it poses to LGBTQ+ people and their existence

Gildea, Anne Marie (2026) The threat of Trump: the religious rhetoric of the Trump administration and the threat it poses to LGBTQ+ people and their existence. MTh(R) thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This dissertation researches the role of religious rhetoric of the Trump administration and the implications of this on the LGBTQ+ community in the United States. This discussion unveils the motives of the Republican party and how the political division in the U.S. has been driven deeper. As a result of this religious rhetoric, the LGBTQ+ community faces discrimination and the stripping of their legal protections.

The document’s argument surrounds the current political and cultural paradigm shift happening in the United States. Donald Trump is using religion to gain popularity with Christian conservatives while giving a platform for extreme leftist political beliefs. Trump is shifting the political window to an unprecedent moment in American history that allows for discrimination of vulnerable people. Anthony Kwame Appiah’s work on moral revolutions is considered in his book The Honor Code. Appiah argues that moral revolutions and cultural shifts come from the honor that is placed on individuals. In these circumstances, the moral shift is going back in time and changing American people’s acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community negatively. Pope Francis’s writing and statements on LGBTQ+ people are examples of how religion can be a more positive intervention. Religion does not have to be a threat to LGBTQ+ people’s lives rather an inclusive community.

The dissertation includes government documents outlining laws surrounding LGBTQ+ legal protections and definitions of LGBTQ+ identities. Donald Trump’s Executive Orders are used as data surrounding the discrimination of LGBTQ+ people. Data was collected from the Pew Research Center about U.S. electoral polls, U.S. religious affiliations, and opinions surrounding the LGBTQ+ community. Along with this, data was collected from studies that research the impact of Trump’s legal actions on the LGBTQ+ community. The various sources are incorporated to discuss the religious rhetoric of conservative Christians and how they have strengthened their political base. I argue that this has been accomplished through using religion as a uniting force for conservative Christians for politicians to gain re-election and push their agendas.

This research points to the importance of separation of state and church in the U.S. government. As well as the need for diverse education, legislation and cultural norms that encourage inclusion. The research also points to the dangerous political divide in the United States that includes conservative Christians and their ideas surrounding a traditional America. Trump’s anti-LGBTQ+ campaign paired with religious undertones is a political strategy to strengthen his political base to be re-elected in 2024. The result is detrimental to America’s democracy and vulnerable people’s legal protections.

• Item Type: Thesis (MTh(R))
• Qualification Level: Masters
• Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BL Religion; J Political Science > JK Political institutions (United States)
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Critical Studies > Theology and Religious Studies
• Supervisor's Name: Clague, Dr. Julie
• Date of Award: 2026
• Depositing User: Theses Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:2026-85819
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 19 Mar 2026 09:19
• Last Modified: 19 Mar 2026 09:19
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/85819