LGBTQ+ groups 'heartbroken' by passage of anti-trans measures amid blue wave

"Check on your trans friends," wrote a woman on Facebook Wednesday morning, sending a melancholy message on the same day most social media posts were hailing "the blue wave," the "blunami," and the "the rainbow wave". It's all in reference to the overwhelming number of Democrats who scored victories Tuesday night in the 2026 midterm elections, many of them part of the LGBTQ+ community.But to Maia Monet, a writer, a photographer and a popular YouTube personality based in Central Florida, some of that election euphoria was actually the reason she decided to call out sick, writing that election night "was terrible for trans people nationwide," in stark contrast to what The Advocate and other outlets reported about the outcome. As The 19th reported, at least six transgender and nonbinary candidates made history by winning races in states that have never elected a trans person before. The ACLU was just one of the national organizations sharing in the online celebration, calling it "a monumental victory" in a post on LinkedIn. "Voters passed ballot measures protecting reproductive rights, marriage equality, voting rights, and more."Related: Nebraska voters enshrine trans sports discrimination in state constitutionHowever the ACLU's list left something out, noted Monet. She is the transgender resource manager at the LGBTQ+ Center Orlando, runs a trans and nonbinary support group, and is herself an out trans woman. Comments on Monet's post show she is not alone in feeling that all the celebrations across the country ignored their plight."We didn’t get to join the party at almost any level," Monet wrote, referencing anti-transgender ballot amendments in Arizona, Nebraska, Washington and Colorado that have passed, as well as the ways some of the Democratic candidates who won their races did so by resorting to transphobic talking points. Just a sampling:“I do not support boys playing in girls’ sports," said Ohio Governor-elect Amy Acton, a Democrat, last month. "I don’