When the White House announcement that transgender people are again prohibited from serving in the US military came in May, Erik Ramanathan was almost overwhelmed.
I got so angry. I called a number of people and expressed my frustration. Then we reminded ourselves of the importance of acting planned and structured, he says.
But it was hard to gather his thoughts. Ramanathan called friends with children who were undergoing transgender care. And he was in contact with Bree Fram, a trans profile and until recently a colonel in the US space force.
She sent pictures of her medals and uniform that would be taken away from her. It was heartbreaking.
Concern and fighting spirit
The time after the move from Stockholm, in connection with Donald Trump's accession in January, has been a rollercoaster for Erik Ramanathan.
As Democrat Joe Biden's ambassador, he worked intensively with the Ukraine war and Sweden's NATO application – among other things. Back in Boston, he and his partner Ranesh Ramanathan, who is also a lawyer, have been driving forces in organizing resistance to Trump's Maga policy.
Politics is destabilizing, to say the least. Many wonder how they are affected: Is labor law under attack? Will same-sex marriages be prohibited? How can DEI (an American abbreviation for diversity, justice, and inclusion) become negatively charged?
He is worried that the fear he experiences is spreading among vulnerable groups in the US.
In the Trump-dominated US, Democrats are relatively often described as "crisis-ridden" and "paralyzed". But Ramanathan says he is sure that the party will have united around the "right" leader in good time before the next presidential election in 2028.
And for bizarre reasons, I am positive about next year's midterm elections. I believe that the negative economic effects of Trump's policy will be so noticeable that people will vote against his party.
Currently, the focus is on developing strategies and tactics, bringing people together, collecting money – and choosing which battles to take. Ramanathan, who according to tradition retains his ambassador title for life, has spoken at protests and tried to get different minorities to act together.
For abbreviations
When he heard that US embassies around the world, including in Stockholm, had been instructed not to participate in pride parades, he took matters into his own hands. The Ramanathan family financed a private float on the theme "Americans for friendship and abbreviations". The abbreviations in question were, among other things, DEI, hbtqi+, SDG (the UN's sustainable development goals), ROL (rule of law) and UKR (Ukraine).
An effective way to raise a number of issues, he notes for TT in connection with the parade.
Facts: Support for Donald Trump
TT
Republican Donald Trump took office on January 20 for his second term as President of the United States. Trump evokes strong emotions, but has a relatively stable opinion support.
Currently, 44.7 percent have a positive view of Trump, while 51.6 percent do not.
Furthermore, 45.6 percent of Americans believe that the president is doing a good job, and 51.5 percent believe that he is not.
The proportion of citizens who believe that the US is developing in the right direction is 41.3 percent, it has increased by 13 percentage points since Donald Trump took office.
Source: Real Clear Politics compilation of current measurements
Born in Rochester, New York, and raised by his single mother. Has lived many years as an adult in the state of Massachusetts.
Has a degree in biology and behavioral science from Johns Hopkins University and one in law from Harvard University.
The family consists of his husband, lawyer Ranesh Ramanathan, and the couple's daughter. Singapore-born Ranesh Ramanathan was one of the first to be granted asylum in the US based on sexual orientation.
Erik Ramanathan has, among other things, advised US President Joe Biden on hbtq issues, been chairman of the non-profit giant organization Heluna Health, and represented hbtq people and hiv-positive people in the immigration system.
