I'm six years shy of closing out the second quarter of my life. Go ahead, do the math and see what you get. And as a queer person in this lifetime, in this particular corner of the world, I'd like to assess where humanity is, from my perspective and perhaps even ask a few questions for us to consider.
You see, right now, in AMERICA, we have governors in places like, Florida, who are actively hating on queer people, especially if you're Trans. And, get this, they spew hate under the guise of supporting and promoting parent involvement in children's education. It's laughable, but dangerous; so, not funny at all! Do you understand why?
Ask a teacher or a student or a parent who is part of the LGBTQIA+ community or anyone who love us if they are feeling safe in their spaces. Actually, don't ask them; just imagine what it might be like for you to be the target of legislation that says you're a threat just for being who you are. Some of you cis-het folx get it to some degree because some of you may have been discriminated or are targets of some forms of violence. Still, you struggle to get more involved and help us out even though you know what hate is all about and understand that silence helps it spread. Why is that?
Now, this particular governor who is a hopeful presidential candidate (ugh) is leading others in their hate campaigns with bogus claims of wanting to 'save the children.' They do this, of course, by attacking those that are different and when we don't conform to the binary, we are deemed ripe for the pickings. Bullies and enablers of aggressors don't get the simple fact that, like race, gender was constructed. We conceived gender and it's not directly tied to biological sex; of course, to begin to get this one has to go beyond religious dogma and explore the matter more scientifically and with an open heart.
But, of course, it's hard for us to get these things or do anything about it if it doesn't affect us directly and/or negatively. It's too hard to understand something you don't want to hear and that you just wish would disappear because just looking, pushes you to confront your biases; it demands that you to look within to identify your hate. And that's too scary for the majority of us who are emotionally stunted and immature. But hateful feelings that go unexplored and ignored turn to violent bigotry! We're seeing this all the time in this plugged-in we're in.
Heck, the same people who swear that biology is the ultimate determinant of one's gender and declare that doctors who affirm gender identity are the problem, aren't outraged when intersex babies who are naturally born with different-looking genitalia or mismatched chromosomes and are forced to be physically altered. That person, as a baby, did not give consent; they were not given a choice. Their parents decided or were encouraged to make drastic decisions out of FEAR. But non of that matters to those who insist that intersex people don't exist and all there is are biological males and biological females and that's it.
And because of fear and medical biases, rather than accepting that there's variety even in biology, folx continue to support unnecessary surgery on babies' bodies. But then, of course, some co-opt and cry "my body, my choice" when a vaccine or mask mandate that helps mediate a public health emergency is implemented. These are the same folx who say personal choice matters and the government shouldn't interfere that is unless we're talking about bodies that belong to people without penises; those bodies seem to always up for grabs to do with all kinds of harm that we justify with morality and the "laws" of God. I never quite got how some people's God justifies inflicting pain on others; on His divine children. But still, people push forward with their intolerance and hate to criminalize women and LGBTQIA+ people and trample all over our hard-fought rights. Somehow all of that is good and holy? How so?
There's so much hypocrisy across the ideological and political divides, but it's phenomenally worse on one side; and we all know it. It's those that proudly claim to be conservatives or lean right; the ones who always talk about going back in time to some illusory idea of when it was great. When was it great exactly; and great for whom? I never knew America when it was great; for me, GREAT is still on its way. It's still a "we'll see."
Sadly, those who can do the most about all this won't call it out. Rather than firmly standing with its constituents in the name of LOVE, too many stay silent fearing that the HATE will come for them and they'll lose their precious privilege of being in the IN-crowd. I get why that is; I do. But for that fear to be so big that they refuse to go up against obviously cowardly hateful people who bemoan unfair treatment and proclaim themselves to be cancel culture victims while they do all the gross things they do. Come on, people! You gotta see that staying silent makes you cowardly too; you see it; don't you?
Please!! Please!! Good people, whoever you are, if you're against spreading HATE, be willing to confront where it's coming from. It's everywhere! It's in our families and in our communities because it's in us. It's what we've been taught.
And so I urge those who lead to start modeling what it looks like to find courage to stand up to ALL THOSE who preach hateful things. Democrats!!! Use your words to fight back and then apply your power!
Those that hate us call us groomers and pedophiles for simply being gay. That's why teachers can't say it in classrooms where the Florida Man currently rules. And, God forbid you're a cis-het person who doesn't believe in this rhetoric; well, then you're just as bad because you're pro-pedophile. The bullies will come after you too. You know it; we see it time and time again - it's just the GOP projecting, projecting, projecting. There are many currently serving and plenty in the past who are or have been under investigation for the worst sexual offenses, including sexual trafficking of minors. Don't get mad; I'm just laying out some facts. And Gaetz is just one among many.
These leaders are investing their time and energy to ban books that teach real American history or dare to tell stories about the lives of all kinds of different people. That's because exposure to more facts and others who are not like you, could help change the tune of millions of people. That's why instead they double down with the same old fear-mongering.
I mean, currently we have grown men saying the creepiest things (just listen to Cruz and TC open their mouths) and somehow they're models for some kind of righteous life guided by the light of God. Por favor!! The right wing is obsessed with Mr. Potato Head and the Green M&M and then they paint the Left to be the ones on the wrong side of a culture war they made up. Sadly, they draw people in with these inane things because the GOP is missing a real platform that folx can get behind.
Their platform is anti-everything that moves MORE people towards progress; it's a greedy, "more for me, not for you" kind of agenda and that really sucks, especially since it's 2022. And guess what, those included in the "real American" bucket are those that most closely resemble a White, Christian, cis-het electorate. Well, duh! It's the same playbook, those in power use every time. So, why, oh why, are we still not wising up? How do we not stand up to this regressive nonsense?
Instead of fighting those in power who are really making our lives hard, we take it out on each other. And our trans children are an easy target for those on the Right and not important enough for the Left to push hard against such obvious hate. Well, guess what, Democrats, WE MATTER TOO!! We are the young and queer and trans and Black and Brown people you keep leaving behind and you wonder why you lose when it should be an easy win. It's because your empty promises mean very little when you don't use your power to help keep us ALIVE!!! Our communities are dying, your systems are killing us and you keep wanting to play nice.
Nobody is asking you to start more culture wars, but not engaging in them and sidelining isn't working. We need you up front and center taking the heat off of us, which you can do because you have privilege and the damn truth. So, please, SHOW UP!!
Well, I know that like me, there are many people who are exhausted from having to fight to survive. We don't have the energy to keep scrapping it up with a well-funded bullies who want us all gone! So, take a page from this woman, MI State Senator, Mallory McMorrow. Listen to her speech and be the parents and friends - be the ALLIES - we, your fellow Americans, need you to be.
