Surviving Is Not Enough for LGBTQ People: Together, We Can Live!

Summary

The article discusses the challenges faced by the LGBTQ community, particularly transgender individuals, in the face of discriminatory policies and societal attitudes, and calls for resilience and positive representation to overcome these adversities.

Abstract

The author of the article expresses deep concern over the targeted discrimination against LGBTQ individuals, emphasizing the harsh reality of transphobic policies and their detrimental impact on mental health and survival. Despite the hostile environment, the article encourages the LGBTQ community to persevere by showing their "best selves" to the world, fostering understanding and compassion through personal interactions. It underscores the hypocrisy of officials who enact harmful legislation while claiming to support individual transgender people, and it criticizes the manipulative tactics used to sway public opinion against the LGBTQ community. The author advocates for love, kindness, and empathy as powerful tools to combat prejudice and to demonstrate the inherent value and strength of the transgender community.

Opinions

The author feels that the world is increasingly focused on targeting and acting against LGBTQ individuals, with policies that seem to endorse their destruction.
There is a perceived hypocrisy among elected officials who claim to respect transgender individuals while supporting legislation that harms them.
The article suggests that denying access to gender-affirming care will lead to increased rates of depression and suicide within the transgender community.
The author believes that policies restricting discussions about LGBTQ issues in schools are a form of grooming to indoctrinate children into a religion of hate and intolerance.
The article calls for the LGBTQ community to respond to discrimination with patience, understanding, and a demonstration of their "transgender superpower" of empathy.
It is argued that by being exemplary models of generosity and kindness, the LGBTQ community can sway the opinions of the undecided and combat negative stereotypes.
The author urges LGBTQ individuals and allies to strive for excellence and visibility, proving that they are deserving of recognition and the right to live authentically.

Let’s show them!

(TW: Discusses transphobic policies, and suicide)

I found myself this morning, whole and determined, yet saddened and hollowed by pessimism. I’ve always known the world can be harsh and unforgiving. Nature is beautiful, but uncaring for the individual struggling to survive. Yet, as difficult as survival in the wilderness can be, I never before have felt as if the world itself was so focused on targeting us and acting against us. Suddenly, so many seem hell bent on our destruction, yet often they will say things like, “I have nothing against individual transgender people. Some are my friends and I respect them. It’s the… [movement, the unfair advantages they are being given, the risk to women and children…].”

It is truly bewildering how so many seemingly kind and rational people can smile to your face and support your annihilation at the same time. It’s almost like they are under some outside control!

Exterminate them!!! — Photo by Gregory Stewart on Unsplash

Yet it is not the specifics of the legislation initiatives that are the most egregious, even though we all understand that policies denying access to gender affirming care, including the judicious use of puberty blockers and hormone treatment supported by guidance from medical doctors and licensed therapist and psychiatrists, will lead to increases of depression and suicidal ideation, attempts, and actual suicides. It is the underlying hypocrisy of promoting these policies while knowing the results they will cause, government officials developing, implementing, and enforcing policies that will cause pain, suffering, and death to a very small minority of the population. It is doing this while knowing that these same policies will empower the ignorant and bigoted to abuse, discriminate against, and defame transgender persons, their families, and their allies.

Make no mistake, the people behind these policies know exactly what will happen as a result. They shroud their intentions under the guise of protecting children. But in fact, policies that police what information is available for educational purpose, what topics can and cannot be discussed in the classroom, and ensure that the most potentially radical group is silenced in pain, anguish, and suicidal thoughts is the ultimate form of grooming. Not only focused on the LGBTQ, it is a bending and forceful indoctrination of cisgender children to ensure that they adhere to the far right religion of hate and intolerance and vote for whatever incarnation the MAGA party has adopted when they reach the age of 18.

Burning Our House Down in the Dead of Night — Photo by Jen Theodore on Unsplash

It’s a frightening time. It is really hard to remain positive and optimistic in the face of not just this focused hatred, but the lack of understanding and compassion by so many that are swayed by these arguments.

But they are swayed because they don’t know us. They don’t know you, and they don’t know me. So we must show them our best selves every chance we get. It’s exhausting, but be patient when they misgender, or repeat ridiculous transphobic memes. Explore if these are simply their own ideas, or, more likely, that they are just repeating something that resonated because they really don’t know who transgender people are. Get to know them and let them get to know you.

Even if they come from a true place of dogmatic unacceptance, if you give them nothing to push against, they will stumble.

Surviving is not enough. I call on all of our Sisters, Brothers, Siblings, and Allies! Don’t fall into the age old trap of lashing out from teasing or bullying. I am sure you have experienced that lesson as I did many times as a youth. Targeted by incessant teasing, abuse, and mistreatment, you finally lash out and strike back. But then, suddenly, you are the aggressor! You are the one to be punished! Be strong, resilient, and supple in the anti-transgender winds of today. Maintain your love and kindness powered by the empathy that is our transgender superpower.

Be the kittens or puppies threatened with drowning in a sack, and we will gain the visceral response necessary to galvanize the undecided to reject policies that harm and banish transgender individuals. Be shining examples of generosity of spirit and soul, and the undecided will reject notions of grooming and nefarious intent.

You’ve heard it before. Women have to be 10x as productive and successful as men to get recognition in the workplace. Our situation is similar, and we are better than they know. Let’s show them! Let’s live!