You’re Darn Right I Have an Agenda. It’s My Proud-Ass LGBTQ Agenda.

Here’s how I’m honouring my voice and committing to action as a writer and queer ally.

It’s incredible how a single word can open one’s thinking and shift a perspective. The word of the day is agenda, thanks to the Prism & Pen prompt by James Finn.

Queer people are often slammed by the conservative right for pushing an “LGBTQ agenda.” This so-called agenda is always unclear to me. The LGBTQ community is so diverse that I am yet to come across any unified collective belief outside of wanting to be safe in the world.

The irony (or hypocrisy) of the slur is lost on evangelicals and conservatives who force their beliefs on others. Queer people aren’t asking others to be queer, yet many Christians want non-Christians to be Christians.

While it is risky to speak on behalf of a diverse community, I believe what most queer people want — and perhaps all we want — is freedom to be ourselves.

Often our queer lives can feel like a political fight to be seen, to be safe, to be heard, to be understood. For some, to simply survive.

“What’s your love agenda? Have you thought about it? Will you?” — James Finn

James hit at the heart of many queer people’s struggle. Framing this as a “love agenda” is more than poetry. It speaks to the underlying need all people have — to love and be loved.

But James didn’t invite me to make assumptions on our collective agenda, nor even suggest we have one. It was a deeply personal call — what is your agenda? Or, what is my agenda?

agenda. noun. 1 : a list or outline of things to be considered or done 2 : an underlying often ideological plan or program — Merriam-Webster Dictionary

When I think of agendas I think of meetings. Meetings without an agenda risk becoming a meandering conversation with a confused purpose and lack of outcomes. Many people hate meetings for this reason.

Yet for anyone who has participated in a well-led and purposeful meeting knows the power of a clear agenda.

In the context of a meeting, a successful agenda is more than just having a list of items on a page. A clear agenda is embodied by the leader or facilitator — it keeps the focus on what is most important.

And then there’s the kind of agenda conservatives and conspiracy theorists (sometimes the same) accuse the LGBTQ community of having — an underlying ideological plan or program.

I’m ideological — I’ll own that. But there is nothing “underlying” about my vision for a tolerant and accepting world. I try to live my ideology every day through my actions. I write and speak about it. I seek to embody my vision.

Something changed for me this year during Pride.

A big part of it was witnessing the United States Supreme Court overturn Roe vs Wade as a devastating and shameless erosion of the basic human right to personal choice.

The impacts of this for the world are far-reaching. In Australia people have taken to the streets in solidarity, and our daily news is filled with stories about the moral and political disintegration of the United States. Many Australians fear we are at risk of following this same path.

For most of the past hundred years, the United States has (for better and/or worse) acted as a moral compass for the world. Its democracy and focus on civil liberties — albeit a selective focus — have been a beacon for many parts of the world that still live under autocracy.

In effect, more than half of the United States population lives under a government that doesn’t represent them (namely the Senate). And now a different half has lost a basic human right.

I have lived most of my life with a very live-and-let-live attitude. After being politically active in my early twenties, I channeled my passion for social justice towards running programs and supporting organisations “behind the scenes” rather than speaking out publicly.

Yet we live in times where silence, for me, is not an option. (It probably was never an option, but I’m only now waking up.)

Reading extensively on Prism & Pen and other publications this month opened me to newer and wider perspectives. I also celebrated my own personal Pride month by writing more frequently and personally on issues pertaining to my own LGBTQ experience and being an ally.

I found my voice and discovered it matters.

When I now think about my LGBTQ agenda, I feel it needs to be more than an intention or vision for a better world. For without a clear and focused plan, I could easily move forward on a meandering path that never arrives at effective outcome.

Specifically, the prompt was to consider my “love agenda.” Love can often feel amorphous, hard to describe and harder to hold onto.

If I take love as the core of my being, I must channel my “love agenda” as the fullest expression of who I am.

In many ways I’ve started. As I said, this Pride month changed me and already pulled me into more visible action.

I’m a writer, so it would make sense that I channel my energy towards writing. Consistency is important, and not just leaving it until next Pride to channel my commitment. I want to make Pride a year-round experience.

I have also reached out to a couple of local organisations seeking volunteers and am working through how I can best support them.

I recently added the line, “Proud member of the LGBTQ community” to my LinkedIn profile. I have already had someone thank me for doing that. She, in turn, added the same line to her profile.

There’s more I want to commit to. Here’s my agenda:

• Continue to read widely from a range of perspectives.
• Learn how to be a better ally to the trans community and other minorities.
• Write regularly on issues pertaining to the LGBTQ experience and social justice.
• Publish in a range of publications to reach different audiences.
• Encourage other writers by commenting on their articles.
• Share the stories of others on social media.
• As a coach, offer pro bono coaching to someone from the LGBTQ community (if you’re interested or know of someone, please reach out in a private comment).

Thanks to James and the team at Prism & Pen. This prompt was just what I needed to move out of Pride month with commitment, focus, and maybe even a little optimism. Looking forward to reading what everyone has to say.

This story is a response the Prism & Pen writing prompt, “My LGBTQ Agenda!”