The past year could be described in many ways. Chaotic. Disheartening. Shocking. The list could go on ad nauseum. Many of us, myself included, put our blood, sweat, and tears into promoting a future filled with possibility. A future where we could build on the amazing progress we’ve seen in the last decade. The road before us was filled with billboards telling us of the audacious hope we could have faith in. Our GPS said that we were on the right path. All indications were, that we had won. We had defeated the movement of hate that was threatening our very way of life. It was inconceivable that a man, a movement, was getting so much traction in the modern era. We, as a society, had grown in our understanding of each other. We had expanded our collective empathy. We were beginning to learn that our fellow man now meant people of many faiths, ethnicities, sexual orientations, gender identity, socio-economic status, and all the other wonderful threads in the tapestry of humanity. We had begun to overcome. Overcome our narrow perceptions of things we didn’t understand or agree with. Overcome the collective need to grasp to a bygone era. Overcome systemic ignorance and bias. We were indeed forging toward a brave new future. A future filled with prosperity & happiness. A future that would see the world begin to come together as one. A world that embraces the similarities in culture & society. A society that began to doff the antiquated notions of growing our differences instead of cultivating our shared interest. We saw this world. It was just down the road. The smallest of distance before we could grasp and embrace our chosen path.
Then it was gone.
On the night of November 8th, 2016, I was working in a small office in Cedar Rapids. The organization I worked for was a PAC that focused on voter turn out. Turn out for the national, and an emphasis on turn out for local elections. Getting our US House Representative Candidates elected to Congress. Aiming for the trifecta. Maintain Democratic control of the White House, and diligently work toward taking back the House & Senate. It was a lofty goal, I’ll admit. It has to be noted, however, that we didn’t see the darkness coming on Election Night. We were brimming with optimism and fervor to continue the work of the last 8 years. Our day progressed into night. We were shaking the bushes to get as many voters to the polls as we could. Making sure we followed up with all the voters that we had spent the last 6 months talking to. The night was looking promising. Our data was showing that our voters were coming out in a very impressive number. Another sign that our night was going to be celebratory. Then around 7 - 7:30 things took a turn. It started to become clear that there was a chance we would lose. Not just lose the congressional races. We actually had a chance to lose the White House. The inconceivable had arrived. There were tears. There was silence. There were looks of defeat and incredulity. The impossible seemed to become much more possible than we had ever fathomed. The mood in the office took a precipitous drop. Our fervor doused with reality. We had been blindsided.
I had a 55 minute drive home that night. I had to make the run from Cedar Rapids to the Big Gay Farm in Manchester. All while the most critical states were about to be called. These were the moments that would decide the presidency. NPR was my lifeline. As I glided down the dark and long highway, the reality began to set in. We lost. We didn’t only lose, we were thumped. The House, the Senate, the Iowa Statehouse. It was a wash. Hillary Rodham Clinton, the heir-apparent, the progressive standard bearer, was not to be the 45th President of the United States. When I finally arrived at the farm, and made my way into the living room to join my friends, the news was all but confirmed. A sweeping sense of dread washed over me. The unthinkable was now reality…
Donald J Trump:
Racist, Mysogynist, Islamophobe, Xenophobe, Homophobe, & all around horrible person….
The President-elect of the United States. How could it be?
The subsequent two months since the election have shown a lot of light on what a ‘President Trump’ administration is going to look like. During his campaign he would amp his crowds, grow their frenzy with notions of cleaning up D.C. His promises to ‘drain the swamp’ and get all the big money interests out of the government. A fresh start for the people with someone that has ‘no’ ties to the Beltway Establishment. We know now, 13 days before his inauguration, that was all lies. Now, mind you, I’m the first one to acquiesce when pushing for candidates to keep EVERY campaign promise they make. There are certain realities of governing that take precedent over some lofty assurance given during a political rally. That being said, the actions taken by the Trump Transition Team over the last month show a stark difference between his campaign style and his governing posture.
I hear a lot of people ramble on, wondering why people get so worked up about this new president. They live in the delusion that the people elected to govern our country have no effect on their day-to-day. Well here’s a wake-up call to all of those people. Especially people in minority communities. This is the time that you need to stand. This is the time that you need to mobilize. I know it all seems rather dramatic. You may even think it’s an immense overreaction. Maybe you’re right. Perhaps the powers that be; the Universe, Fate, God, Nature, will balance this potential atrocity out. Perhaps. But I’m not prepared to hook my wagon to a unreasonable leap of faith. Mr. Trump has a devious, very likely to be extra-constitutional & illegal, agenda for his time as the most powerful man on Earth. He hopes to monetize the presidency. He will sell his mother down the river to ensure that he achieves his goals. These are not the characteristics or moral credentials I believe anyone truly wants in the President of the United States.
Now, I’d like to bring the focus to our community. More specifically my community. The LGBTQ community. I’ve heard many say that The Donald isn’t going to come after gay rights. My response to this fallacy has always been the same: Do you know who his Vice President is? Mike Pence is perhaps the most homophobic person to reach high political office since equality became a right. He is intently opposed to marriage equality. He once wanted to divert funding for HIV/AIDS research to conversion therapy. A practice that has been disavowed by the entire psychiatric & psychological community since the late seventies. He signed a bill as governor of Indiana that codified discrimination against LGBTQ people. He also supports a similar bill that is floating through the new Congress. It’s so coyly named: the First Amendment Defense Act. The real purpose of this act is legalize discrimination against the gay community throughout the United States. The LGBTQ community could soon face similar discrimination to what the African-American community went through in the Fifties and Sixties. Told that you can’t eat at the diner down the street. That cute little boutique you love has now chosen not to accept your business. The overnight manager at McDonald’s is a ‘devout’ Christian and refuses you your nuggets & McFlurry. You combine ol’ Mike’s penchant for destroying the LGBTQ community with The Donald’s desire to expel 12 million people from this country. The imagination runs wild. A reporter, pundit, advocate, that I greatly respect, Rachel Maddow, was asked what she would put to Donald Trump if he were ever courageous enough to do an interview with her. Her response sent chills down my bones and made this possibility all too real. She said she would ask him, “Will I, or any of my friends, be winding up in camps?” the fact that something so heinous, so evil, so Third Reich, is even a question that someone would be eager to ask.
He may not try to put gay people into camps. He may never be able to deport 12 million people. But when the leader of the free world puts that type of energy out into the universe, it tends to feed certain things. It feeds the ignorance and hate of people who live to destroy LGBTQ lives. It feeds the rage and indignation of the White Supremists. People who thrive on hate and ignorance tend to feed from the necrotic disease that is hate speech. They gain a bolder posture when they think that the President of the United States supports them. They pursue more provocative actions. So, no, a President Trump may never put all of the gays in camps. He may never send 12 million undocumented immigrants out of the country. But his rhetoric, his posturing, his very tweets, feed the beast that is hate. Hate groups will feed on it. You will see a rise in hate crimes. You will see a rise in overt discrimination. You will see your country and your government turn against you. That’s not what this country is. It’s not who she was meant to become.
So now I plea with you. Take a stand. Be more proud now, than ever! Stand shoulder to shoulder with your LGBTQ brethren. It’s when we stand strong and stand together that we can accomplish anything. We achieved equality in a brief 40 years. We lost many people over that time. People who fought and died for the freedoms and ease we so treasure today. The Matachine Society. The drag queens at Stonewall. Harvey Milk and his people in San Francisco. The fight against HIV/AIDS. The fight for protection from discrimination. The fight for marriage equality. Our community was born by fire. We have ran the gauntlet and emerged from the other side stronger, with pride, and love. All of these fights. All of the people we lost along the way. This all leads us to now.
Today I call upon all LGBTQ people. I call upon our allies. I ask you to rise up. I ask you to take notice. I ask you to fight. Fight not only for your rights, fight for the rights of our entire community. Separately we can make noise, and get noticed. Together… Unified… Speaking with one voice. We will not only be noticed. They will have to listen to us. They will hear us demand social justice. They will hear us chant for equality. They will see us stand our ground. See our courage and conviction. We, as a community, are capable of so much. So much good. The agents of positive change. And now is the time.
Will you stand with me? Stand with me against the coming tide of injustice? If you’re reading this and you don’t live near us, get your community to stand up. If we rally our communities, stoke the fires of courage, and make our stand. We will make change.
Thanks for reading! If you would like to contact me directly, you can do so at scott.dbq@gmail.com. I would love to hear your comments, or critiques.
Again, thanks for reading… Until next time!!
Q
No comments:
Post a Comment