[Post 4] - Art & Activism: Queer Liberty
- Dani Romero
- Jun 26
- 30 min read
The freedoms afforded to American citizens are numerous, and though there's often questions on the validity of these freedoms, if we were to take it at face value, this is what we have in the states:
Freedom of religion
Freedom of expression
Freedom to peaceably assemble
Freedom of movement
Freedom to vote
Freedom of association
Freedom of revolution
There are exceptions for national security, but each of these rights are largely speaking what every American is meant to experience. Thinking back on our discussion about immigration, it's no wonder that so many seek asylum here, where they can escape tyrannical governments, criminal anarchy in their homes, famine and drought, or wars. The United States is a vast place, with unique climate, geography, animal life and culture in each state, so there's a place to call home for every possible preference one could think of. Where it gets tricky is affording certain places over others, but we'll touch on that another time.
Many of these freedoms are exercised by the majority of our country's citizens every day without question and sometimes without notice, but there are those who look longingly at the ideas and wish they could know the full might of that privilege. That's become an ugly word, hasn't it? Privilege. It's become an insult to some, a derogatory adjective to others, but the reality of the term is that it is inherently a positive one. Privileges that we have now are based upon the lack of them from previous generations, from the battles fought by the oppressed, so we can now enjoy expanded freedom with others. When someone says that a person has privilege, or was born privileged, it's a way of telling someone that they lived a lucky life, at least to be able to do certain things that others could not afford to, or did not have an opportunity for. It might be more 'universal' to call someone blessed, but the arguments surrounding civil rights have become understandably heated. Hopefully we can remove some of the hostility here and take a genuine look at the effects of discrimination, particularly against lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual, and other queer people who are American citizens.
To preface this: the plight of the queer community is one that needs several articles worth of breaking down. This will absolutely not be the only post on this topic, so if there are points not covered here about a certain aspect of the fight for LGBT civil rights, please hang tight because there will be more to come. This article is here to purely focus on the discrimination that queer people face, meaning we're going to examine everyday freedoms and privileges that almost all Americans can enjoy or feel safe with, but almost all LGBT Americans can NOT.
Seventeen states have passed fifty-four discriminatory bills into law in 2025 alone. There are four hundred and sixteen more bills that are being reviewed for passing that specifically target the LGBT community in a myriad of ways, including healthcare restrictions, forced public identification, identity reversal or denial, removal of educational resources, and so on. I'd like to examine a few of these from two perspectives: on one side of the issue, you have people who are unaffected by the changes, perhaps people who even celebrated the bills, and on the other side of the issue, we'll see the exact effects that the legislation involved has in terms of how their lives are completely changed based on the restrictions enforced upon them, but not on others.
Freedom of religion
I was raised Catholic and for the first third of my life, I spent a lot of my time thinking about how Jesus viewed me. I'd been looked at as a tomboy for much of my youth, including making faster friends with other boys at school, but it wasn't for a lack of interest in the 'girly' things in life. The truth was that other girls felt a little intimidating sometimes, and I couldn't quite place why. When I eventually discovered that I looked at women differently than most do, it was a frightening reality to face that I was now one of those sinners that my teachers and church and TV shows warned me about. If it got out that I even thought of other girls as pretty, would I lose my friendships? Would my family disown me? Would God disown me?
Imagine the prospect of those three things from the perspective of a pre-teen, someone who spent her whole life praying constantly, reading the bible, attending church every week as well as for holidays, who celebrated Christian holidays. It's an intimidating weight to suddenly realize something within yourself, a secret you can't say to anyone, and to be forced to just sit with it and hope like some kind of possession that it goes away somehow. It was my luck to be born when I was, where it was very barely becoming a little more acceptable to be 'different', in a few ways thanks to the underground feminist Riot Grrrl movement as well as the embrace of the Stonewall Uprising anniversary in public parades. In the early 2000's, I entered high school and found other people openly supportive of queer friends (though there were certainly still some hateful, insecure kids as there always are). I also met the first 'out' queer people, who were not only proud of who they were, but happy with their relationships, and willing to patiently share their views with me and others.
Not everyone gets that kind of luck. Kids across the country might grow up in a very diverse, accepting setting where you're allowed to ask questions and learn about how people are different and learn more about themselves and their relationships to others. There are other places that discourage questions that come into conflict with the religion that they teach, and so institutions stress the value of conformity for a 'safe' life. It's true, that a life lived as close to the status quo is indeed much 'safer', considering the ridicule and violence that LGBT people face in a religious environment, let alone out of it. What's important to note though is the other side of this call for living 'safely', or remaining secretly queer, is undoubtedly to avoid discomfort for the person giving that advice. The choice of partner, of self identity, and of personal values is seemingly so different, so incomprehensible to think about, that coupled with a background of being discouraged from curiosity, it's far less confrontational to try and bury it away and pretend everything is status quo about everyone around you.
There is no doubt in my mind that nearly every Christian church in the United States has a member of their congregation who is bisexual, lesbian, gay, trans, or a non-conforming gender. They are almost certainly either actively hiding a fact which they have accepted about themselves OR they are trying to convince themselves, much to their mental and emotional detriment, that they are NOT any of those things. The pressure to exist around strangers and loved ones alike is already something many people struggle with, an unfortunate symptom of poor life experiences, to act a certain way or like certain things. But imagine that pressure increased tenfold to hide an aspect of yourself that helps to define at least half of your life, if not more: how you identify, or who you love.
Freedom of religion is a part of our rights as American citizens to believe in whatever faith or doctrine we choose, and should individual churches decide they will not be open to the queer community, then that is their right and their prerogative. This is why the separation of church and state is absolutely invaluable, even if there are times when it can interfere with people's lives in a way that I may personally not like. As with freedom of speech, however, that does not mean this decision is free of consequences. American citizens also have their own rights to choose WHERE they decide to worship, or if they disagree with the beliefs of an institution. I often see complaints of low turnout to worship services, but when the message that is being shared is a dour, exclusionist guilt trip, can any of us really be surprised? I was taught that the Christian god was almighty, but also all-loving, forgiving, and that his son Jesus was all-accepting. To hear these teachings adjusted into fear-mongering and degradation of the inevitably flawed living being we are is exhausting at best, and dismally heartbreaking at worst. These are words that can isolate a person so thoroughly that more than 60% of people who realize they are queer will attempt suicide within the five years following that moment. Conversely, a study conducted in the United States has shown that from 1999 to 2015, a direct association was made between states that established same-sex marriage and drastically reduced suicide attempts in all age groups.
Back to Jesus for a moment, there is a long and complicated discussion to have among Christians and Christian scholars about Jesus directly or indirectly speaking against homosexuality, but every case study I've been provided from scriptures such as Mark 7:18–23, or Revelation 2:14, do not provide direct reference. The argument is typically involved with dissecting the original meaning of certain words used and their 'common' meaning during that time period. This does not hold water for me mainly due to the ever-changing nature of the bible's translations through the ages. I hold that there is no legitimate bible in existence today, one which holds within it the ACTUAL exact text of the original books. There's no doubt that the lessons are likely very, very close to the original teachings, but we have seen history skew the viewpoints and philosophies of many historic figures and scholars even from RECENT history, let alone ancient history. I see more counter-productive and hypocritical examples of Jesus teaching unconditional love and compassion than I do rejection of specific principles within life. And that's after his words have been telephoned through countless generations of scribes, word of mouth, and book editors.
I'm no longer a person of religion. I am a spiritual person, but I don't believe in deities or places of worship or that our morals come from a figure like Jesus. Rather, I think individuals, such as Jesus as a perfectly normal living man of kindness, decide to enact upon their fellow man as they discover ethics and the power of strong bonds with their neighbors. I simply do not subscribe to the idea of 'being good or else'. Because of that, the idea of a person being born and with or without external influence realizing that they love someone of the same biological sex, or realizing that they feel more true to who they really are by identifying outside of their birth-assigned gender label, and knowingly choosing to live a life of discrimination in order to fully embrace who they are is such a powerful statement in itself. I think generations of folks have set aside their desires to be who they really were for reasons that were good or bad, and now we have a human race that is more emotionally devastated and in need for change than ever, regardless of their orientation or gender identity.
Unfortunately, religion is a consistent tool wielded at the United States government to pressure and enact legislation that has a harmful impact by introduction alone, as well as by enforcement, to over 9% of the population. Without a consistent separation of church and state, LGBT people will continue to be openly discriminated against in countless ways. This is why federal protection is absolutely necessary, so that in the same way almost all Americans can enjoy a life protected from various forms of discrimination, or a life of personal autonomy (we'll dissect this a lot in a future post), freedom of expression and association, the queer community can also take part in it in the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness.
Freedom of expression
The freedom for us to all be able to share our experiences with each other is paramount to our ability to experience new things ourselves, whether that's new perspectives, opinions, life lessons, little wisdoms, or otherwise. These are the conversations in which we learn about history we may not previously have known. We hear what is important to different people for different reasons, and we are often surprised to find that we find new subjects that fascinate us and drive our imagination and motivation to work on this world together to make it better. Sometimes this can be generalized, however, when conversations are avoided and we leave it to our news outlets to share that information to us.
The queer community is often seen as expressing themselves through pride parades and history months, but the truest form of expression, in the average going-ons of an American living their normal lives, is where challenge comes into play all the time, and where the most misunderstanding happens, which could be avoided with a genuine effort at conversation and understanding.
Men are generally ridiculed or attacked for wearing feminine clothing or makeup. Women with short haircuts often face the inevitable questions of their sexuality, whether they identify as queer or not. Trans people are bothered by every possible media outlet about what kind of 'parts' they have. Nonbinary folks who choose to share their identity are rebuked with a quick "but you look more like a guy/girl?". This is just looking at surface value examples, and already we see this incessant need for people to explain themselves and why they've decided to not be the same as the average person. If people are coming from a place of genuine curiosity, consider ways we can ask someone about their decisions in a kinder way. There will always be people questioning someone different than themselves simply for the sake of undermining them and avoiding the need to address their OWN insecurities.
If you are genuinely interested in learning more, lead in with something kind. "I noticed you got your haircut, it must feel great! What made you choose that style?" or "May I ask a question about your outfit, if you're comfortable talking about it?" or "What are your pronouns? I want to make sure I address you how you'd like" are all examples of a question we can ask, that takes no longer than 2 seconds to say, but makes an enormous difference to someone who has been brave enough to share their true selves in a visible way with the public. They are choosing, even in a small way, to potentially face the world that historically has looked down on them, for the sake of feeling comfortable in their own skin and perhaps to help inspire others to feel that same bravery.
These considerations when speaking to someone about their identity are often considered 'woke' among conservatives, but the reality is that it's a simple display of one's manners, in the same way that if someone were to ask them about an aspect of their appearance or life that could make them feel worried about persecution, it helps to assuage some concern and perhaps open them up to a real effort for connection.
The LGBT community often reiterates the same famous quote: "We just want to be left alone". This entails not being shut away or hidden from the public or to have to pretend to be someone they are not. It means that they can wear what makes them feel good, they can choose a consensual partner of appropriate age regardless of their gender and employ the same kind of public displays of affection as heterosexual couples do, or that they can decide what pronouns, names, or other identifying factors they wish to be aligned with. What this amounts to in terms of a 'burden' on people who are not a part of the queer community is literally to just see people, in public, who look different from them, and to be asked to say 'he', 'she', 'they' when greeting or addressing someone they meet. This is not even a task that they will have to participate in all the time, considering the low percentage of the population that is queer, and an even lower percentage of that group don't identify themselves in an obviously public way.
Finally, the freedom of expression applies to the creations of queer artists, writers, performers and activists. The freedom of speech in the United States is one of our most coveted and valuable freedoms, shared as a daily excuse for harmful rhetoric that jeopardizes the free speech of the queer community. Think of the harassment of drag queens that hold book reading sessions at libraries, an event that should be light, silly, entertaining and educational for kids, but is instead transformed into a spectacle because of the discomfort of adults unable to understand what drag is or means to someone else. It is up to all of us, the allies of queer folks, to stand up with them and for them. If we wish to see a more accepting, loving world, a place where people feel mentally and emotionally safe so they can prosper and contribute effectively to their country as a citizen, then we must be prepared to protect one another's differences.
Freedom to peaceably assemble
Protest is no stranger to the queer community. It's an act that is ingrained into our lives as much as going to our jobs, or commuting to school. The community knows we have to do it, many times whether they like it or not. It's also no stranger to the literal origin of the United States, a country built upon the need to speak freely, both individual citizens and a free press. Across our history, we have collectively come together to express and defend our ideals, from our first acts of independence to the Women's Suffrage movement, to civil rights, and now queer liberty. The 'good fight' is one that begs for the same rights of human dignity, the freedom of personal expression, and the pursuit of life and happiness for all people in our country, and it's puzzling to think that in the year 2025, we still have any one person living in the USA that has less rights than another.
Since 1924, groups have been engaging in large and small scale demonstrations in favor of equal rights and representation for queer citizens. Some of these engagements were the creation of representative societies, others were riots sparked by police brutality, and now more commonly we see parades or gatherings surrounding important legislative decisions being made. Countless years of time and energy spent on defending one's own right to exist is time away from family, friends, work, school, life and liberty. It is a common trick to convince everyday people that protesters for any cause are somehow 'paid actors' or time-wasters, as if the choice to stand up for themselves, or for people they love and care about, is something they even want to do in the first place.
The stark reality is that these protests are absolutely necessary in these times, and the people involved in the acts will suffer time lost least of all in comparison to the consequences of arrest, physical harassment and assault, and more. While significant progress has been made in recent years to provide access to the same rights as every American is born to hold, there have been very recent attempts, and some successes, to walk back these initiatives. The right to protest is inherent to the foundation of our country, and every challenge made to limit our power of assembly in defiance of tyrannical rule or unjust legislation is a step further towards outright fascism. Even if an issue appears small in the grand scheme of the political spectrum, what must not be forgotten is the slippery slope that often follows one issue being overlooked. The rights of queer people across the country being trampled, withheld or taken away is the precursor to every citizen's rights receiving the same treatment.
Reading this now may feel like an attempt at sensationalism, but let us remember the swift changes we enacted on our own native populations during the 'Removal Era', when the popularity of expanding our conquered territories further west oversaw the displacement of entire indigenous populations from their homes. The 'Trail of Tears' death march is just one famous event from this time period which, similar to the Holocaust, showcases the ease in which a comfortable majority can simply enact their wills upon others, even if it means causing irreparable harm to those groups. If our country is meant to be a truly free, prosperous and safe land to live on, we must be prepared to challenge even the highest of powers that be on decisions they make to the detriment of our neighbors, of strangers who we may not have anything in common with aside from the rights to human dignity.
Freedom of movement
This is a freedom that I think all of us take for granted more often than not. We think to ourselves, "Of COURSE I can leave a town, a city, a state, my country. Of COURSE I can live wherever I want to. It just takes enough money and resources to do that move, to find a job in a new place," and so on. Every citizen in the United States has the right to change the place that we live or work or visit, and we have the right to change our minds and return to where we originally came from. The right to movement is hotly contested for particular groups, usually refugees or immigrants, and that comes from a deeply disguised sense of racial privilege that we've talked about previously. For the purposes of examining civil rights for the queer community, we need to examine the freedom of movement as it relates to other liberties being infringed upon.
For example, let's say a state outlaws gay marriage. A gay couple gets married in a neighboring state, but would like to move into a place where they can find work and have a chance at a better cost of living. That happens to be in the state where their marriage is outlawed, and thus if they move to this place for a better life, they are actually stripped of the rights that they should have under federal protections. This is an infringement on a few things for that gay couple, but in particular it is a limiting factor on their right to move wherever they please within the country, to live or work, or visit.
It's not to say that this couple couldn't simply find a different state, where their marriage is legally recognized, to move to instead. But let's examine that idea for a second: 'they should just go somewhere else'. What if they can't? What if they have no network in that state? What if there's no job opportunities there? What if there's more crime against the LGBT community there? What if it's not affordable to live there? And most importantly, why should anyone have to change where they can live or work for any reason whatsoever? Unless someone has committed a serious crime such as an act of violence or otherwise against the state's citizens, what gives any state the right to say that simply because of who you have married in a consenting, legal relationship, you should not be able to live in a state and experience the same freedoms and rights as any other person living there?
Imagine if a state passed legislation that implemented the opposite effect, where only gay marriages were recognized as legal and consenting relationships, and all other couples were deprived of certain rights they were simply given in other states. Imagine the outrage and confusion this would cause, how cruel it would feel. Why then, do we allow those infringements upon a smaller population of also consenting, legal relationships? It is especially egregious to enact further suffering upon those who are already suffering from discrimination in any capacity. In the ways that individual citizens take for granted how they can move about to new places with relative ease, given the right resources, queer groups carry with them a laundry list of safety precautions and the difficult decision of whether or not to act, dress, or share their authentic sense of self in every setting.
If we each consider the idea that working at an office, walking around at a mall, sitting down with our family for dinner, that there are people in our vicinity, both strangers and loved ones alike, who feel that they must hide in some way, I think that most people would consider that something to grieve. We want for our sons and daughters to be who they are. We want our friends to feel that they can come to us about anything, or that our family feels safe wherever they go. Could we not all channel that shared sense of hope and joy for one another and ourselves and expand it to everyone around us? Could we create communities that eliminate the fear for people, so that they could move to a new home or visit a beautiful vacation spot and not worry about how their voice sounds, how they dress, who they're on a date with, or other factors that countless LGBT people have to constantly find as a front-of-mind concern?
Freedom to vote
It's troubling to consider that our vote may not be properly accounted for in even the smallest of polls, let alone national elections, but the disturbing reality is that voter suppression is often a politically-backed and funded initiative that predominantly affects minorities, such as communities of color and LGBT people.
Suppression happens in numerous ways, at times making it difficult to track and expose. For example, in the Human Rights Campaigns 2019 study of voter experience, more than 10% of LGBT voters, more than 25% of transgender voters, and over 40% of transgender people of color were unable to vote due to being unknowingly dropped from their local voter registration rolls, and were turned away at the polls. Every time I have ever walked into a polling station to place my own vote, I have never faced an issue beyond double checking an updated address from my voter ID. It was a fast, painless process, often with short lines and plentiful staff to help with questions. But there are cities where your vote can take 8 hours or more to place, and even when you appear to make your voice heard, you can be turned away for arbitrary and nonsensical rules implemented by the parties who wish to remain in power. They know how damaging votes can be from specific communities who notoriously do not agree with their own politics, and so they issue orders to require specific voter identification, to list inconvenient polling times and locations, or putting up barriers to absentee or mail-in ballots so that they can avoid those being counted.
These are the most 'hidden' from view methods that are used all the time to suppress the voice of the people, in order for specific representatives to maintain power and create a stronger stranglehold on the state or city which they oversee. As we can see, people of color are disproportionately affected by this and have been since they'd received the right to vote. Sadly, voter suppression has been shown to be an incredibly effective means of shutting out those who suffer the most from the imbalance of power we suffer in America. In addition to these covert tactics, there are also an increasing number of incidents where physical violence, discrimination and intimidation have been used to threaten polling stations, with targets often being in areas servicing queer voters. These attacks on individuals provide a terrifying message to others, especially young voters: if you come out to vote, you'll be harassed, assaulted, or worse.
In the United States, how can we proclaim our freedoms so loudly when such obvious injustices occur constantly? How can these things be allowed to happen, and only be reacted to or compensated for with lawsuits? Why can our country avoid being pragmatic with our solutions to these issues, and then expect for meaningful change to take place overnight? I myself have known countless friends in my life who feel their vote doesn't matter BECAUSE of all of these discriminations, but I will argue to my last breath that it is particularly because of voter suppression that we must all know how immensely important each of our votes are. If they meant so little, why would there be any effort whatsoever to suppress our communities?
Another time we'll discuss the Electoral College and the universal need to shift away from that model of voting, but suffice it to say that even under the current format our country has decided upon for its voting system, each and every individual vote is important and necessary to create forward progress. When there are so many of our own citizens who face growing and resurfacing barriers each time they mean to vote in local or federal elections, an ally should ensure that they not only are speaking up about these injustices, but ensure that they turn out to vote themselves. It's dangerous to be openly flippant about our ability to vote or not, rather than embracing our right as a civic duty. We must think of the message it sends to young voters who have just aged into their ability to vote themselves; do we wish to convince these newcomers that there's no use in the act?
Our queer family members, friends, neighbors and strangers rely on us all to show up for them. In the past, and in the future, it could be that others suffered similar oppression, and even if we've been lucky enough to avoid that issue affecting our own lives, it's only natural for us to feel bothered when other people suffer from something so senseless. We can show up for one another to be absolutely certain that our voting process is fair and just, and above all else, accessible for everyone.
Freedom of association
The right to organize is a natural pairing with the right to peaceably assemble, but also walks hand in hand with the right to express ourselves and pursue and defend common interests of the people. Well over half of the American population support same-sex marriage, adoption by gay and lesbian couples, and protections for LGBT people against employment, housing, and public discrimination. So why then, since 2020, have over 100 state laws been passed that actually attack the community?
The reality of association is that whether or not you believe you're actively involved in a community, you do live, work, talk to, and share space with LGBT folks. Many may hide their orientation, true personalities or fashion choices to avoid discrimination, so as neighbors, co-workers, friends, or even strangers passing by, it's helpful to observe the things that we can do to make the world a more comfortable place for everyone, not even just a single community. The freedom of association is a constitutionally protected right for our citizens to identify as or collaborate with others, in particular minority groups who need help getting their voices and their causes heard.
In the past 10 years, we've seen a sharp increase in awareness days, especially in spaces online, such as Black Out days, Cyberbullying Awareness days, Suicide Awareness, and more. Simple acts such as sharing the posts and words of LGBT creators online or engaging with their content with a comment or a 'like' on their post will tell social media algorithms that these are things worth sharing far and wide because they get people talking. The things that typically get shared the most are posts that incense people and get them mad; it's a sad fact that anger gets us talking more, spending more, and falling into a cyclical pit of negativity, or doom-scrolling. But imagine the opposite effect, by sharing important stories from communities in need of help. Imagine making even a small donation to organizations helping LGBT folks and protecting their rights, which encourages people to share further, to donate more, to encourage friends and family to do the same. Think of what we could all learn about the struggles other people face, if we didn't know them already.
The creators of social media platforms have put the power in our hands to choose what gets more engagement. Because of the turmoil the world is experiencing, especially since becoming more and more interconnected with other countries and their conflicts, we've tilted into a bit of an unfortunate spiral. This is what makes being online so incredibly exhausting nowadays. Here is where I think something major can happen, however: I believe if we all challenged ourselves and one another to only engage with positive or informative content, if we decided to show support instead of disapproval of something or another, our internet experience could be very, very different.
I don't mean to suggest that the only things we ever discuss online are positive things. To the contrary, I think it's important to have a balanced dialogue about positive or negative subjects. The unfortunate reality is that because anger drives further engagement and spending, popular platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and so on will actively promote more and more posts just like the ones that get us all riled up. You can think about it as something similar to the ratings of TV shows. If a show that has a complex plot and strong message gets barely any people watching, but one that is a simple, trashy reality show that rakes in new viewers constantly, that channel likely has no choice fiscally but to keep pushing the latter show, plus MORE that are like it, to keep propping up their views and the money they earn from advertisers because of the increased viewership. In the exact same way, social media platforms will make increased money from ads and such that directly tie into engaging people's emotions, alongside their reactions and comments on posts.
All of this is to say that when we come together to defend one another, it doesn't just have to be a marching protest on the streets. We talked about that earlier in this post, and it's a tried-and-true method to send a message, but not everyone has the capability, time, or energy to be that fully engaged all the time. People can't be in every city at once to be heard in multiple places. The internet is as much of a 'public' space as a park, or a street, if not even more-so for the increased potential reach. It is up to each of us to use the space that we have when online and interacting with other people to be a positive force for change. In as many places as we can enjoy content of our favorite books, shows, films, or art and music, we can also share that our profiles or timelines are a place of safety for all to express themselves and feel comfortable being exactly who they are. For LGBT youth in particular, this is one of the most important things we can do; it won't necessarily solve all problems, such as bullying within school or workplaces, but if they can at least feel a sense of community among other people online, whether those people are also in the LGBT community or are allies, it can significantly impact their lives so that they feel more accepted and loved. I have experienced this myself, and I can tell you that it literally and figuratively saves lives.
Freedom of revolution
Finally, we come to what is arguably the most troublesome of the freedoms afforded to Americans. It is defined as the right or duty of our people to alter or abolish a government that acts against our common interests, or threatens the safety of the people without justifiable cause. This right is troublesome because, for decades, what has the government done but acted against the common interest or safety of so many people who live here? In truth, this goes far beyond just LGBT issues, rights, and liberty. It is a problem baked into our landscape, which allows the wealthiest elites to maintain a stranglehold over our home through the representatives or causes they sponsor.
There have been many attempts to alter the government, all of which are painfully slow legalities that are constantly stalled by challenges of a contrary opinion. From the standpoint of a lifelong pacifist, I find my patience is quickly wearing thin with going about things in the same ways we have in the past for forward progress. There is little sense of urgency among our elected officials, especially in stark comparison to the people living through the struggles that need immediate attention.
So how do we enact revolution that actually has the power to alter our trajectory, but is also not putting people in harm's way? This is a question I honestly struggle with. Many LGBT protests have been met with violence, or the participants have been stalked and harassed after the fact. This is not even just unique to the USA. It's been almost two decades worth of the majority of our world's countries experiencing a deterioration in political rights and civil liberties, with only thirty-four countries having improvements made for their people. Of course, the United States is among the deteriorating places and has been since 2005.
What can everyday people do to initiate a better course for their lives and for others? Because everyone is unique in their circumstances, it's hard to make this brief. I'm going to try to, but what we must all understand about each other is that we are all different. We have different physical and mental limitations. We have different responsibilities, to ourselves and to others, that may interfere with our abilities to enact some of these options. So I share this list of what might be seen as 'soft revolutions', without judgement of what is possible for any one person, and I hope that all who might read this article can also share the suggestions with the same understanding; what is asked of a person here is maybe not possible for some. But hopefully even just the first couple steps are universally available to all in some manner.
1. Seek out movies, shows, music, books and art that represents LGBT people in a positive light. One of the first and easiest steps that every single person can take is to try and understand people that seem to live differently from them. This option is in fact so easy to do because it is simultaneously educating and entertaining you. While this suggestion may not be overthrowing the government overnight, it is the core first step to changing your perspective and showing you the beauty of a world seen through other people's eyes. Here's some recommendations, (alongside the great art seen throughout this blog):
Films
Philadelphia (1993)
The Birdcage (1996)
Saving Face (2004)
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Moonlight (2016)
Books
Maurice by E.M. Forster (1971)
Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez (2001)
Fun Home by Alison Bechdel (2006)
Heartstopper by Alice Oseman (2016)
Songs
Rebel Girl by Bikini Kill (1993)
Wrong Way/One Way by RVIVR (2016)
Pynk by Janelle Monae (2018)
2. Do some research. Choose a particular aspect of LGBT history, civil rights issues, or whatever catches your interest and ignites passion within you. When we begin from a place of being entertained and perhaps opened up by the experiences we have with LGBT media, the inevitable pull of curiosity to understand further can be sated with learning the things important to the community. This could be reading up on Harvey Milk, watching a documentary on the Stonewall Riots, or visiting museums to see how queer relationships have existed for all of recorded history.
3. Trust that other people identify themselves in the manner which makes them feel whole. Now that you've seen the LGBT community portrayed in ways that bring their plight closer to home, and have researched particular issues they face, it becomes easier to empathize with different lives and perspectives that you may have not experienced yourself. You may not know the feeling of looking at your body's traits and feeling disconnected from them, but millions of people experience this dysphoria every day, particularly trans and nonbinary people who look to change their appearance in order to more clearly share exactly who they are. If you meet a neighbor, co-worker, or make new friends with someone who uses specific pronouns, dresses a certain way, identifies with unfamiliar labels, it's important to realize that in the same way they respect your identity as a woman or a man, your kindest act would be to accept them as they are, and to ensure others respect them in this way as well. Accepting and loving our LGBT friends without condition is one of the most powerful ways you can help them to navigate the discrimination they face. Stand up with them.
4. Connect with the LGBT community itself. Beyond just the people you personally know, what are community gatherings and activities like? It's far more widely shared nowadays that LGBT folks do...well, exactly what everyone else likes to do. So yes, enjoy a fair, a dinner, a hike, or whatever activities you both like together! Do a girls trip, have a guy's night out. But it can also help a lot to see the types of counter culture activities that the LGBT community does together, because they often champion far more than just one cause for their own rights. These are the leaders of coalitions to clean our parks, to make the planet more inhabitable, to get loving homes for orphaned animals, to provide resources to impoverished areas. Activism with the LGBT community is an act with twice the reach! Local LGBT service centers are often a fantastic hub of activity to see what's happening in your area. Join in as an ally!
5. Make your voice loud, supportive, and proud. Not just when you're around your LGBT friends, but in interactions with strangers, at rallies for completely different subjects, or just when you're out and about. Don't be afraid to share online and in person exactly what you believe in. If your passion is diversity, wear an ally pin on all your jackets or purses. Share memes, relevant news articles, and resources that you find! Even if you think all your social media friendships are not part of the LGBT community, the reality is that you just don't know. So many people live in hiding, for fear of being ostracized, and your statement of support could be just what they need to know they can confide in you. This can be the sign that someone in public needs to know that they have people that support their right to exist.
The revolution is not always a great, fiery battle to the death. There are small 'revolutions' every day in changed minds, and the people fighting on those front lines are the ones who have moments of quiet introspection that they turn into vocal love and healing for others.
This essay has been a journey, full of self examination, research on the state of the LGBT community and its artisans specifically, as well as an intense exercise in perspective hopping. But I believe truly that this means the work done has achieved its purpose, so long as each of you reading this have also taken that journey. Consider your own insecurities from a young age, the times in your life that you've felt isolated by others, or treated unfairly for any reason, really. The emotion you've felt is becoming more and more validated by brave people (perhaps yourself included) who have spoken out against the treatment they received. In the same way, our queer communities are desperately trying to be heard, and their message is so simple, so intrinsic to how we all live: that we don't just want to 'survive', but truly LIVE our lives. We don't want to be asked about personal details anymore. We don't want to be barred from hospital room visits. We don't want to be excluded from healthcare coverage, or looked at in a way that is lesser, or weaker. We want to be like everyone else. We want to be happy in the way that actually makes us happy.
I'd like to challenge us all to question what harm, if any, that desire causes to others. I've found that year after year, I find less and less excuses or opinions being brought forth by the opposition that have a foundation for concern. Each one can be explained away until the truth is revealed: personal insecurities. One's lack of ability or desire to self-reflect is not an acceptable means to enact restrictions of any kind upon another person. No one in the queer community is seeking harm to other people's rights and pursuit of liberty or happiness. There is no tangible or intangible evidence showing that they've produced any harm by living their lives as they feel is best, with the partners that they choose.
The harm that pauses our progress forward as a thriving society is our own fear. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself", said Franklin D. Roosevelt upon his 1933 inaugural address to the nation. Even he was wracked with fears, many of them deciding the faulty actions he took against people that others feared. With each passing generation, and each new representative that takes office, Americans should focus strongly on becoming less afraid of all things, including people or cultures that we don't understand. Instead of the response of repulsion and denial, why not react with curiosity? With interest? With the attempt to understand?
Let us each become the next pillar of history that stands up to defend one another, whether we participate within the same community or culture, or not. What does it matter the differences we have, if we're all human beings?
HOMEWORK: Painting portraits are a way to reveal incredibly small, but important details about a person and who they are. This is often simply from noticing subtle movements, facial expressions, or from sharing a conversation for the person sitting with you. But as we've learned here, people hide a lot of things about themselves that we'd never know until they were brave enough to share it.
Choose an LGBT person you know, or a historical figure from the LGBT community, and create a portrait of them. When you create the portrait, consider using each color of the rainbow in parts of the painting, but without adding the detail of a pride flag itself. What we're aiming for is a representation of how this person would look in their everyday lives, to showcase how standing among one another, each human being is just that: another unique person with their own history, passions and ambitions. There is more to a queer person than the surface value that fashion or cosmetics allow, and the more obvious symbolism of the pride flag is more on the nose than what we're looking to achieve here. We want to see the soul of these figures in ways they'd hope for us to see in them everyday, outside of celebration days and awareness months. Let's get creative!
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