A purely scattered ranting to just get it out of my system after another week of ridiculous politics and continual anti-LGBTQ+ shit.
There’s rainbow-phobia going on in America y’all.
There is a tidal wave of legislation being presented in state legislatures that is anti-LGBTQ+.
Much of this is guised as “protecting the children” or “freedom of religion”. But let’s not parse words. The intention of this legislation is to restrict and erase the LGBTQ+ Community. It is fueled by ignorance, misguided fear driven faith and the desire to maintain problematic inhuman status quo.
This is not to “protect the children”. If protecting children really was a priority banning drag shows, preventing affirmative healthcare, or banning books with queer characters wouldn’t be the priority. Finding solutions to poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity would be the priority. Gun control would be a priority.
In 2021, child poverty for 18 and under was at 16.9%1.
In 2022, homelessness amongst individuals 18 and under was at 16.9%2
In 2021, food insecurity among American households with children under the age of 18 was at 12.5%3.
In 2022, 6,032 children were injured or killed by gun violence4.
“Protecting the children” is just the facade these people are using to push their agenda of discrimination and hate.
Erasing and pretending the Community doesn’t exist, doesn’t work. Like it or not, we are fucking here. So removing books that we are represented in, is just erasure. Preventing our trans siblings to not have affirmative healthcare, only causes more harm. Banning drag shows for the safety of the children makes no sense, because as we’ve learned, you can’t become gay from osmosis and the cheerleaders and dance teams at the sporting events can be more “riskay” and “suggestive” than a drag performance.
Erasing and demonizing the Community will only increase the already high rate of suicide in American queer youth. In 2022, a study found that 56% of youth who came out before 13 seriously considered suicide. The same study found that the number decreased when there was family and community support of the individual coming out5.
And let’s talk about the religious “freedom piece”.
This is not about attaining actual “religious freedom”. Religious freedom would be equal AND equitable rights and privileges for the LGBTQ+ Community to live our lives the way we see fit based on our belief systems and not only on the belief systems of the extreme Christian Conservatives.
And let’s be honest. The argument for religious freedom is based on man’s interpretation of a man’s interpretation of God’s Word written in man-made languages that are limited in conversing the depth and breadth of life.
AND, let’s be honest that if those basing their discrimination on religious texts, such as the Book of Leviticus, they are cherry picking what they adhere to. Otherwise pork and shellfish sales6 would plummet, and fashion would look extremely different right now7.
AND, AN ADDITIONAL AND, if all these most pious individuals, who feel that they must restrict and erase the Community in the name of God and in order to abide by the religious text, were actually steeped deeply in their faith, would understand that attacking and erasing the Community isn’t what its about. It’s about love.
You don’t see the LGBTQ+ Community protesting at churches. You don’t see us launching attacks to erase those who are religious. And even in spite the fact that many of us have been kicked out, harmed or self-harmed because of religious contexts, practices and beliefs, we just remove those or ourselves from those spaces and find our own community and let those who practice homophobia and transphobia to stew in their antithetical religious beliefs.
Another thing on my mind from recent news, we knew that they’d come for same-sex marriage. The herald was given within Justice Clarence Thomas’ Concurring Opinion8.
For that reason, in future cases, we should reconsider all of this Court’s substantive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell. Because any substantive due process decision is “demonstrably erroneous,” Ramos v. Louisiana, 590 (2020) (THOMAS, J., concurring in judgment) (slip op., at 7), we have a duty to “correct the error” established in those precedents, Gamble v. United States, 587 U. S. (2019) (THOMAS, J., concurring) (slip op., at 9). After overruling these demonstrably erroneous decisions, the question would remain whether other constitutional provisions guarantee the myriad rights that our substantive due process cases have generated.
Thomas Clarence, United States Supreme Court Justice
Many said it wouldn’t happen or not for a while and we would have time to handle it. You were wrong. It hasn’t taken them long to set the path for this to be reviewed at all. With the latest legislation put forth by Conservatives, regardless the direction it will be appealed back and forth until it reaches the Supreme Court, who again has asked that cases be brought forth to allow them to revisit the decisions.
I’m not sure where I’m going with this post other than to process and try to figure out why can’t this anti-LGBTQ movement just back the F*** off. Our lives and existence don’t harm or hinder those who do not believe in the “lifestyle”. It doesn’t prevent you from practicing your religion. You don’ t have to believe that I am sinful or not in order for all of us to exist. Hosting and attending drag shows, having representation in literature, being granted access to affirming healthcare and being married does not impede on your rights to avoid or not engage with all of that.
Anyway, thanks for reading my rant! If you want to do something, consider donating to the Trevor Project or Human Rights Campaign to help them continue doing the work that we need done.
Until next time,
Peace, Love and Pandas!
References
- https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2022/10/poverty-rate-varies-by-age-groups.html
- https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2022-AHAR-Part-1.pdf
- https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-u-s/key-statistics-graphics/
- https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/
- https://www.thetrevorproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/October-2022-Research-Brief-Final.pdf
- https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus%2011&version=NIV
- https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus%2019&version=NIV
- https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/19-1392_6j37.pdf
Hello World, Its Me, Brian 