2023 is already proving to be an exhausting year for queer people, especially trans folks and those who love them. Just in case you’re not as tapped into queer news as I am, here’s a rundown of what’s been happening over just the last month:
The New York Times was called out for its biased coverage of transgender and non-binary people through an open letter signed by over 1,200 contributors and over 34,000 subscribers and readers.
A speaker at CPAC (The Conservative Political Action Conference) called for the eradication of “transgenderism,” which many people are rightly reading as a call for genocide.
The Wyoming legislature passed a bill banning transgender girls and women from competing in middle school and high school sports, which has been sent to the governor to be signed.
Tennessee banned drag shows in public spaces, and similar anti-drag legislation has been introduced in at least a dozen other states.
Tennessee also passed a total ban on gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youth, as did Mississippi.
The Arkansas Senate passed a bathroom bill that would criminalize any transgender person who uses a bathroom that matches their gender identity if they do so “while knowing a minor of the opposite sex is present," and the bill is heading to the Arkansas House.
Unfortunately, those are only the tip of the iceberg. As of this writing, the ACLU is tracking 399 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills in the United States for the 2023 legislative session, and there are many more on the way.
That these laws are blatantly discriminatory with no basis in science or reality does not seem to matter to conservatives.
I hope it goes without saying that the people you should most be listening to right now on the topic of legislation that infringes on the rights of transgender folks and drag performers are transgender folks and drag performers.
For example:
Here’s gender-nonconforming poet and author Alok Vaid-Menon speaking on how fear fuels hatred of transgender and gender-nonconforming people.
Here’s transgender activist and athlete Schuyler Bailar dispelling the conservative talking point that transgender people are dangerous.
Here’s drag performer BenDeLaCreme speaking out against the idea that all drag is inappropriate for children.
Here’s drag performer Silky Ganache challenging allies who love drag shows to step up right now.
Though I am not transgender nor a drag performer, as a member of the broader queer community who knows and loves many transgender folks and drag performers, I am using my platform to call attention to the immense harm those groups are experiencing right now.
Because I need you to know what’s happening and to care about it.
Because I need you to understand that the stakes are high and the well-being and lives of so many people depend on me and you speaking out and fighting for what’s right.
Because if you’re a member of the wider queer community, I need you to realize that conservative lawmakers are coming for the entire community. (Remember good ol’ Tennessee? Their House also passed a bill this week that would let clerks refuse marriage licenses to LGBTQIA+ couples.)
Because I need you to recognize the shared humanity that exists between all of us no matter our labels, physical attributes, outward expression, or how we choose to live and love.
Because the only way we’re going to get through this is by protecting and looking out for one another.
If you feel helpless, you’re not alone. It’s a painful time to be a human with a kind and loving heart, and there are no predetermined next steps. But even if you feel helpless, please know you are not helpless. Please know that just because you’re not “in power,” doesn’t mean you’re powerless.
Don’t allow your feelings of fear and overwhelm to keep you stuck. Commit to doing something. Anything. If you don’t know what to do, do some research and find out where you can be most useful! Plenty of people on social media have made lists of options (examples here and here), and you can check out the websites of local and national transgender and LGBTQIA+ advocacy groups for more ideas, including volunteer and donation opportunities.
Taking even one small step in the direction of justice is better than standing still.
We fight together. Let’s fucking go.
Queerly yours,
Shohreh
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