The Queers Have It Good Now

Myth-busting Monday: The queers have it good now…..

 

No, we don’t.  And for those that don’t identify as a member of the Pride community and/or don’t have family members in the Pride community, it might be easy to forget.  But that forgetfulness, or lack of awareness, is a privilege.  Many of us can’t forget and live well aware of the hostility expressed toward and felt about our existence.

 

Drag shows are being targeted with threats of, or actual, violence1; there was the Club Q shooting2; proposal of the Don’t Say Gay bill at the national level3; the introduction of over 100 bills attacking transgender people including their access to medically necessary care4; the Department of Homeland Security has issued warnings that members of the LGBTQIA+ community are under threat5.

 

I know the facts from the articles and events above, but I also know, see, and feel the threats locally – for myself, my family, the people and the community I serve.  I have personally met folks that came out decades ago that have stated they feel less safe now then they did in the early 2000s.  Community members in my local pride organization are scared.  Being a queer identified person and someone that works professionally to promote well-being and social justice around sexuality, my heart hurts from the lack of safety, the homophobia, and the trans-antagonism.  I feel less ease in my own embodiment.  My job feels less secure.  What was a low pulse of threat is picking up cadence.

 

What do we do?  I don’t have all the answers but I hope I can offer some action items:

  • Donate to organizations committed to humans rights, like the ACLU or HRC6
  • Support your local pride organizations7 by donating, volunteering, or stepping into those community organizations as a member. By being showing up, you are participating in creating the community we need and that is an incredible gift for your community and a connection opportunity for you
  • Create a community if there isn’t one where you live (ex. pride organization, a meetup or social group, a private group on social media, a school Gender Sexuality Alliance/GSA)
  • If you feel safe enough in your community and family to live out and proud as a member of our Pride community, please do. Your outness offers proximity to those that think that they don’t know an LGBTQIA+ person or that we are few and far between8 (pssst, we aren’t).  Visibility is a privilege – so if you do not feel safe doing this, please allow those of us that do feel safe to do this work.
  • Support and value sexuality education for children and adults.
  • Support teachers in improving their strategies to be affirming and inclusive9
  • Support groups that do work at healing religious trauma around sexuality (I will be offering a support group in the near future).
  • Vote in your local and national elections for representatives that support our Pride community
    • If there are none in your area, consider running for a local office

 

What other ways can we support each other, now and to help secure a safe future for our Pride community?

 

Wishing you all safety, connection, and well-being at this time, Beloveds.

 

 

Resources/citations:

  1. https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2022/12/drag-events-targeted-threats-violence-124-times-far-2022/
  2. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/club-q-owner-says-colorado-springs-shooting-comes-amid-a-new-type-of-hate
  3. https://www.hrc.org/press-releases/human-rights-campaign-denounces-federal-bill-that-would-impose-sweeping-dont-say-gay-or-trans-restrictions-nationally
  4. https://www.aclu.org/issues/lgbtq-rights
  5. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/dhs-warns-terror-threats-lgbtq-jewish-migrant-rcna59426?fbclid=IwAR3rs7sc5K5naAS-ALBzg1qORVJgUsYlsimgXNvDEyjTvb0WdoNI4YbwhSs
  6. https://www.aclu.org/action/ and https://give.hrc.org/page/115127/donate/1?ea.tracking.id=dr_don_mr_searchFY23&gclid=Cj0KCQiAyracBhDoARIsACGFcS5ccn-kSlE_4ZoYH_HTYtXNYz_3OvsE8q9Wi_GdfRE4VnLZCiv43rUaAhkmEALw_wcB
  7. https://naperpride.org/ This is my local organization where I volunteer – please donate to us to help us build our much needed community center
  8. https://www.hrc.org/press-releases/we-are-here-lgbtq-adult-population-in-united-states-reaches-at-least-20-million-according-to-human-rights-campaign-foundation-report – We make up a large number of the population and surveys likely underestimate our numbers. The ways samples are collected, how safe people feel answering, what terms and definitions are used will all impact findings.
  9. https://www.glsen.org/

 

 

………………………………………………

The above content is written by Dr. Allison Mitch, PT (DPT), RYT500; sex-positive/affirming, trauma-informed, trained and certified sexuality counselor and educator (she/they//they/she); copyright protected, please cite accordingly.  The picture is from Pexels.

For more offerings that support well-being, please see: https://ignitewell-being.com/upcoming_events/   or my EventBrite page: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/allison-mitch-41024584863

For more information on my offerings or to work with me directly, please email ignitewellbeing.naperville@gmail.com or schedule with me via Calendly https://calendly.com/ignitewellbeing-naperville

Please consider supporting me and my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ignitewellbeing