I’m in a frustrating logic loop trying to figure out if it’s possible to stay in America, fight to reclaim democracy so that we can try to protect the rights of our queer family
Or if I should leave to a country that’s progressed to be notably less homophobic like Canada or Ireland
The main concern I have is that, if you go by polling data & population: the American people are overwhelmingly pro-LGBT. But the governance is the opposite: ready & willing to arrest and execute trans women, trans men, gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and all queer folk who don’t conform to the hetero traditions. Worse yet there are fascist fanatics chanting this on who are also ready to massacre anyone pro-LGBT.
It seems like no one is doing anything about this problem & I’m feeling lost, confused and hopeless
You may find that regardless of what you want to do, emigrating to another country may not be a possibility. Even fleeing states that are overtly homophobic or transphobic will not be possible for everyone persecuted by anti-LGBT legislation.
LGBT people and allies need to stand together against anti-LGBT politics and denounce it for the bigotry and death it causes. To put it bluntly, mitigating the Republican Party’s direct involvement in making the lives of queer people unlivable would be to ignore the plight of people suffering and work for the benefit of those causing it. Anyone consciously avoiding denouncing the GoP is helping them.
I hope you can find the strength and support to stay and fight. The United States is a good country full of decent people. One good thing about this problem is that many people are aware of it, and the cause is unequivocally due to the fascistic machinations of the GoP and the deeply homophobic evangelical, right-wing Christian nationalists they represent.
The immediate threat, at least, is clearly defined.
Do you have a source for this? Our government has problems and does not treat LGBT+ people with the dignity and human rights we deserve, but they aren’t arresting and executing LGBT+ people (at least not for being LGBT+). Whatever alarmist sources you’re hearing from are ones I worry aren’t good for your mental health.
Tragically, that is not unique to the United States. There are fascist fanatics in a lot of developed countries. The only question is how much power they do or don’t hold.
We need to fight against what’s happening, especially since the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade (however you feel about that ruling in and of itself) is putting Obergefell v. Hodges at risk. LGBT+ rights are a big wedge issue for Republicans right now (especially trans rights), and I’m intent on not letting that happen.
But, please don’t give into despair. Despite what some alarmists on social media might act like, America is still a pretty good place to be LGBT+. There are not homophobic Gestapo patrolling the streets. And things can improve! The moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice. We just need to do our part to not be complacent. We need to help it improve.
It’s not so much about what IS happening as what’s potentially about to: Clarence Thomas about to repeal protections for gay marriage, sex liberty laws, etc. Texas GOP going full mask off anti LGBTQ.
I’m seeing the threats made, and am 99% sure it’s coming. I’m completely cut off myself from any sanctuary. So if Georgia decided to make merely being non-heterosexual illegal, my very existence is in danger.
The GOP platform has always been opposed to LGBT+ rights. But I think it’s important to remember that the world is moving in the right direction on LGBT+ acceptance. Straight parents continue to have LGBT+ children; there’s no way to properly insulate against it. What we’re seeing is a hiccup, not the new trajectory.
Though Clarence Thomas did mention that Obergefell vs Hodges should be reconsidered, there’s a couple things that should be considered.
One is that the other justices did not join him in this opinion. So there does not appear to be enough votes to overturn the decision.
Also, the overall public sentiment has changed drastically on this issue. 71% of Americans support same-sex marriage. That number was only 42% less than 20 years ago. So with a public that is increasing supportive on this issue, the court overturning the ruling would be even further removed from public opinion than their recent decisions.
I think what concerns people is that if things continue in the current direction, politically speaking, it could potentially shift in that direction. Multiple justices who voted for overturning Roe v. Wade suggested pretty strongly that they wouldn’t, and then they did. One of the two major political parties in the US has it in their platform that they want to strip same-sex marriage rights from people. This is something people can work toward. I pray it doesn’t work, but they’ll try.
I do think the public sentiment angle is a big one, though. That’ll be really helpful. That’s only going to get better and better, making it harder to justify removing those. I suspect the playbook for removing them will be this:
1.) Use wedge issues like transgender people and “grooming” to make people more skeptical of supporting pro-LGBT+ policies and politicians
2.) Quietly pack the courts with judges who are amenable to undoing same-sex marriage
3.) Give lip service to not wanting to get rid of same-sex marriage
4.) Let the courts do their dirty work
So people should be aware of this possibility and make sure to vote. But I don’t think it’s likely it’ll work. Just what I think they’ll try.
I mean we should treat everyone equal and with love but at the same time rebuke sin but in a loving way and so when it comes to LGTBQ we need to keep that in mind due to the act of homosexuality is in fact a sin but I do agree that they should be treated with the same respect as you and me
Though what does that mean in practice? I’m of the belief that even if one considers a consensual relationship sinful, it should still receive the equal protection of the law. That’s what I believed back when I was against LGBT+ relationships, and I would hope people who feel similarly would, similarly, support equal protection!
That is good of you Sleet to be open and acknowledge a time being against LGBT. I acknowledge the same, and appreciate many people’s patience as I worked through my beliefs and came around on the issue.
Liz Cheney was very much against same-sex relationships even though her own sister is gay. And then she came to believe differently, saying on 60 Minutes that she was wrong, and last month she voted to make same-sex marriage the law of the land.
Minds can be changed, it just takes time.
This is a discussion on how LGBT people feel threatened that legal protections they currently have from discrimination may be rescinded. I think telling us that we are sinful does not come off as supportive as I think you intend.
Though at the end of the day, legal protections are about what the laws say and how they’re executed, not people’s personal feelings. If someone believes that yet supports full protection under the law, I find that hurtful, but not threatening to my freedoms.
Of course, it’s good to verify that one actually does believe in full protection under the law, first.
Absolutely. Legal protection is more important. I just find people who say things like the above are less inclined to support legal protections or equality.
And it is also extremely rude. They should be called out for it.