YOU = You+Others+Us
When an American president & politicians embrace discriminatory practices against LGBTQIA+ and women while other nations become more fair & vocal defenders of justice for all — YOUR democracy is in danger. We know how colorism and other issues bring much hate and harm in Brazil, yet their Supreme Court committed to protecting Gay people. Taiwan has stepped forward regarding same sex marriage after years of debate. As some move forward to catch up to the U.S., we move backwards. We have a deep & dangerous problem here and we are ignoring it.
I urge folks to pay more attention to the systematic and shrewd attacks against various members of our nation. Yes, hate is global, but once upon a time, people would leave their nations for the U.S. in search of a more benevolent & welcoming society. Don’t get me wrong, we have had much hate here for centuries, but there was a slow, steady move forward, towards being better.
We are retreating. We knew forward, once. We despised despots & dictators & authoritarianism. We hated the hate they gave — once. First, they came for different people in our societies. Gay people were always amongst the easier folks to attack. Hitler’s reign was terror to gay people, too. But, we fail to realize that hate can find you, too.
As the #GayPride season kicks off, the LGBTQIA+ is Black, Brown, Native, Asian, Immigrant and every category not captured must realize that demanding freedom & liberty & justice for all isn’t a spectators sport. There are factions in this land — and around the world — who don’t care about YOU (and YOU = You Others Us). You cannot ignore the hate that is directed towards others — you could be next. Here’s the short list of those who are at risk of injustice in a land where hate is embraced by your politicians:
- Black (every. body. Black.)
- Latinx
- LGBTQIA+++++++
- Women
- Immigrants
- Born
- Unborn
- Parents
- Children
- Agnostics & atheists
- All faiths
- Etc.
Those who take pride in being unjust need to feel the consequences of their actions. Boycotts, protests other direct actions must take center stage, to help the unjust “see the light”. When not protesting, call your Congressional rep or senator and/or write or visit your Capitol Hill office or the district office in your state or territory (202–224–3121). Express your concerns & share your expectations with your representatives. They work for you.
We must be better allies & co-conspirators with others who might not look like or love like we do. We fight for ourselves when we fight for others. In this current state of the union, we don’t know who might be at risk for discrimination, next. Real defenders of Democracy will defend & reclaim what’s right for all. You don’t justify injustice, by invoking God, either. Faith has been used for evil before.
We cannot go backwards in the quest for creating more beautiful & beloved communities. #ActDemandVote
