(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . A Queer Candidate's Perspective on Pride, 2023 [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2023-06-01 I know, I know, my post commemorating the beginning of Pride Month is later than most (if you know me, you’re not surprised). This seeming act of procrastination is somewhat by design. As one of just a handful of openly queer candidates, especially west of the Blue Ridge, I recognized that my words could be a literal lifeline to some within our Commonwealth. I wanted to honor and sit with that gravitas, and so instead of providing only a cheerful graphic or brief commitment to allyship, I present the words that were really on my heart this morning. We live in a political climate that is both horrific in its cruelty to LGBTQ+ lives and yet, all too familiar for those of us in the community. Drag bans, the outlawing of gender affirmative care, even the legal kidnapping of children from loving parents — none of this is new. 1930s Germany was the crash course, the Red Scare took notes, and Reagan aced the test with his administration's (lack of) response to the AIDS crisis. What is different now, however, is the open and active legitimization of this behavior. Though LGBTQ+ acceptance has grown to levels never before seen, so has active hatred. A record-breaking amount of anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced since the beginning of this year. Children’s hospitals have faced bomb threats for so much as offering counseling services to questioning patients. Harassment campaigns are launched against individuals doing little more than living their own lives. The so-called free state of Florida has essentially outlawed an entire class of people. And then there are the five precious lives taken at Club Q, just a few short months ago. Legally, same-sex marriage stands on a precipitous framework for much of the nation. At the snap of a finger, SCOTUS could repeat what they did to Roe. Even here in Virginia, our Constitution still outlaws same-sex marriage (yes, that law is still on the books, and yes, Republicans, despite overwhelming public support, denied us the chance to correct that wrong as recently as this past February). Trans individuals, through no fault of their own, have become the latest target of the far right. Armed terrorists incite violence at drag performances. Emboldened agitators disrupt school board meetings. They pull books from shelves and harass teachers into quitting their jobs. My trans friends, my beautiful, bright, loving, and dear friends, are terrified. Many are making plans to flee states they’ve called home their entire lives. Others are grappling with the psychological torture of detransitioning or living authentically at the cost of their social, financial, and now legal status. Some have lost access to vital medication, and others will never be able to safely access it in the first place. None of them deserve this. No one does. I will be beyond clear here — drag shows, pride flags, and queer books were not a problem three years ago (back then, it was restrooms the right latched onto). I’ve been queer my whole life, and championing LGBTQ+ rights and issues for about half of it, and I can promise you, what the right calls active crisis is nothing more than manufactured animosity for a group they consider low-hanging fruit. Nothing has changed except a small, deliriously disaffected group’s desperate need for a new scapegoat in their self perpetuating culture war. All of this is to say this — the sole point of Pride is not the picnics or the parties, nor the floats or fireworks. Yes, it is imperative that we celebrate how far we’ve come, but while we commend the work that has been done, we must also actively endeavor to complete the work that we still must do. Our people are counting on us. Pride is about a flashpoint in our history, where queer and trans people stood up to those who sought to restrict and repress them. Pride is about the need to define oneself on one’s own terms, unencumbered by anyone else’s desire to shape our sole life according to a vision that is not in alignment with our own. Pride is about loving one another enough to fight for each other’s very existence. This Pride, let's remember our roots at Stonewall, and let's honor our dead at Pulse. This Pride, let's fight for our queer and trans siblings in Texas, Montana, Florida and Tennessee. This Pride, let's show those who would erase us that we’re here, we’re queer, and we’re digging in our heels. The buck stops here. No more closets, no more shame. Not now, and not ever. 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