Social media is often a forgotten task for me, as more important things draw my attention, until I’m inspired. But this transgender day of remembrance is too important to let it pass without speaking up.
This day is meant to remember transgender people who were murdered due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. Those precious lives should be remembered, and I understand the rapidly growing fear of hate crimes spreading. But the lost people I personally remember were killed by their own hands, not others, driven by their loss of rights and fear of what was coming next. Wonderful kind people full of dreams took their own lives because other people wanted power at any cost. These losses are preventable, and unacceptable.
I am a born and raised Texan, and I love it here. The blue skies, the warm weather, the friendly people. Yes, I do actually want to talk to strangers in line at the grocery store. I also like that the people I interact with generally have similar opinions about politics and human rights, and the ease of finding community. Texas will always be home. But my Texas, Austin, is smack dab in the middle of a whole lot of people who do not love me back.
Because of gerrymandering, I’ve always felt like my non-local representatives generally didn’t represent me or my community, but in a manageable way that we could live through. That is no longer the case. Texas not only does not love me or my community, but it’s coming with burning pitchforks. Not because of a true threat; rather using people to expand their wealth and power at any cost. And the cost is unacceptably high.
Good people are taking their own lives because they fear the loss of their rights under the new administration. Good people are taking their own lives because they can no longer access HRT. Good people are being beaten and killed out of hate, when their leaders tell them that hate is justified. Born and raised Texans are fleeing their homes to survive, to live in a place that protects their human rights. I'm no longer surprised when someone brings their eulogy to their session to practice, to ensure they're not clocked at their friend or loved one's funeral. These deaths and forced migrations are preventable. Each lost life is a shining star that burned so bright before it suddenly burned out. While I do everything in my power to prevent more harm, I don’t know that it will change anything. Why are we debating human rights like they’re something that shouldn’t be automatic?
Please speak up for the good people who are still here and need our solidarity and protection. Please donate to the organizations working everyday to resist these intrusions. Please vote for candidates that support everyone's right to access medically necessary healthcare, to survive. Everyone is affected when rights are taken away, when wealth and power is taken from the many and concentrated in the hands of a few, when access to reproductive healthcare is denied, when our planet is turned unlivable, when religion is forced into government, when we fear to speak up, when we fear to exercise the rights we have. And please connect with community- our hearts are stronger together.
Many, many hugs for everyone.
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