I Won’t Go Quietly

For the past week, I’ve been debating if I wanted to write anything about *gestures to the world*, but after giving my creative writing students a pep talk on Thursday, I thought I might do the same thing here.

First and foremost, I’m not going anywhere. If 2016 taught me anything, it was that I am proud of who I am. I am a queer, nonbinary author of queer books, and absolutely no one can stop me from making queer art. I’ve watched so many of my friends be devastated by the news, and all I can be is angry. I’m pissed that we let it get this far. I’m pissed that we spent four years resting on the laurels of the status quo instead of improving people’s lives. I’m pissed that we ripped away the safety net created at the beginning of the pandemic that helped so many. I’m pissed that democratic leadership set the country up for failure by pandering to the middle of the road, which is where approximately no one sits when a basic focus group could have cleared up that misconception. I’m pissed that all of my friends need to live in a constant state of anxiety for four years. I’m pissed that this will further ruin the health of so many people, people who are already at a heightened risk for health problems just because they are part of marginalized groups. Most of all, I’m pissed that I have to justify my existence and the existence of my partner and friends to people who idolize conformity and control.

You can do many things, but you cannot take away my queerness. It will always be there. Our community has survived centuries of criminalization. We have flown under the radar and kept to our corners, but no more. No one is stuffing us back into the closet. We have seen a better world is possible, and we are not letting the country go back. We are not subjecting children to the same rough childhoods we had. We are not letting them hate themselves or become stereotypes to be mocked on TV. Queer is not a dirty word.

Fascism is.

For the next four years, my goal is to make fascists as uncomfortable as possible. I’m privileged enough to live in a state where my rights are fairly well protected, and as a white queer, I plan on using that to be as obnoxious in the face of fascism as possible. I will be writing queer shit, being queer, supporting other queer artists, and supporting my queer students. I will not cower. I will not obey in advance. I will wear a mask and call my representatives to hammer home how important it is to maintain my rights and the rights of my marginalized friends. If they want to make the world a hostile place for people like us, then I vow to be equally kind and soft because in the face of fascism, love and caring for your fellow person is dangerous. No matter what, I will see the humanity in others and protect their rights in any way I can. I hope you will do it with me.