Ah, summertime — the living is easy. We toss our cares to the wind, head for a little R&R and, for many, that great summer vacation. So it should be a time to relax, lay back and enjoy the sunshine.
But wait, we’re five months from an election. Here’s where I can envision you saying, “Mark, why are you bringing this up now?”
Here’s the point: We can’t rest until we do something to put a check on the madness that is Donald Trump, and the harm already done to this country in just 18 months. At this point you’re saying, “Mark can’t this wait till September?”
The answer is no, but there is an out: talk.
Some people think that talk is cheap, especially when you’re talking politics, but in this case it is valuable, and you can even do it on vacation.
Don’t be afraid to talk about the upcoming election. Don’t be afraid to ask the people you come across, “Are you registered to vote?” But even that is not enough. Ask your friends to ask their friends those questions.
There’s a line you’ve heard many times before, and as the Trump administration continues to chip away at not only LGBT rights but those of people of color, immigrants and even Canadians, one has to attempt to find humor in all this. Recall the slogan that should ring in your ears: “They will never have the comfort of our silence again.”
Don’t be afraid to speak up. Resistance — and that word is so appropriate — begins not in September, but now.
Mark Segal, PGN publisher, is the nation’s most-award-winning commentator in LGBT media. You can follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MarkSegalPGN or Twitter at https://twitter.com/PhilaGayNews.