As we have done for the past 55 years since Stonewall, we will continue to stand tall, proud and ready to wage the good fight. This isn’t new; there have been times when elections in this country directly impacted our lives. Let’s reflect on those moments, the challenges we faced, and how we not only survived but made progress.
Consider two examples. First, Ronald Reagan refused to acknowledge or act to save our community during the HIV/AIDS crisis, leaving us vulnerable when our lives were at stake. He was influenced by the so-called “moral majority,” a coalition of anti-LGBTQ+ religious organizations. Sound familiar? He won by a landslide, but it took the courage and determination of ACT UP and others to stand tall and push his administration into action.
Another example is George W. Bush, who campaigned on a platform to keep marriage exclusively between a man and a woman. This was one of the most harmful campaigns against our community, allowing his supporters to promote every stereotype. To this day, I wonder how many LGBTQ+ youth were deeply affected by this harmful rhetoric — in every sense of the word “harm.”
The point is: We not only survived. We made progress.
It will take time to understand what happened in this election. Take that time — not to point fingers, but to listen. Then, we’ll do what we’ve always done: Create a plan to move forward and continue the good fight together.