There are many things as an “ally” that I wish that I could do for you. I wish that I could create legislation, I wish that I could physically protect you when you exit your house, but most of all, I wish that I could make people better.
I don’t just mean make people better, for example, make people great again because people have never really been great. I mean better in their thoughts and their actions. People’s thoughts influence their actions and when people think that homosexuality is wrong, they pass bills that allow government contractors to discriminate against LGBTQ+ individuals.
This is unacceptable.
Almost 6-months after the shooting at an Orlando gay nightclub and we find ourselves with a vice president elect that created anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in his state, and many states celebrating the fact that they have the backing of conservatives to pass legislation that could possibly tear down the last 8-years of work that President Barack Obama has accomplished in this area.
Since Trump has been elected, but not yet inaugurated, there has been an influx of laws that will be brought to the floors of houses and senates around the country in the 2017 session. One that is particularly suspect of LGBTQ+ discrimination is Texas Senate Bill 242. This bill was created in response to guidelines that were released in a Forth Worth school district regarding transgender students. These students would have to declare themselves as transgender with the administration before using the bathroom of their new identity. Senate Bill 242 would entitle parents to all documentation regarding students’ well-being. According to the Houston Chronicle via CBSnews.com, this involves “general physical, psychological or emotional well-being." If students have yet to come out to their parents, this could have detrimental side effects.
In a state where reparative or “conversion” therapy is supported by many, there could be many repercussions by parents to their children if they were outed by a senate bill. Coming out to one’s parents is not up to the discretion of a school district, a state government, or even a federal government. People come to terms with themselves and create their own timeline of coming out, should they come out. Teachers are already mandatory reporters for child abuse, but this is not a precedent for reporting on sexual identity.
It is not that I believe that I am in the correct all the time because I know that I am not. I just attempt to live by the thought that I DO NOT, WILL NOT hate anyone. That includes people that refuse to love humans as a whole—it’s just not in my mindset. I live a very happy, healthy, somewhat discombobulated life thanks to my mindset. I am sure that if more people were accepting of others, hated less, and made it a point to be kind, there would be a lot less of what makes this country not great. But that is just the opinion of a 23-year-old woman that leads her life with love and probably has a bleeding heart.
If you're looking for opportunities to help in your community please visit pflag.org to find a chapter of PFLAG near you. If you would also like to keep up to date on trans* people killed in 2016 visit advocate.com. To see what is happening in your state in regards to LGBTQ+ issues, please visit hrc.org.
