In February 2017, I saw something that inspired me. Central Florida and the queer community were barely six months past a mass shooting event that rocked us and I, like many, was searching for something meaningful and hopeful.
I tuned into NBC’s miniseries “When We Rise.” I am a big fan of LGBTQ+ history so I was excited to see it but I don’t think I was prepared to be as moved as I was. The soon-to-be heroes of the early LGBTQ+ rights movement were living in a time where they were not only hated but blatantly and sometimes violently discriminated against.
There is a scene where a group of lesbians rallied in a park, fighting for visibility and empathy to an unsympathetic community. They did so with the absolute knowledge that they would be beaten and they did it anyway.
That was inspiring.
It made me think about those brave people who built our local communities and set me on a path to tell their stories. I am so passionate about it because their sacrifices paved the way for me to have the life I have, the acceptance that I have found.
I did grow up in a time where I felt I had to hide who I was, looking over my shoulder because my existence somehow threatened someone else’s ideal of what my life should be. I faced bullies who questioned my gender because I hated getting a haircut and had longer hair than the rest of the boys.
Although I lived in these times, I never had to put my safety on the line because those who came before put their safety at risk. It all seems like a distant memory. In the past 10 years LGBTQ+ acceptance has grown exponentially. Corporate America was practically falling over itself to prove their support in Pride parades and with diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
LGBTQ+ acceptance became a commodity. Money was flowing. We were living the life so many had fought for. We could get married and openly talk about our spouses. It was not socially accepted to bully LGBTQ+ people.
Disclaimer: I need to acknowledge that although strides have been made for all members of our alphabet soup, I am not ignorant to the fact that the transgender community continues to be beaten down, bullied and murdered at alarming rates. For what? For the same reasons the L, G and B were beaten and murdered. It wasn’t OK then and it is not OK now.
It’s an understatement to say that there is now a dark cloud looming over our community. The fear that we are moving backwards is real and scary. For me, it’s scary because I worry about going back to a time where I feel the need to hide, where I need to worry about the well-being of my husband and those I care about most.
The reality is corporate America is running away in alarming numbers. Words like diversity, equity and inclusion are mocked. What comes next, after they are able to demonize the words that offer us acceptance?
Maybe it’s deeper than that, though. Like I said earlier, I didn’t have to march against police forces who were there to literally beat me down. I didn’t have to sneak into a gay bar for fear I would be beaten if seen there.
I wonder if that is where we are heading. Will I have the same strength as the women in the park on “When We Rise”?
I found some more inspiration recently. I watched Jane Fonda accept the SAG/AFTRA Lifetime Achievement Award. I encourage you to watch it, too. She asked the audience if they had seen documentaries where people marched across bridges or stood in front of fire hoses, then asked them to question whether they had the strength to do it.
“We don’t have to wonder anymore. We are in our documentary moment. We must not isolate, we must stay in our community,” she said.
Maybe it’s time we put less focus on angry social media posts that preach to the choir and focus on organizing, marching, while creating meaningful visibility and greater empathy. It’s time for us to take a lesson from those who came before us and stand on the front lines.
In this issue of Watermark Out News we showcase the winners of our WONDER Awards as voted by our readers. Let’s celebrate the best of our community and then do what is best for our community, all of our community.
Stay visible, stay strong and support each other.
