Marginalized Again

I debated whether to write anything in response to the latest pronouncement from the idiot-in-chief in Washington D.C.. What difference will my thoughts make? However, as I have reflected on it this morning, I recognized that this is not the time to be silent. When the head of our government (I refuse to call him our leader, because he is not leading) decides that an entire group of people is unfit for military service simply on the basis of who they are, this is unacceptable. It’s an aggressive act of further marginalizing an already marginalized group. No, it doesn’t affect me directly. I’m too old for and have no interest in serving in the military, but there are many others in my community who are serving or would like to serve, who have just been told they are not worthy, that incorporating them would be too expensive (in a military that spends billions annually?), that it would detract from “decisive and overwhelming victory.” (What kind of language is that, anyway? Decisive and overwhelming victory against whom?) Once again our community receives the message that we are not entitled to full participation in our society.

I also realize that this is a classic tactic by the tRump to distract us from the other issues going on in the two-bit circus that he has created in Washington. Some might say that this is a minor matter, that we need to stay focused on the Republican threat to our healthcare. I would respond, “No” and “Yes.” In fact, we need to counter this latest attack while not lessening our resistance to their attack on our healthcare. Der Trumpenfuhrer is a master of creating so many distractions and issues that it feels impossible to respond to all of them at once. It’s tiring. I want to take a break. Probably many of you do as well. And we’re most tempted to take a break when the issue doesn’t seem to directly affect us. If you’re cisgender, you may feel like this isn’t your fight, that you need to focus your energies on other issues. I can understand that, but try for a moment to stand in the shoes of your transgender friends and feel what we feel as we are once again excluded from society. We will fight this fight, because we have to, but without the support of our cisgender allies, straight, gay, lesbian, bi or other, we face a herculean task. When it comes to defending our basic rights to live free and full lives in society, we don’t have the option of taking a break.

I appreciate the supportive responses I’ve seen online today. I appreciate the personal messages of support that I have received. I appreciate that I live in a community where the LG and B communities stand with the transgender community, as do many in the heterosexual, cisgender community. I am thankful that I know, at least here in my town, we are not alone. This gives me hope on days like this. It gives me hope that the resistance to this anti-government will prevail because we recognize and affirm the value, dignity and inherent worth of all people. The community I live in offers hope and promise of a better future.