Out Here in Kansas
This is the cultural moment we've been waiting for. It might seem audacious to make such a statement during this time of political upheaval and uncertainty, but as a gay person, I've never experienced so much clarity. I came out during a time when our sitting president refused to provide adequate funding for AIDS research and healthcare, when doctors and nurses refused to touch the sick and dying, and when it was generally believed that the LGBT community deserved what they got. We learned to work around the system. We learned how to take care of each other. We became fierce in our loving. We learned how to survive a plague without institutional support. And it was our finest hour.
Today, those of us in marginalized populations face a similar climate. Many voice deep concerns about the future of our already vulnerable communities; many more remain silent, bewildered and exhausted, tired of being devalued in a system that arbitrarily privileges those who seem to need it least. But this is not the time for silence. The implicit has become explicit, and in this moment, we finally have the opportunity to engage in direct and meaningful dialogue about the things that matter. It's a boon for Kansans in particular – we've traditionally remained reticent or “too polite” to speak what we're actually thinking, and often it hasn't served us well. At a national level, the time for stepping around elephants in rooms is over, and I, for one, am celebrating.
The day after the election, I was flooded with emotion. Not because of who won or
lost, but because I have never been part of such directly expressed support. I have
never been told so explicitly by so many that I am cherished, that I am worth defending,
and that I am valued for the diversity I bring to our nation. Allies have emerged
from their silence, and we are engaging now in conversations that are shaping lives
for generations to come. Our challenge now is to keep these conversations going, to
let others know they are safe and supported, and to foster the resilience that will
guide us through the next plague. We can do this. But only if we do it together. There
has never been a better time to be an ally.
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