One Question: “How Can We Protect the LGBTQ+ Community from Rightwing Attacks?”

 Q:  “How Can We Protect the LGBTQ+ Community from Rightwing Attacks?”

BRANDON WOLF

Press secretary at Equality Florida

LGBTQ+ people are coming under assault from rightwing forces intent on stigmatizing and erasing the community. These attacks turn transgender and nonbinary people into political punching bags.

To counteract this, we must defeat the anti-LGBTQ+ policies at the core of this onslaught, name these legislative proposals as dangerous lies, and hold leaders accountable for the votes they cast to put their own constituents in harm’s way.

We must also continue to tell the beautiful, diverse stories of who we are. Transgender kids should be celebrated and affirmed; families have the right to be respected; people—our neighbors, family members, and friends—deserve lives free of discrimination and hate.

KRIS HAYASHI

Executive director of the Transgender Law Center

In recent years, we have witnessed a handful of politicians attempting to distract from their own political failings by attacking transgender youth. If these politicians were truly concerned with the well-being of all children, they would provide economic relief amid the ongoing pandemic and fix broken systems and services that have failed children of all genders for decades.

In response to these attacks, however, we have seen tremendous local leadership from grassroots, trans-led organizations. Local groups like the Transgender Education Network of Texas, or TENT, and trans youth leaders (many from Black and brown communities) have mobilized in beautiful and powerful protest.

We can protect our LGBTQ+ communities by joining together across our ages, races, and genders to demand the rights and resources that we all deserve. In boldly affirming our common ground, we will win.

RICARDO MARTINEZ

Chief executive officer of Equality Texas

In the early days of the LGBTQ+ movement, coming out was an essential act of courage. Now widespread visibility, a commitment to community action, and public education have begun to pave the way toward complete equality.

Today, some politicians are targeting trans and nonbinary folx. The most powerful tool we have to move the dial on trans and LGBTQ+ rights is the stories of the people who are living through these attacks—transgender kids and their families who have been forced into hiding after Texas officials denied access to lifesaving health care, Black trans women who are disproportionately impacted by hate crimes, kids who are wrestling with suicidal ideation, and nonbinary individuals who struggle to have their pronouns respected at work.

We don’t stop extremist attacks by fighting with their weapons. We change the narrative by telling our stories.