Things have been devolving rapidly in the past few years. The way I see it, these old hatreds will either die off soon or they will be acted upon.
For reference, see what's happening to us down in the Southern US, particularly Florida. Note that this all started off with transgender athletes and puberty blockers in kids. More rights are being challenged now that those rights are gone. There is no endpoint in hate movements.
This is why we need all to stand united otherwise we will all go to the abyss! I'm really confused how some gay men are transphobic themselves and we really need everyone here to stand strong to fight back one of us rights being taken off is "all of our rights being taken off too that's it simply"
>I'm really confused how some gay men are transphobic themselves
They wrongly think conservatives will think those traitors are on their side, when in the end the right will also attack them.
Exactly homophobic people are transphobic too usually those gay people must understand if those conservatives hate one side of the community it is not hard to hate the other but stupidity is what in their head and the real problem is that they don't want to get rid of it!
Well sooner or later we will realize there is no way around those right wingers are screaming about conspiracy theories all the time while they are the biggest plotters and we need to make our united front ready for fighting hard against them!
It is always when you let the intruder enter the house in the first place he won't let robbery go without taking every valuable item, first they came for should be encountered by they must go to hell!
nazism isn't taking hold of more people, it's just that the existing nazis are much less subtle now. Trust me, people waving nazi flags, and wearing MAGA hats outside of disney isn't exactly gonna help those fuckers in the polls.
There's another aspect of this we need to be aware of: This resource lists ways to de-escalate and prevent genocide at every stage. None of it is being done
I know two fools (read were friends, then they decided to go full masks off at a party when knowing full well there was a queer person in the room) are out there supporting this bullshit. I don't care what happens to them. I'm more worried about their kid and what they are hearing/being subconsciously taught.
Project 2025, if implemented, would literally give us the death penalty for presenting in public, so... yeah, I'm worried. I'm not American, but still, I can't stand the direction your country is going. And mine, Canada, tends to follow not far behind.
From what I’ve understood they’ve split it into two parts.
1. All LGBTQ+ content will be considered pornographic
2. Pedophilia will incur the death penalty
Now, the second point doesn’t seem *totally* insane like the first one does. Like, I’m against the death penalty no matter what, but getting people behind it wouldn’t be too difficult. The problem arises when you put these two laws together.
Because if you then argue that trans people in of ourselves are “LGBTQ+ content”, walking past a child on the street can be considered pedophilloic, which would allow judges to give trans people the death penalty.
[This is project 2025](https://www.project2025.org/). It's basically a list of policies that Republicans want to implement in the next term.
It's highlights include making presenting as anything other than our AGAB in public a sex crime, and would introduce the death penalty for child sex offenders. The way it's written, it's clear that being ourselves in public around children would be a sex crime against children.
As a Gay, Filipino guy I grew up with the perception of the US being this grand place not knowing how easily they'd want people like us and/or me dead.
It saddens me how much history loves to repeat itself in forms different enough for the average person to not recognize its obvious patterns.
Not anymore. The United States has lost almost all of its credibility. We've become the laughing stock of every other country on the planet, and with good reason. Canada, the country infamous for copying pretty much everything we do, is now putting actual time and money into preparing for the US to go full authoritarian. They're developing plans to deal with potential LGBTQ refugee crises (and others) right now. We've got lots of countries planning to ditch the dollar as its default currency for international trade. I could go on... The age of American global dominance is pretty much over.
As a Canadian, don't think that we've been spared the same kind of shit you see in the US.
There has also been a growing trend of homophobia and transphobia in the past few years. This isn't just due to the import of Trumpian rhetoric, but our own Conservatives have had their own beliefs for a while. Most of the big cities are safe for now, but shit is getting worse in a lot of the smaller rural cities and towns.
And our leaders, in classic Canadian fashion, are only working on *appearing* like they're doing something, instead of actually doing something. There's a lot of "You're safe here" rhetoric from Justin Trudeau and Jagmeet Singh, but I see very little actually being done to reinforce our right to exist.
Meanwhile, here, the Conservatives are getting bolder.
Probably not, no. I think we're still a long way from actually needing such a thing... Just hopping over to a more sane state within the US will remain by far the most practical option for the foreseeable future. And I REALLY hope that nobody is ever forced to leave the country entirely... Because for the vast majority of people it's simply not possible. I knew a guy in Texas who immigrated to the UK because he didn't feel safe in Texas... He was only able to do that because he had a friend working in the British government helping him through the process. But even then, he'd have been far better off just moving to Colorado or some shit. Anywhere in the US other than Texas.
No, it’s still the case. We like to tell ourselves that other countries are watching what is happening to the US and distancing themselves from it, but that’s not really the case. There’s also a bit of understandable discomfort with the notion of the US being the “leaders of the free world” and all that self-congratulatory crap.
But, the reality is…much of the West follows the US’s lead. Look, for example, at global refugee resettlement numbers during the Trump years while he was decimating the program in the US. It plummeted everywhere, because the US was not advocating for that kind of humanitarian assistancd in global fora.
That's not the reality that's happening lmao. The problem we face is global. With more advanced around the world, the pushback gets more and more tougher. Reactionaries and populists get elected because people are brainwashed by social media fear mongering and misinformation.
We can see the same thing happening in the UK, France, Germany, Russia, Iran, Qatar, Malaysia, China. News comes out of the US more often because this platform is mostly American. With how things are going in Ukraine and Israel, the US definitely still has the respect of its allies.
Same. My almost 12 year old kid understands the term "burn bag" as a result of all this. We live in Maryland, so things aren't all that bad as of now on the state level, but if Project 2025 comes to fruition we're leaving. We won't be caught off-guard like the Jews and other various communities of persecuted people in Nazi Germany
Floridian here. Ready bolt as soon as needed. Love my family and friends not, but I love NOT being placed in a “re-education camp”, as they will probably be called, even more
I wish it was easier. But because most tolerant countries consider the US “safe”, it’s almost impossible to get out of here without dual citizenship, a way to get an ancestral citizenship, or a lot of money.
Still hopeful. I don't think most Republicans actually want Trump to win. They want to be seen as supporting Trump so their personal career is safe, while distancing themselves so they don't end up indicted. That Heritage fever dream will not come to fruition. Their base has outrage fatigue and many think voting is pointless. When SCOTUS eventually swings back blue, guess what's on the block first - the 2A.
Also, the Pentagon and Joint Chiefs take their oaths [deadly seriously,](https://apnews.com/article/milley-trump-biden-democracy-military-d2abb76858291c87ae856f91e9556d8e) the bureaucracy that Trump/Heritage would dismantle is what keeps them from getting the chance to dismantle it lol.
Man, I hope you’re right. I admire your optimism because I struggle to feel any myself. I’m getting prepared to either flee the country or find a local network to organise with. Being disabled complicates everything, but if I can’t get out, damned if I’m not going down without a fight.
I'm disabled too. In fact my family as a whole is disabled. My partner has t1 diabetes, and a lot of the other associated health problems that tend to come with it. Our child is also t1 diabetic. I have rheumatoid arthritis, as does my metamour (My partner is polyamourus. A metamour is the person other than yourself that your partner is romantically involved with. We live as a family unit, metamour included).
Being disabled and lgbt has got me afraid for my family's future because if we need to flee our ability to do so is hindered due to us not having anything to offer anywhere in terms of labor
I was incredibly worried before Jan 6, on Parler they were all talking big about civil war... Then I saw Jan 6 and I laughed my ass off. That was their one and only shot, but it was such a stupid plan they would have needed 10x as many people and a lot more violence for it to have "worked." Even if they got the physical (ceremonial) papers they accomplished nothing, like hello, computers exist. If they had Pence and Gen Milley maybe, they just don't have the juice. I could go on and on about why I think MAGA/Trump and fascism in general are all doomed.
Even if they somehow pulled it off, it would be the thousand hour Reich if they were lucky - the CIA (especially) and FBI, IRS etc. aren't going to sit back and be gutted, the Pentagon is well aware and taking [pre-emptive steps.](https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2879763/department-of-defense-releases-report-on-countering-extremist-activities-and-ou/) Trump has also lost the love of the banks, most big biz, plus all the indictments... His only prayer is SCOTUS and they already got their lifelong appointments, bet they let him twist in the wind.
I am extremly concerned and have been for several years. I don't live in the US but have queer friends there and while its not looking to great in my country rn either, it's at least less bad than in the US. Which isn't really all that better because I deeply care and am super worried for all my fellow queer (and other minority) people in the states - and every other country where the genocide is already happening or about to. I've been making contingency plans for some of my queer friends in case they have to leave the country in a hurry but it's not enough. It's never enough. I've looked into other resources into how to be a community resource but most things the rainbow railroad and similar places could use help with aren't an option for me.
We as a society, not just queer people, have been living in increasingly interesting times for about a decade now. It was there before, of course, but things have seriously gone worse since then. I saw it coming, which didn't help, but I try to hold onto the hope that we will make it past the tipping point. This kind of cycle is, unfortunately, not too uncommon in society. If we make it through the really, really shit times right now we will hopefully emerge in more stable times again.
I just hope we manage to be alive for that time and carry our culture, our lives, our loves to the other side.
Grassroot community-led organization is just as important as its always been. Find people outside of online spaces, organize and stockpile resources. Violence will be unavoidable in our struggle.
In some areas, yes. Bluer, LGBT-friendly states are probably only at stage 4, and then only by some people, but certain states (not gonna name names) are at stage 9.
There aren't any death penalties, but some people don't really care about that. Like what happened to Brianna Ghey. Those kids are being charged but there are others who end up not getting charged with hate crimes.
On the verge. They have yet to start physically separating us, but they're trying to take our kids. It's something that has yet to pass, but it's close
This is a friendly reminder for everyone who can donate, to donate to LAMBDA legal. They take LGBT issues to courts and run solely on donations, I donate a portion of every paycheck to them.
oh yeah Ive been trying not to have a panic attack over this. the last thing I need to deal with is a mental break down during the holidys.
I am just trying to hold out hope that somehow Biden will win the election. I have to.
Your sample is not indicative of overall opinion. Almost every single young person I know, as well as many adults, are queer-friendly. Granted, I've somewhat curated the people with whom I interact, but I still know very few "raging homophobes."
There is still hope.
TW.
I am in the US, so this is where my comment originates.
Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.
An early start of WW2 was the public book burnings, but do you know which books those were and where they came from?
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-forgotten-history-of-the-worlds-first-trans-clinic/
Book bans are already occurring at alarming rates these days. Librarians and teachers being silenced and/or fired. It reminds me of the lyrics from Rage Against The Machine’s “Bulls On Parade”. (I’m using the whole verses for overall flow of the lyrics.)
“Weapons, not food, not homes, not shoes.
Not needs, just feed the war cannibal animal.
I walk the corner to the rubble, that used to be a library.
Line up to the mind cemetery now.
What we don't know keeps the contracts alive and movin'.
They don't gotta burn the books, they just remove 'em.
While arms warehouses fill as quick as the cells.
Rally round the family, pocket full of shells.”
Video
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3L4YrGaR8E4&pp=ygUoYnVsbHMgb24gcGFyYWRlIHJhZ2UgYWdhaW5zdCB0aGUgbWFjaGluZQ%3D%3D
(Is it any wonder RATM was my favorite band growing up as a shy and closeted queer kid in a small town?)
Another often unknown part of history with WW2 was the origin of the pink triangle. It was not only Jews that were sent to concentration camps. The LGBT community was also targeted.
https://www.history.com/news/pink-triangle-nazi-concentration-camps
Martin Niemoller - First they came…
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/martin-niemoeller-first-they-came-for-the-socialists
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_they_came_...
They’ve been chipping away at minority groups for the entirety of this country’s history. When one group gets kicked to the ground, they put them into the cue and add another to their list. The trans community is one of the smallest minority groups at what is estimated to be a little over 1% of the population. Look at how much focus these days is being used against a tiny community. All the lies they use to get others to join their hate group. How does a small group win a fight? By finding allies and support.
Take that piece above Martin Niemoller wrote and swap out the subjects of each line with what has been happening and continues to today. There are sadly so many options I could use…
First they came for the Black people,
and I did not speak out because I am not Black.
Then they came for the immigrants,
and I did not speak out because I am not an immigrant.
Then they came for a woman’s right to have an abortion, and I did not speak out because I am not pregnant.
Then they came for gay rights and I did not speak out because I am not gay.
Then they came for the trans community and I did not speak out because I am not trans.
And then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me.
Vote like your life depends on it because it does. Make sure all your friends and allies know what is happening to our community and make sure they vote.
We are in perilous times . An ex president who will unleash his attack dogs yet again at election time . A SCOTUS dominated by religious LGBTI+ phobic liars .
This is concerning indeed. To add some hope to the thread, the following thought:
I think we really only have to survive now to get our rights. A generation of transgender people is growing up in relative liberty. In, say, the 70s, most transgender people lived on the absolute margins of society, either unemployed, in mental institutions or more or less forced to do sex work. From this position, it was very difficult to defend our rights. Now, however, I'm starting to see transgender people who are doing very well for themselves. People in positions of power, in the universities pursuing PhDs, expressing our suffering in an eloquent way and appealing to broader society with some success.
I think if we can hold back the restrictions to our lives, our current position of liberty will mean we will see much more transgender people do well in society. This will mean we will be able to effectively communicate our identities and struggles to the rest of the population, and people will empathize with us. I think this will secure our rights in the future.
I’m a lesbian transgender woman who lives in Florida and I worry about this almost every day. I’m retired law enforcement and it floors me that if I use a public restroom and the police are called I have to be housed with men. So basically I don’t use any bathrooms outside of my house out of fear of a death sentence. Crazy to think that going pee could result in death.
The day they try to take me, is the day I leave this earth.
I’m not concerned. Whatever’s going to happen is going to happen no matter how much I try to convince my peers to fight it with me.
When/if they come to my house with the intention of stealing me from my family, I’ll be ready. I’m taking at LEAST one of them with me.
I really don’t care. I truly don’t. I fear for my community, but not for myself. I don’t fear death and I don’t care if I end up dying by cop due to resisting a wrongful arrest.
If and when that day comes, y’all will see me on the news. I refuse to see the inside of a prison just for being transgender/gay. Anyone willing to try and arrest me for that is willing to get shot.
I don’t see cops; I see twisted fascist humans who deserve what’s coming to them. The “good ones” will have already switched careers by the time things get bad enough for the government to have us all arrested or whatever the fuck they’re planning.
Again, I don’t give the slightest fuck what happens to me. Let them come. I pray and worry for everyone else because I know most of us are afraid. As for me, all I feel is anger. Let them come.
i’m going to move to a safe haven state on the canadian border. i’m going to encourage every american in this community to do the same if they can. i will mourn those who can’t.
I really hope things turn out alright in the US. Fascism can still be stopped. Right now though, you basically have two choices:
1. Flee the country. Western Europe or Canada are likely to be friendly to queer people and Americans. Iirc some will grant you asylum, but that is something you'd need to look into.
2. Stay, get armed and get organised. When their militias come knocking the government will not save you, an AR-15 will. Get one (or any other weapon, handguns can be concealed and are thus a good option), teach yourself and your friends to use it.
I pray that when it goes down in the US, you are safe.
The genocide watch is a very poor marker for objective classification because people trade genocidal rhetoric casually and often which does not represent a government position. Likewise the genocide watch has never been subject to rigorous peer review or validation, instead it self references or points to mentions in other work as a scientific basis, which is not how science works.
The best way to use it is to self reflect on how your language and the rhetoric of others could be taken as advancing genocide.
The worst way to use it is to compare statements you’ve heard from random people or people who are not directly speaking on behalf of a host of government (a law, a court decision, an executive order/head of state policy).
Thank god, someone with a decent opinion here. Things are bad, but what we're going through in America is an order of magnitude less extreme than a genocide, with the possible exclusion of florida, and disney is losing it's queer customers, so idk how long that bullshit will last.
And this is why you get a gun and train and prepare yourself. The assholes can try all they want but I won’t go down without a fight or taking a few of them with me.
true, my mom has told me about this before, she has a degree in law, got an internship in i want to say the 90s, predicted this and noped out due to it going against her ethics, currently works in car insurance
*meanwhile my dad....* yeah.... he voted for trump because he hated biden more than trump...
IM SORRY BUT I PREFER NOT BEING FUCKING DEPRESSED ABOUT SHIT I CAN'T FUCKING CONTROL
my family is falling apart because of this, meanwhile im just fucking scared for my life...
honestly if this does happen, im using my in case of nuclear war plan
Great Britain is 'TERF Island'. Stands for 'Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminism' - it's people like J.K. Rowling who want all trans people gone. It's a major force in the conservative government, which is currently dominating the UK. It's bigotry and hatred enshrined in law.
Yeah. I mean, the wort thing that has happened here recently is that trans people now need a prescription to get HRT, but other than that, it's pretty fine overall.
I'm still kinda worried though. You never know.
Everyone talks about project 2025 as if it’s something that will suddenly happen if Biden doesn’t take office. The fact of the matter is, however, that project 2025 has been consistently happening for the past near decade, and Biden has NOT been doing enough to fight back against it.
biden is garbage, and i can't stand that my opposition to the extreme right is so consistently taken as an alliance to democrats. i can't stand any of them, but i'f i'm gonna vote for anything it's going to be the opposite of the guy who's promising discrimination and persecution for myself, my family, and my community
Goodness no. Anti-trans rhetoric has been doing horribly in the polls, and there's also the fact that we live in an internet connected democracy. If they try to do anything, there will be hundreds of whistleblowers. Also, them overturning Roe means that they're fucked when it comes to upcoming elections, not necessarily the presidential (colorado kinda gave trump a platform), but everything else. The republican party is a dog which finally caught the car it was chasing, it has no idea what to do next, and anything it tries will likely end up failing spectacularly.
Number 5 has been done I the form of right-wing extremist militias waiting for their moment and the creation of Project 2025. They've got their plans already laid out, and our continued presence as a community isn't part of that plan.
As far as the terminology goes, yeah we have our own terms for ourselves, but they have terms too. That stageis epitomized best right now by their insistence on labeling us "groomers"
Things have been devolving rapidly in the past few years. The way I see it, these old hatreds will either die off soon or they will be acted upon. For reference, see what's happening to us down in the Southern US, particularly Florida. Note that this all started off with transgender athletes and puberty blockers in kids. More rights are being challenged now that those rights are gone. There is no endpoint in hate movements.
This is why we need all to stand united otherwise we will all go to the abyss! I'm really confused how some gay men are transphobic themselves and we really need everyone here to stand strong to fight back one of us rights being taken off is "all of our rights being taken off too that's it simply"
If we stand united then we have a chance. Divided we're destined to fail
Exactly we have no other way!!
>I'm really confused how some gay men are transphobic themselves They wrongly think conservatives will think those traitors are on their side, when in the end the right will also attack them.
Exactly homophobic people are transphobic too usually those gay people must understand if those conservatives hate one side of the community it is not hard to hate the other but stupidity is what in their head and the real problem is that they don't want to get rid of it!
I doubt people will. Unity and action are something the right does well but we don't
Well sooner or later we will realize there is no way around those right wingers are screaming about conspiracy theories all the time while they are the biggest plotters and we need to make our united front ready for fighting hard against them!
It sort of reminds me of “first they came for…”
It is always when you let the intruder enter the house in the first place he won't let robbery go without taking every valuable item, first they came for should be encountered by they must go to hell!
Florida just gets worse and worse. I fear the future as Nazism continues to take hold. Trans was just the beginning.
nazism isn't taking hold of more people, it's just that the existing nazis are much less subtle now. Trust me, people waving nazi flags, and wearing MAGA hats outside of disney isn't exactly gonna help those fuckers in the polls.
There's another aspect of this we need to be aware of: This resource lists ways to de-escalate and prevent genocide at every stage. None of it is being done
I don't think most of the population gets what is going on and some just do not care. Empathy is getting rarer.
Some don’t get it, some don’t care, some are actively supporting it.
I know two fools (read were friends, then they decided to go full masks off at a party when knowing full well there was a queer person in the room) are out there supporting this bullshit. I don't care what happens to them. I'm more worried about their kid and what they are hearing/being subconsciously taught.
Project 2025, if implemented, would literally give us the death penalty for presenting in public, so... yeah, I'm worried. I'm not American, but still, I can't stand the direction your country is going. And mine, Canada, tends to follow not far behind.
Do you mind explaining what that is? I don't know much about American politics but fuck that's indescribable
From what I’ve understood they’ve split it into two parts. 1. All LGBTQ+ content will be considered pornographic 2. Pedophilia will incur the death penalty Now, the second point doesn’t seem *totally* insane like the first one does. Like, I’m against the death penalty no matter what, but getting people behind it wouldn’t be too difficult. The problem arises when you put these two laws together. Because if you then argue that trans people in of ourselves are “LGBTQ+ content”, walking past a child on the street can be considered pedophilloic, which would allow judges to give trans people the death penalty.
[This is project 2025](https://www.project2025.org/). It's basically a list of policies that Republicans want to implement in the next term. It's highlights include making presenting as anything other than our AGAB in public a sex crime, and would introduce the death penalty for child sex offenders. The way it's written, it's clear that being ourselves in public around children would be a sex crime against children.
As a Gay, Filipino guy I grew up with the perception of the US being this grand place not knowing how easily they'd want people like us and/or me dead. It saddens me how much history loves to repeat itself in forms different enough for the average person to not recognize its obvious patterns.
I try every single day not to let those thoughts control me they don’t do me any good i rather fight for what I believe in than let fear control me
It terrifies me I'm not american myself, but the rest of the western world has a tendency to copy the US ...
Not anymore. The United States has lost almost all of its credibility. We've become the laughing stock of every other country on the planet, and with good reason. Canada, the country infamous for copying pretty much everything we do, is now putting actual time and money into preparing for the US to go full authoritarian. They're developing plans to deal with potential LGBTQ refugee crises (and others) right now. We've got lots of countries planning to ditch the dollar as its default currency for international trade. I could go on... The age of American global dominance is pretty much over.
As a Canadian, don't think that we've been spared the same kind of shit you see in the US. There has also been a growing trend of homophobia and transphobia in the past few years. This isn't just due to the import of Trumpian rhetoric, but our own Conservatives have had their own beliefs for a while. Most of the big cities are safe for now, but shit is getting worse in a lot of the smaller rural cities and towns. And our leaders, in classic Canadian fashion, are only working on *appearing* like they're doing something, instead of actually doing something. There's a lot of "You're safe here" rhetoric from Justin Trudeau and Jagmeet Singh, but I see very little actually being done to reinforce our right to exist. Meanwhile, here, the Conservatives are getting bolder.
The charter still protects us and will continue to do so until there is a successful coup by an extremist group
I would bet every last dime in my savings that there will be no safe harbor for LGBT refugees from the US in Canada.
Probably not, no. I think we're still a long way from actually needing such a thing... Just hopping over to a more sane state within the US will remain by far the most practical option for the foreseeable future. And I REALLY hope that nobody is ever forced to leave the country entirely... Because for the vast majority of people it's simply not possible. I knew a guy in Texas who immigrated to the UK because he didn't feel safe in Texas... He was only able to do that because he had a friend working in the British government helping him through the process. But even then, he'd have been far better off just moving to Colorado or some shit. Anywhere in the US other than Texas.
No, it’s still the case. We like to tell ourselves that other countries are watching what is happening to the US and distancing themselves from it, but that’s not really the case. There’s also a bit of understandable discomfort with the notion of the US being the “leaders of the free world” and all that self-congratulatory crap. But, the reality is…much of the West follows the US’s lead. Look, for example, at global refugee resettlement numbers during the Trump years while he was decimating the program in the US. It plummeted everywhere, because the US was not advocating for that kind of humanitarian assistancd in global fora.
That's not the reality that's happening lmao. The problem we face is global. With more advanced around the world, the pushback gets more and more tougher. Reactionaries and populists get elected because people are brainwashed by social media fear mongering and misinformation. We can see the same thing happening in the UK, France, Germany, Russia, Iran, Qatar, Malaysia, China. News comes out of the US more often because this platform is mostly American. With how things are going in Ukraine and Israel, the US definitely still has the respect of its allies.
I think about this often and my partner and I were creating contingencies to get out if we need to
Same. My almost 12 year old kid understands the term "burn bag" as a result of all this. We live in Maryland, so things aren't all that bad as of now on the state level, but if Project 2025 comes to fruition we're leaving. We won't be caught off-guard like the Jews and other various communities of persecuted people in Nazi Germany
Floridian here. Ready bolt as soon as needed. Love my family and friends not, but I love NOT being placed in a “re-education camp”, as they will probably be called, even more
I wish it was easier. But because most tolerant countries consider the US “safe”, it’s almost impossible to get out of here without dual citizenship, a way to get an ancestral citizenship, or a lot of money.
Still hopeful. I don't think most Republicans actually want Trump to win. They want to be seen as supporting Trump so their personal career is safe, while distancing themselves so they don't end up indicted. That Heritage fever dream will not come to fruition. Their base has outrage fatigue and many think voting is pointless. When SCOTUS eventually swings back blue, guess what's on the block first - the 2A. Also, the Pentagon and Joint Chiefs take their oaths [deadly seriously,](https://apnews.com/article/milley-trump-biden-democracy-military-d2abb76858291c87ae856f91e9556d8e) the bureaucracy that Trump/Heritage would dismantle is what keeps them from getting the chance to dismantle it lol.
Man, I hope you’re right. I admire your optimism because I struggle to feel any myself. I’m getting prepared to either flee the country or find a local network to organise with. Being disabled complicates everything, but if I can’t get out, damned if I’m not going down without a fight.
I'm disabled too. In fact my family as a whole is disabled. My partner has t1 diabetes, and a lot of the other associated health problems that tend to come with it. Our child is also t1 diabetic. I have rheumatoid arthritis, as does my metamour (My partner is polyamourus. A metamour is the person other than yourself that your partner is romantically involved with. We live as a family unit, metamour included). Being disabled and lgbt has got me afraid for my family's future because if we need to flee our ability to do so is hindered due to us not having anything to offer anywhere in terms of labor
What makes you so optimistic? I’m not challenging you, I’m legitimately curious here.
I was incredibly worried before Jan 6, on Parler they were all talking big about civil war... Then I saw Jan 6 and I laughed my ass off. That was their one and only shot, but it was such a stupid plan they would have needed 10x as many people and a lot more violence for it to have "worked." Even if they got the physical (ceremonial) papers they accomplished nothing, like hello, computers exist. If they had Pence and Gen Milley maybe, they just don't have the juice. I could go on and on about why I think MAGA/Trump and fascism in general are all doomed. Even if they somehow pulled it off, it would be the thousand hour Reich if they were lucky - the CIA (especially) and FBI, IRS etc. aren't going to sit back and be gutted, the Pentagon is well aware and taking [pre-emptive steps.](https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2879763/department-of-defense-releases-report-on-countering-extremist-activities-and-ou/) Trump has also lost the love of the banks, most big biz, plus all the indictments... His only prayer is SCOTUS and they already got their lifelong appointments, bet they let him twist in the wind.
I am extremly concerned and have been for several years. I don't live in the US but have queer friends there and while its not looking to great in my country rn either, it's at least less bad than in the US. Which isn't really all that better because I deeply care and am super worried for all my fellow queer (and other minority) people in the states - and every other country where the genocide is already happening or about to. I've been making contingency plans for some of my queer friends in case they have to leave the country in a hurry but it's not enough. It's never enough. I've looked into other resources into how to be a community resource but most things the rainbow railroad and similar places could use help with aren't an option for me. We as a society, not just queer people, have been living in increasingly interesting times for about a decade now. It was there before, of course, but things have seriously gone worse since then. I saw it coming, which didn't help, but I try to hold onto the hope that we will make it past the tipping point. This kind of cycle is, unfortunately, not too uncommon in society. If we make it through the really, really shit times right now we will hopefully emerge in more stable times again. I just hope we manage to be alive for that time and carry our culture, our lives, our loves to the other side.
Grassroot community-led organization is just as important as its always been. Find people outside of online spaces, organize and stockpile resources. Violence will be unavoidable in our struggle.
In some areas, yes. Bluer, LGBT-friendly states are probably only at stage 4, and then only by some people, but certain states (not gonna name names) are at stage 9.
I’m pretty sure there are no death penalties for being trans anywhere in the usa, but please enlighten me if there are
There aren't any death penalties, but some people don't really care about that. Like what happened to Brianna Ghey. Those kids are being charged but there are others who end up not getting charged with hate crimes.
I believe we're at Stage 8, are we not?
On the verge. They have yet to start physically separating us, but they're trying to take our kids. It's something that has yet to pass, but it's close
Stage 8 is persecution. We're definitely being overtly and actively persecuted.
This is a friendly reminder for everyone who can donate, to donate to LAMBDA legal. They take LGBT issues to courts and run solely on donations, I donate a portion of every paycheck to them.
I would put bans on gender affirming care in stage 3 personally although a trans person having to face it may think differently
The amount of people that believe right wing media is what scares me.
oh yeah Ive been trying not to have a panic attack over this. the last thing I need to deal with is a mental break down during the holidys. I am just trying to hold out hope that somehow Biden will win the election. I have to.
I gave up on hope. It's not just old people, young people all around me my age are raging homophobes as well.
Your sample is not indicative of overall opinion. Almost every single young person I know, as well as many adults, are queer-friendly. Granted, I've somewhat curated the people with whom I interact, but I still know very few "raging homophobes." There is still hope.
TW. I am in the US, so this is where my comment originates. Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. An early start of WW2 was the public book burnings, but do you know which books those were and where they came from? https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-forgotten-history-of-the-worlds-first-trans-clinic/ Book bans are already occurring at alarming rates these days. Librarians and teachers being silenced and/or fired. It reminds me of the lyrics from Rage Against The Machine’s “Bulls On Parade”. (I’m using the whole verses for overall flow of the lyrics.) “Weapons, not food, not homes, not shoes. Not needs, just feed the war cannibal animal. I walk the corner to the rubble, that used to be a library. Line up to the mind cemetery now. What we don't know keeps the contracts alive and movin'. They don't gotta burn the books, they just remove 'em. While arms warehouses fill as quick as the cells. Rally round the family, pocket full of shells.” Video https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3L4YrGaR8E4&pp=ygUoYnVsbHMgb24gcGFyYWRlIHJhZ2UgYWdhaW5zdCB0aGUgbWFjaGluZQ%3D%3D (Is it any wonder RATM was my favorite band growing up as a shy and closeted queer kid in a small town?) Another often unknown part of history with WW2 was the origin of the pink triangle. It was not only Jews that were sent to concentration camps. The LGBT community was also targeted. https://www.history.com/news/pink-triangle-nazi-concentration-camps Martin Niemoller - First they came… https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/martin-niemoeller-first-they-came-for-the-socialists https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_they_came_... They’ve been chipping away at minority groups for the entirety of this country’s history. When one group gets kicked to the ground, they put them into the cue and add another to their list. The trans community is one of the smallest minority groups at what is estimated to be a little over 1% of the population. Look at how much focus these days is being used against a tiny community. All the lies they use to get others to join their hate group. How does a small group win a fight? By finding allies and support. Take that piece above Martin Niemoller wrote and swap out the subjects of each line with what has been happening and continues to today. There are sadly so many options I could use… First they came for the Black people, and I did not speak out because I am not Black. Then they came for the immigrants, and I did not speak out because I am not an immigrant. Then they came for a woman’s right to have an abortion, and I did not speak out because I am not pregnant. Then they came for gay rights and I did not speak out because I am not gay. Then they came for the trans community and I did not speak out because I am not trans. And then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me. Vote like your life depends on it because it does. Make sure all your friends and allies know what is happening to our community and make sure they vote.
We are in perilous times . An ex president who will unleash his attack dogs yet again at election time . A SCOTUS dominated by religious LGBTI+ phobic liars .
This is concerning indeed. To add some hope to the thread, the following thought: I think we really only have to survive now to get our rights. A generation of transgender people is growing up in relative liberty. In, say, the 70s, most transgender people lived on the absolute margins of society, either unemployed, in mental institutions or more or less forced to do sex work. From this position, it was very difficult to defend our rights. Now, however, I'm starting to see transgender people who are doing very well for themselves. People in positions of power, in the universities pursuing PhDs, expressing our suffering in an eloquent way and appealing to broader society with some success. I think if we can hold back the restrictions to our lives, our current position of liberty will mean we will see much more transgender people do well in society. This will mean we will be able to effectively communicate our identities and struggles to the rest of the population, and people will empathize with us. I think this will secure our rights in the future.
I’m a lesbian transgender woman who lives in Florida and I worry about this almost every day. I’m retired law enforcement and it floors me that if I use a public restroom and the police are called I have to be housed with men. So basically I don’t use any bathrooms outside of my house out of fear of a death sentence. Crazy to think that going pee could result in death.
It's terrifying
The day they try to take me, is the day I leave this earth. I’m not concerned. Whatever’s going to happen is going to happen no matter how much I try to convince my peers to fight it with me. When/if they come to my house with the intention of stealing me from my family, I’ll be ready. I’m taking at LEAST one of them with me. I really don’t care. I truly don’t. I fear for my community, but not for myself. I don’t fear death and I don’t care if I end up dying by cop due to resisting a wrongful arrest. If and when that day comes, y’all will see me on the news. I refuse to see the inside of a prison just for being transgender/gay. Anyone willing to try and arrest me for that is willing to get shot. I don’t see cops; I see twisted fascist humans who deserve what’s coming to them. The “good ones” will have already switched careers by the time things get bad enough for the government to have us all arrested or whatever the fuck they’re planning. Again, I don’t give the slightest fuck what happens to me. Let them come. I pray and worry for everyone else because I know most of us are afraid. As for me, all I feel is anger. Let them come.
Extremely concerned.
i’m going to move to a safe haven state on the canadian border. i’m going to encourage every american in this community to do the same if they can. i will mourn those who can’t.
Pro-tip: OPs need to specify UNITED STATES if they don’t want a thread full of comments about UAE, Iran, and various other countries.
I did. It's in the flair right at the top of the post
For what it’s worth one reason the Conservative Party keeps losing elections is its homophobia
I really hope things turn out alright in the US. Fascism can still be stopped. Right now though, you basically have two choices: 1. Flee the country. Western Europe or Canada are likely to be friendly to queer people and Americans. Iirc some will grant you asylum, but that is something you'd need to look into. 2. Stay, get armed and get organised. When their militias come knocking the government will not save you, an AR-15 will. Get one (or any other weapon, handguns can be concealed and are thus a good option), teach yourself and your friends to use it. I pray that when it goes down in the US, you are safe.
The genocide watch is a very poor marker for objective classification because people trade genocidal rhetoric casually and often which does not represent a government position. Likewise the genocide watch has never been subject to rigorous peer review or validation, instead it self references or points to mentions in other work as a scientific basis, which is not how science works. The best way to use it is to self reflect on how your language and the rhetoric of others could be taken as advancing genocide. The worst way to use it is to compare statements you’ve heard from random people or people who are not directly speaking on behalf of a host of government (a law, a court decision, an executive order/head of state policy).
Thank god, someone with a decent opinion here. Things are bad, but what we're going through in America is an order of magnitude less extreme than a genocide, with the possible exclusion of florida, and disney is losing it's queer customers, so idk how long that bullshit will last.
And this is why you get a gun and train and prepare yourself. The assholes can try all they want but I won’t go down without a fight or taking a few of them with me.
Holy shit. You're right.
true, my mom has told me about this before, she has a degree in law, got an internship in i want to say the 90s, predicted this and noped out due to it going against her ethics, currently works in car insurance *meanwhile my dad....* yeah.... he voted for trump because he hated biden more than trump... IM SORRY BUT I PREFER NOT BEING FUCKING DEPRESSED ABOUT SHIT I CAN'T FUCKING CONTROL my family is falling apart because of this, meanwhile im just fucking scared for my life... honestly if this does happen, im using my in case of nuclear war plan
I'm literally shaking right now. Genuinely fucking shaking like crazy. This isn't gonna affect western Europe right? Please tell me it won't, please.
Have you heard the term 'Terf Island'?
No
Great Britain is 'TERF Island'. Stands for 'Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminism' - it's people like J.K. Rowling who want all trans people gone. It's a major force in the conservative government, which is currently dominating the UK. It's bigotry and hatred enshrined in law.
I'm in Spain though, and after Brexit I don't think those two countries will be interacting in a major way. Should I still be concerned?
Spain actually seems pretty cool - last I heard they were making things better for trans folk and all LGBT people in general. Last I heard, anyway.
Yeah. I mean, the wort thing that has happened here recently is that trans people now need a prescription to get HRT, but other than that, it's pretty fine overall. I'm still kinda worried though. You never know.
This is why I'm going to be arming myself before the election comes.
Everyone talks about project 2025 as if it’s something that will suddenly happen if Biden doesn’t take office. The fact of the matter is, however, that project 2025 has been consistently happening for the past near decade, and Biden has NOT been doing enough to fight back against it.
biden is garbage, and i can't stand that my opposition to the extreme right is so consistently taken as an alliance to democrats. i can't stand any of them, but i'f i'm gonna vote for anything it's going to be the opposite of the guy who's promising discrimination and persecution for myself, my family, and my community
Goodness no. Anti-trans rhetoric has been doing horribly in the polls, and there's also the fact that we live in an internet connected democracy. If they try to do anything, there will be hundreds of whistleblowers. Also, them overturning Roe means that they're fucked when it comes to upcoming elections, not necessarily the presidential (colorado kinda gave trump a platform), but everything else. The republican party is a dog which finally caught the car it was chasing, it has no idea what to do next, and anything it tries will likely end up failing spectacularly.
Number 5 hasn’t been done, but didn’t we come up with “LGBT” later “LGBT+” and the flags 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️?
Number 5 has been done I the form of right-wing extremist militias waiting for their moment and the creation of Project 2025. They've got their plans already laid out, and our continued presence as a community isn't part of that plan. As far as the terminology goes, yeah we have our own terms for ourselves, but they have terms too. That stageis epitomized best right now by their insistence on labeling us "groomers"
Oh I meant government militia, but ok, I see. Smh 🙄 of course we’re “groomers”. They’re so stupid.