Take the News of the Day in Small Doses.

My fiancé and I are finally putting the finishing touches on our podcast. We’ve been mulling the idea for years, pausing as our world turned upside down and inside out in 2020/21, and finally we returned to the idea for 2022. We’ve recorded four episodes thus far so we can listen, take notes, tighten the format, and decide how we want it all to work. I’m pleased with our progress, and we’re getting close to a product we will be proud to share. We are a black queer cis man and a white queer trans woman discussing the news and current events we find interesting. (Or absurd.) We really want to get this right. We’re nearly ready to introduce the baby.

I was once a news junkie, but these days I keep it to the news I can read early in the day, specifically looking for subjects I want to discuss on the podcast, or that I’d like to write about, and seldom do I include any TV news. Reading at my own pace is easier for my blood pressure.

I confirm this nation is still a dumpster fire by around 5pm, and then I have a cocktail. Or three.

There’s a lot to process out there, especially when it comes to the near-constant assault on LGBTQ+ folks, especially our kids.

Our kids.

Most especially Our trans kids.

As Republicans (you know it’s Them doing this…) across the country argue in favor of ignorance, their bullshit does affect young queer kids trying to survive. It’s not a good look, and of course the kids are watching. And hearing. And absorbing the “otherness” constantly spewed around them and about them, directed at them.

I’m not shocked by their constant assault on our dignity, but I am disheartened and dismayed that they keep at it so relentlessly. The antidote is generally federal legislation or a positive Supreme Court ruling — and with a stacked court, I don’t hold out as much hope as I once did. As always, visibility and representation matter, and I foresee a day when this nonsense is seen for the fear mongering it is. But just now it’s hot, heavy and ridiculous.

I deeply admire the kids and parents willing to tell their stories in hearing after hearing. There was a recent glimmer of light out of Colorado, wherein a Republican lawmaker (I know!) went against his party in support of trans kids, effectively killing a bill that would have crippled access to essential healthcare for trans youth. I cried tears of joy. FINALLY, at least one of them listened, the results widely publicized. May he inspire more of that.

I grew up in a Republican town. I didn’t know who was what, politically, and the differences were slight. No one denied reality as far as I could see, they merely argued approach. And seeing solutions from multiple perspectives should, in theory, lead to more sound public policy. But when an entire party denies the reality of the issues, (or the Humans involved) we seldom get around to debating solutions.

In the early 1970’s everybody looked up and said, “that’s pollution. That can’t be good.” And NIXON signed the clean air act! He also signed the clean water act! I’m old enough to remember when conservatives actually conserved things!

That was all before St. Reagan, of course. Not only was he terrible for the LGBTQ+ community — particularly those DYING from a virus he refused to even speak the name of for far too long — but for a way of life made possible post WWII. Strong unions, decent wages, a middle class. It wasn’t great or even good for everyone, for sure. But it was a damn sight better than where we are today, economically.

We are beginning to see better conversations, and many large companies are raising wages, but almost all of them still abhor unions. And I think that’s a shame. Were it not for union jobs, with union wages, my parents never would have had the life they (mostly) enjoyed. Even though he spent most winters laid off, my father still made a good deal more in 8 or 9 months than he’d have seen for 12 months doing non-union carpentry. And his benefits continued to give my mother a dignified existence until her death, 13 years after his.

The entire platform of the Republican party needs to point at someone you have to be afraid of — protecting innocent cishet white folks from all manner of boogie men.

It was gay marriage until that was over.

On and off, it’s immigration. (Fine… immigration without documents. Whatever.)

When it isn’t where trans folks pee it’s whether trans kids can join sports teams.

Fearing Black and Brown folks is always good to shake things up.

And on it goes.

The reality is of course far less provocative than the fictitious hype. Gay marriage hasn’t toppled the American way of life. Or diminished the “sanctity” of marriage. Not a bit. Evangelical Christians can still get divorced like Christ never mentioned the word. (Divorce he had a lot to say about, by the way. He wasn’t a fan.)

Immigrants without documents tend to mind their business, work hard and keep produce prices in check by taking jobs Americans are wholly unwilling to do.

And trans folks just want to pee in peace and with minimal restroom interaction. Some of them (though as an avowed sportsball non-enthusiast, I can’t fathom why) even like to play sporting games with their friends. And for real, for the kids that enjoy sports and team things — it’s good for them, I hear. And none of these jackals ever gave one single fuck about Women’s sports until they saw it as a way to further the narrative of the scary trans folk coming for their women folk. Please.

I do my best to keep up with the news, but I refuse to be discouraged. There are so very many brilliant LGBTQ+ folks doing great work at every level, and we are making solid inroads into political office.

The day WILL come when our society calms this bullshit aimed at minorities, because at least in terms of skin color, it won’t be long before white folks Are the minority. And those most responsible for the constant shenanigans are terrified they’ll be treated the way they have treated the others.

Fortunately for them, we all want equality and equity far more than vengeance and retribution.

There’s a good chance trans folk will still be villainized and ostracized regardless of the racial makeup of America, since we get it first from our families, schools, churches and communities without regard to race. We remain ecumenically icky to those who don’t care to see our validity.

I’d love to at least see more of the LGBTQ+ community put differences aside and finally pay real attention to the T in our growing acronym. Of course, I’d like for all marginalized folks to see our common ground and stand a bit closer together. But then, I have always been more of an optimist than the news warrants. And I still find myself humming Kumbaya while I do the dishes.

Peace, Lovelies

-MM