What Now?

11-7-24
   Well, the election is done. The American people have spoken. And saying that millions of us are disappointed is actually a gross understatement. The fact is that a great many of us have very good reason to be nervous, uncertain, and scared about the future. But life goes on, and we will have to make the best of things.
   As a queer person, I’m definitely concerned about the future because many people in the Republican Party want to take rights away from individuals like me. And millions of women around the nation are understandably worried about their ability to make their own decisions with regards to their own bodies in terms of female reproductive rights. We’ve all seen how Republicans have been attacking such rights in states around the country. Florida, Tennessee, Texas, the list goes on. And we also know there are socially conservative Republicans who want to take such policies to the national level. The fear is so great, there’s already movement within the LGBTQ Community encouraging same gender couples who want to get married to do so quickly before Trump’s inauguration because of fears that the Republicans are going to ban same gender marriage. As to female reproductive rights, despite the fact that the majority of Americans are pro-choice on the abortion issue, we all know that there are hardcore conservatives in the Republican Party who don’t care and want to ban it nationally. There are also deep concerns that the Republicans are going to reverse pro environmental policies which in turn would worsen human caused climate change despite the fact that climate change is already happening. So the fear and uncertainty which is gripping millions of Americans is quite real and very understandable.
   Obviously, I can’t say for sure what’s really going to happen. We’ll have to see. I have no doubt unfortunately that Republicans are going to instill policies and pass laws that many of us find horrible and reprehensible. Will there be a nationwide ban on abortion and same gender marriage? Both of these questions are weighing heavily on the minds of millions and millions of Americans. Honestly, no one can really say right now. Politically, banning either nationwide would be a colossal mistake for Republicans since female reproductive rights and same gender marriage both have widespread support in the general population. If they ban either, they would in all likelihood get hammered in the next election cycle. While I’m sure numerous Republicans privately realize this, there are also Republicans who don’t care and want to ban them anyways. A lot of it depends on what Trump wants because so few Republicans are willing to stand up to him, even when they know they should. I suspect that the overall policy on abortion with the Republican Party will end up being leave it up to the individual states. And while I doubt they would ban same gender marriage due to political concerns, I can’t be totally certain. Unfortunately, Republicans probably will try to strip away much of the Federal protection against discrimination the LGBTQ Community has had so that it would be much easier for individual businesses and churches to discriminate against people who are Queer. As to other attacks on the LGBTQ Community likely to happen at the national level in some form under Republicans, those will probably be aimed at things such as LGBTQ issues in schools and at the Transgender Community (such as making it more difficult for Transgender minors to access the gender affirming care they need and restricting public funds with regards to Transgender care in general). We’re already seeing how these types of conservative policies are so painful and detrimental in states such as Florida and Texas, so it’s extremely disturbing to think that some of that will be elevated to the national level. While I hope this doesn’t happen, there’s a very real chance that it will. And in general, we have to be ready for anything.
   So for millions of Americans, there are painful times ahead. But on the other hand, we must remember that the world will not end and that there are things that we can still do to try to make a positive difference. We should be sure to speak up and make our voices heard. Educate people and stand up telling others, including political leaders, how we feel. We can also put pressure on state and local governments as well as individual businesses to be more proactive in terms of supporting issues such as female rights, the LGBTQ Community, and the environment. While the road ahead may be challenging at times, we will get through it. And with everything going on, we also need to remember to live our lives, find joy where we can, and to make the best of things.