Poodles, we’re not going to lie to you. The state of our Union is sad right now.
Fifi has seen a lot in her lifetime. Things haven’t been perfect, but we’ve been making steady progress.
She’s seen how marriage equality has changed the lives of thousands of us.
She’s seen how medical advancements have eased the terror of the AIDS crisis.
She’s seen how trans and queer BIPOC voices have come to the forefront to tell their stories.
I said we’ve been making progress. But that is no longer true. As a nation, in just a few, short months, much of our hard work has been undone. And, rather than continuing to make progress, we are fighting to defend what we have.
Things are terrifying for the LGBTQ+ community right now. Especially for our trans siblings. Organizations are actively trying to scrub trans stories from our public records. They are being forced out of public spaces, and made to carry their deadnames, and dead-genders, with them on their IDs.
Make no mistake, Poodles, they’re coming for all of us. We know it’s easy to say “well, I’m not trans. I’ll be ok.” You won’t. So wake up.
States are already making moves to invalidate our marriages. Drag is being criminalized. HIV/AIDS programs are being defunded. They are trying to erase us all.
Now is not the time to sit idly by and hope “this will all blow over.” Now is the time to get angry. Now is the time to take action. Now is the time to defend every last one of your siblings in this rag-tag Alphabet Mafia we call family.
You know, when Fifi was young, a wise, older man gave her some advice. He said something like this: “if you’re asking for equality, then you’re asking for equality of all of us.”
What does this mean? This means we leave no one behind in the LGBTQ+ community. This means all of us, even if you don’t identify the same as they do.
What’s that you say? You’re not a drag queen?
Doesn’t matter, defend her.
You’re not a gender-fluid person of color?
Doesn’t matter, defend them.
You’re not a trans handy-ma’am?
Doesn’t matter, defend her.
You’re not a polyamorous, asexual woman?
Doesn’t matter, defend her.
You’re not a fem boy?
Doesn’t matter, defend him.
The point is, Poodles, no one of us is free unless we all are free.
So, what’s next? What do we do? Look, Fifi’s no expert. She’s just some tired old queen with a head cold trying to make something of herself. But we have to do something, right?
Join a protest. Call your senator. Volunteer at a queer youth organization. Buy from your local LGBTQ+ shop owners. Start a YouTube channel and tell your story.
Just do something.
Hang in there, Poodles. We’ll get through this together.
Bisous,
Fifi
