it is 4pm January 20th here in Washington State. i'm Joseph, a 16-almost-17 year old trans man. i don't really know why im writing this article. i just want to share my feelings and hopefully other people will resonate.
when i woke up this morning and logged into my social sites of choice, i saw an outpour of people expressing the same sentiments i felt. "it's over," "we're done for," "this is the end," "where on earth do we go from here?!" and i don't have the answer to that, really. i'm 16, i don't have the answers for much of anything. but i've read a lot of books, a lot of theory, and i've talked to elder queers and trans people. i'm friends with very smart people who have helped me process a lot of the despair i've been feeling. i hope that my words can help somebody, that's all i really want to do.
the first instinct a lot of people have when faced with such catastropically bad news is to get upset. to despair, to cry, to think that the world is over and that things will never get better. i understand this. everything hurts right now and it's only natural to be upset. i'd like to posit that we should get angry instead. angry at the people that made this happen, angry at the system that perpetuates the lie that this country is a democracy. we need to take action, in every way that we can. this, unfortunately, includes voting. i know that voting seems useless, and in some ways it is, but sometimes we must play into the system to help dismantle it. vote to put ""safe"" options in office that can be pressured into working for the people, and then take action as a personal citizen to ennact the change that our ""safe"" options are too cowardly to do. when the system is beating you, you have to fight back in every way that you can, even if it doesn't align with your ideal morals. this country is at the brink of collapse(some might say it has already collapsed), and i believe that we can use this to our advantage. there is still hope for us. please don't give up.
voting is not the end of activism. anyone that tells you that voting is the most important thing you can do, they're lying. but it absolutely helps, and you should do it. become active in your community, find people in real life that share your ideals and organize with them. find local protests in your area that you believe in, and fight alongside them. get angry.
do not fall for their propaganda. the right wants you to think that it's over, that theres no hope left. they want you to think this so you'll lie on your back and let them crush you. don't let them. get angry. bite at their hands and tear them apart. show them the pain we've gone through and the pain we will go through to ensure survival for our kin. get angry.
protect your family, and make no mistake, we are all family. do not argue with your siblings, lock arms with them and fight your common enemy. it is useless to argue, and only serves to distract you from the bigger picture. they want you to be distracted. do not get distracted. get angry.
i love you. please stay alive.
- Jo D.