I fear if I hear the phrase “unprecedented times” one more time, I may crash out…Yet, here I am. We are in unprecedented times. However, do not let this shift in reality cause you to lose sight of who you are and the authenticity you need to carry yourself with.
If you are unaware of what is happening in America—first of all, good for you, I am jealous and so is every other non-ignorant American—and second of all, simply open any sort of social media, Meta-owned or not, and read. Headlines, infographics and TikTok captions. The stability and safety that minorities once had, even if said stability and safety were minuscule, is being ripped away one Trump policy at a time.
Frankly, we are in unprecedented times. It is normal for policies to waver back and forth, for the House and Senate to sway between Democrats and Republicans and so forth. However, this time around, this presidency feels much scarier. Trump’s actions are less of a silly headline and more so a terrifying reality.
Maybe it is because this time around I am no longer a freshly 12-year-old girl, but instead a freshly 20-year-old transgender man who pays for his groceries (eggs included), relies on student loans, federal aid and scholarships to earn a college education and who is on his last bottle of lifesaving gender-affirming treatment.
It feels as if I am being forced back into the closet more and more with each DEI disbandment headline. There is a dreadful sense of uncertainty that plagues everyday life. Yet, I still exist. This is what matters in these moments. Existing.
The importance of authenticity cannot be emphasized enough. We are not a cookie-cutter nation, we never were and never should be. No matter how hard the government tries to push you into that mold, you fight back. I am not expecting a revolution from everyone, or protesting at the capital or being able to boycott companies for willingly dropping their DEI departments effectively—however, I expect full authenticity.
Embrace your religious, ethnic or racial identity. Although I cannot represent everyone, nor should I be speaking for everyone, I express support and love for those different from me. There is beauty in all religions. America would not be the America I love without the diverse groups of people, and music.
Be openly queer. Do not hide your identity when it does not need to be hidden. The biggest form of rebellion we can have against the government as an individual is to break the status quo. Break gender norms, love who you want to love and connect with your community. The other party wants us to isolate ourselves from those who care about us, and the biggest, for lack of better term, “fuck you” you can give is to EMBRACE all of those things.
There is a sense of fear when you behave this way, I know it as well as the next person. I grew up as an openly Jewish transgender man in Nebraska, a famously red state. I have been threatened, I have been harassed and I have been discriminated against. However, teaching yourself how to protect yourself and taking necessary steps to take care of your physical, mental and emotional well-being is vital to this authenticity. Know the laws in your area, find the resources (that are there, do the best you can with what is provided) and do your research into how to protect yourself again.
The loudest and proudest thing you can do is be authentic. I will scream it from the rooftops and I will cry it from the depths of my heart. The world is burning, but that does not mean you need to conform and let it burn you. Use the water within your soul and identity to extinguish as much as you can.
