Dear Trans Kids, You Don't Need the Government's Permission to Exist

[Jessica_Rose]

Dear Trans Kids, You Don't Need the Government's Permission to Exist

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/wellness/dear-trans-kids-you-don-t-need-the-government-s-permission-to-exist/ar-AA1xXtv8?ocid=windirect&cvid=0bc05d25f0e34956899638210f8167ec&ei=52

Story by Raquel Willis (27 Jan 2025)

With the inauguration of Donald Trump, our community has witnessed the culmination of a years-long attack on our truths and our lives... There are many lessons to glean from this political moment, but one stands out. When hate is allowed to stand with inadequate resistance, it festers and grows.

Long before social media... our transcestors demanded dignity and respect with far fewer resources. Despite the erasure, many of the original Indigenous peoples of this land never allowed for two-spirit and third-gender folks to be discarded. When Right-wing politicians ousted government officials who were queer or suspected of being queer during the McCarthy era, our people didn't disappear. When our people faced police brutality during the Stonewall Riots, we came together in solidarity. Meanwhile, figures like Crystal Labeija built the foundation for Ballroom houses and culture, and now its fruits can be witnessed in music, entertainment, movement, and even in the slang that so many use. Sir Lady Java picketed anti-crossdressing laws so that she could continue her thriving career as a showgirl. Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera created Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (S.T.A.R.) and a safe haven to house street kids who'd been discarded.

In every era of U.S. history, queer folks carved out their spaces despite criminalization, discrimination, and violence. We must have faith that we can do it again now.