How we Wrap Each Other in Love
After a particularly exhausting week, I'm reflecting on an extremely beautiful moment at the capitol this Tuesday and a gift that is now a prized possession.
Before we get started, I want to share my “theme song of the week” since we’re already here to talk about love. I think you’ll like it!
This past Tuesday, we had one of our most difficult hearings to date at the Missouri capitol. I'm not going to relive any of the specifics, because that isn't going to be good for either of us, but If you'd like to know what it's like going to the capitol you can read the article I wrote about it last week!
I didn't sit down today to write an article about how awful it was, though. I sat down to write about what happened after the hearing.
We gathered in the hallway afterwards to debrief and decompress before we went our separate ways. As the leader of our state equality organization thanked us for our courage and encouraged us to do whatever we needed to take care of ourselves, they shared with us a new initiative.
Allies who hadn't been able to travel to the hearing but wanted to find a way to contribute had donated handmade rainbow blankets. The blankets would be used to wrap our community in love.
Myself and a dear trans friend were the recipients of the first two blankets, since we'd borne the brunt of the transphobic sentiment and needling from the representatives.
Our community came around us and literally wrapped us in love, in handmade armor fit to protect us from from the cruel words thrown our way.
On what was otherwise a pretty terrible day, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt how loved I was by the people around me. This love is my greatest source of strength. This allows and empowers me to keep going.
Not every advocate needs to be the one going toe-to-toe with hateful legislators. That is a heavy weight to carry. Advocacy and change-making can look like bringing brownies to the hearing. Can look like knitting a blanket to be given to the bravest testifier of the day. Can look like finding your own way to bring love and joy to the people around you.
The cornerstone of advocacy right now—the way we will survive the next four years—will be continuing to find ways to wrap each other in love. Your homework for the weekend: pick one person in your life or in your community and figure out how to wrap them in love. What is your best recipe? What is your strongest skill?
American rugged individualism be damned. This is HARD. I cannot do this alone. I need all the love and support I can get. This is not a personal failing, an admission that I'm not strong enough to do it on my own. I don't want to do it on my own. I don't need to do it on my own. I want to fight this fight together.
Are you with me?
A few other pieces of Great Queer News:
A judge has temporarily blocked implementation of the trans youth healthcare executive order, thanks to a lawsuit on behalf of PFLAG and GLMA. (yahoo!, 2/13)
The governor of Kansas vetoed an attempt to ban gender affirming care, standing up for trans kids once again! (ABC, 2/12)
New Jersey courts have ruled that schools cannot implement forced outing policies (Erin in the Morning, 2/11)
That's all for now. Thanks for wrapping me in love, readers. I feel so cherished by this community. I hope you all know how much it means to me to know you are here. I may not have the bandwidth to respond to every comment or every reply, but I want you to know that I see them all. I read them, I laugh with you, I cry with you, I am here with you. I am so glad I get to be a piece of the tapestry wrapping you in love.
With love and strength,
Ben
💜💚💙🧡💛🖤🩷❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜🤎🩷❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜🤎
We are with you. Sending love and support through the ether into your heart! This world is a better place for you (and your entire community) in it! Never forget this.