Homosexuality is criminalized in 64 countries worldwide and the death penalty can be imposed in 12 of them. The United States is not one of those countries, yet so many people are acting like we are because a Republican candidate was elected president. The LGBTQ+ community needs to come together and recognize the power we have and use it to advocate for those who are truly under attack.
When Donald Trump was re-elected, I was disappointed in our country and, I’ll admit, worried about what this would mean for the LGBTQ+ community. Trump has a history of marginalizing people like myself, with Trump even promising that he would eliminate protections for transgender students “on day one” of his presidency, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. I have no doubt that if this promise is upheld, it will put countless individuals in danger. But, I also recognize that, because of organizations like the ACLU, these attacks will not go unchallenged. Spreading awareness on and civilly challenging these issues is one of the ways to combat attacks on the LGBTQ+ community. However, telling people with differing opinions to unfollow and never speak to you again is not. Yet, after the election, this is what I saw so many people doing.
In reality, no matter what Federal laws change, Illinois will still hold firm in its own LGBTQ+ protections. In fact, Illinois became the first state to protect LGBTQ-themed books from being banned in January 2024. Downers Grove is often a direct reflection of this acceptance and progressivism, hosting pride parades and other events celebrating the LGBTQ+ community.
It’s true that Downers Grove isn’t perfect, with the library having received death threats for trying to host a drag queen bingo event. DGN is not excluded from this intolerance. I’ve heard students use gay and trans slurs, and I’ve even had some targeted at me. But I still recognize that this is an accepting town compared to southern states that are actively passing legislation aimed at stripping rights from LGBTQ+ people. These are the real threats in our country, and they are threats that I and all Downers Grove residents are incredibly fortunate to not have inflicted on ourselves. So why are we acting like we are the ones experiencing these attacks and taking attention away from the people who actually are?
It’s time we recognize the privilege we have to live in a place that, comparatively, is so accepting of LGBTQ+ individuals. There is a lot of work that still has to be done, and I agree that the election was a huge step back, but I still have all the same rights I had a year ago, if not more.
There are people in the world who could face death for being gay. I am not one of those people, and neither are the people in this town saying that their lives are at risk because of the election. The people who are truly in danger for being a part of the LGBTQ+ community are the ones who cannot go online and openly post about their identity. The people whose lives are being taken for simply being themselves are nameless and faceless, their identity, their rights, and their dignity stripped from them. Stop marginalizing yourself and complaining about how hard your life is. Use your voice to advocate for those who do not have one.
