Tennessee is rolling out a series of laws targeting the LGBTQ+ community. Censoring drag has captured many people’s attention; but there’s also (and in my opinion more dangerously) bills denying proper healthcare for trans youth and anyone relying on TennCare, outing kids to their parents (which could put them in danger if the parents are not supportive) for expressing interest in joining or forming LGBTQ+ student groups, enforcing anti-trans definitions of sex and gender in state laws, and more.
Campaigns against these efforts have been going on for years. And this could still get worse. In fact, it likely will. We know the governor will sign whatever discriminatory bill drops on his desk. We know the state legislature is willing to come after queer people in any way they can imagine.
We also know that the people of Tennessee can stop these things, and (he writes in a fit of nihilistic optimism) reverse even the worst of these laws if we work together and push back.
But we got here because too many of us stood by and did not challenge these ideas in our daily lives or even as we watched these bills march their way through the halls of government.
Myself included. I will always think that I should have done more.
This Thing of Poetry is a reminder to myself to not let silence and comfort lull me into thinking I don’t have to do my part to defend the rights of myself and the people I love.
If you dig it, please share it and check out more Things in the Archives.
And as always, thanks for all the Things,
-M.E.
Whenever you wonder How we got ourselves here To a state where it's becoming A crime to be queer You seem to forget That you held your tongue While Instruments of hate Were being restrung They gathered their players And warmed up the band But you were not comfortable Taking a stand The overture swelled And the audience grew While you plugged your ears And let it play through So now we all listen As their symphony swells In a dirge for all those They would see burn in Hell "How did we get here?" So many will say I hear echoes of silence In their song every day.