A few days ago, I opened my talk at the PA LGBTQIA+ Health Summit with this phrase, respect existence or expect resistance. In this incredibly difficult and infuriating time, getting to host the PA LGBTQIA+ Health Summit felt like that ultimate act of resistance. While SOGI (sexual orientation and gender identity) data is getting deleted off of government websites, I got to stand on a stage and share out the 2024 PA LGBTQ Health Needs Assesment, an entire dataset dedicated to the Queer community and our needs. While federal, state, and local legislatures are introducing and passing laws that attack the right of our trans communities to access life saving care, I got to honor Corinne Goodwin, with an award for her work in the field of transgender advocacy. While our government is actively trying to erase Queer history, I got to make Queer history by hosting the first in-person PA LGBTQIA+ Health Summit in Allentown.

I left the Summit filled to the brim with Queer joy and a renewed passion to be a fierce LGBTQ+ advocate. Sadly and Unsurprisingly, the image of the day was shattered not more than one hour after I arrived home. I opened Instagram to find a news article saying that the Navy is planning renaming the USNS Harvey Milk. Our federal government is spending my taxpayer dollars to erase the legacy of Harvey Milk, a devoted LGBTQ+ advocate and one of the country’s first openly gay elected officials.

The current administration is not respecting existence, they are actively trying to erase existence, so I hope they are prepared and expecting resistance. We cannot sit idly by, twiddling our thumbs and hoping they stop coming after our community because I know that they will not stop until they erase us all or we make them. We all have a role to play in the resistance – running for office, organizing a protest, advocating for change – and we needed to start taking action yesterday.

I am choosing to focus my resistance by staying engaged, creating Queer joy, and helping to build a more resilient community. I started attending a community group at Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center where I have met many folks and have built friendships that I hope last for many years to come. I stay as up to date on the changing political landscape as best as I can without hurting my mental health and engage by showing up to rallies, signing petitions, and calling my legislators. Perhaps most importantly, I am doing community outreach at Pride festivals and other community events across the region, connecting directly with community members and doing everything in my power to bring joy to each individual I meet along the way. 

Take a moment. Reflect on what resistance looks like to you. Challenge yourself to try a new form of resistance. The next few years are going to be long and challenging, but I truly believe if we choose to move through them as a community that is united we will not only survive, but we will also find a way to thrive.