I Refuse to be Silent

 You must understand that compassion doesn't make a person weak. If you think that, then you should just move along, this blog isn't for you, but if you're here for words meant to make you think about how others may feel, or how a little kindness does make a difference, then stay. 

I refuse to be silent. I have let others walk all over me like I am a doormat before and it made my self esteem and worth feel like nothing at all. I have watched the world do the same to others, afraid to speak up because the world can be such a cruel place to anyone who is different. Those who seek to opress others will always find a way to make sure they are heard, that they drown out the voices of anyone who opposes their views. I refuse to be silent. 

This world is full of enough hatred aimed at those who are different, myself included. If you show any sign of being anything but a cookie cutter,  carbon copy of their ideals they deem you as wrong. They try to take away your right to exist. This is not compassionate, this is not kind. Some of them preach about love and acceptance, when they themselves aren't accepting at all, when they do the same things they argue against. They only care, when others are watching. They only voice their concerns when large groups of people, sometimes a loosely captive audience are listening. Once the crowds disperse they no longer care. It's an act for publicity. If this offends you, then you may want to think about it a little bit.

Currently lawmakers are trying to tell us what is appropriate for our children to view and what is appropriate for them to feel. They want to limit the interactions children have with people who share a different lifestyle than their own, a lifestyle that isn't hurting anyone. They say drag performers aren't individuals who should be supported, that their very livelihood, their performances should be outlawed. A lot of people agree, but those people have been misinformed. They think drag shows are like strip clubs when in reality they're nothing more than performances, a form of dress up. The same people trying to outlaw them may as well say goodbye to movies and plays as well. Why? Because a lot of the actors playing the female roles were actually men in drag. In fact in the time that Shakespeare's plays were written all of the female characters were played by guys due to it being against the law for women to participate. Drag performers aren't what's wrong with society. Society as a whole has always been flawed, but that doesn't give the people in power the right to make laws that take away the rights of others.

The LGBTQ+ community is also under attack. Lawmakers are trying to take away their rights as well by passing bills that make transgender care illegal. They want to throw the parents they deem responsible, and the doctors as well, in jail. It takes away healthcare for those who don't feel comfortable in the bodies they were born into. It makes parents out to be the villains in the story for allowing their nearly adult children to transition into the beautiful versions of their inner selves on the outside. They want to take them away from their families claiming child abuse, when the real abuse is not letting them be themselves. This isn't the dark ages. If it's not your body, if you're not the parent, then you don't get a say. It's that simple. 

I for one am a part of the LGBTQ+ community, though many people don't know it. Before it was because I wasn't sure if I would be accepted. I was afraid that being different in that way would make me a target, that I'd lose my friends and family for admitting how I felt. Now, I'm not afraid. I have an amazing support network, and yes, I lost some friends and I have family members that don't agree with my point of view, but I'm no longer afraid of their dissaproval. I am pansexual and genderfluid, and I'm proud of that. I am myself. I will continue to be myself and I won't let anyone make me feel bad for that. I also won't apologize for standing up for others either. I refuse to be silent.

Years ago, before I was born women didn't have rights. They couldn't work outside their own homes and they weren't allowed to vote. Men controlled their lives and only men were allowed to speak on the issues. Women were told to remain silent. This led to a movement, to women standing up for themselves. Now lawmakers are trying to take those rights away once more. They see us as lesser beings because we want to control our own bodies, because we don't want to bring more children into a world filled with such hatred. If you choose to go against their decisions they want to throw you in jail, and the doctors that helped you in as well. They don't care about innocent lives really. It's all about their image. If they cared about children they'd be helping with adoptions more. They'd be placing those children that are jam packed into orphanages into loving homes, whether they be same sex couples or not. It's never been about saving the lives of children, it's been about control.

They want to control our thoughts, our words, our bodies, people as a whole and they don't care about the damage they cause by doing so. They just care about power, their agendas, their feelings, their selfishness. They tell us that these decisions are for our own good, but when is it enough? When will they be satisfied? In truth, the answer is never, and the more we give in, the more we lose ourselves. The government shouldn't get to decide how we think, how we act, or who we are. We alone should have that right. We alone should get to make those choices. We should be able to choose without the fear of repercussions against us. We shouldn't be silent because we live in fear. 

Yes, I am aware I have opened the door for those who have a different view than my own. I understand that not everyone sees things in the same light, that not everyone was raised the same way that I was, to show compassion, to be kind. I understand that hateful words may follow, but that won't make me back down. I will not be silent.