One of my long-standing frustrations with the Democratic Party is they way they will happily campaign and fund-raise on all sorts of important issues, while rarely actually using their power to fight for them. One of the most egregious examples of this, in my opinion, has been the issue of abortion. Democrats have branded themselves as the party of reproductive rights, in contrast to the Republicans, for longer than I’ve been alive. For as long as I have been paying attention, they have been asking people for money to help in their “fight” to codify Roe v. Wade into law. They have also, for that entire time, consistently supported, funded, and conceded to anti-abortion members of their own party. This means that while they have nominally held power in the house, senate, and presidency, they have never made a serious attempt to actually pass a law protecting the right to abortion. Thanks to their definition of a “big tent”, they always have anti-choice party members to stand in the way.

The justification they give is that they have to support these people, in order to get power, and so they have to just give up on this issue every time they’re in power, and hey – if they’re in power, at least abortion rights are protected (except in red states where they’ve been all but eliminated already). They will attack their own in some cases, like when it comes to slandering members of their own party as antisemites for acknowledging the humanity and rights of Palestinians. They’ll play hardball when it comes to keeping someone like Bernie Sanders from winning their primary, and work through the night to fund the genocide Israel is committing, but when it comes to any actual progress, there is no principle they will not sacrifice to maintain their strategy of trying to win over “moderate” Republicans.

I think Nancy Pelosi said it best, when she told reporters that “we need a strong Republican Party”. The Democratic Party has only one real loyalty, from what I can tell, and that is to the status quo, and they are far more comfortable being “pulled” backwards by the GOP than they are working to move forwards. If they were driven by a desire to make things better, then they would constantly be running messaging campaigns about policies to give people more control over their own lives, and to make it easier to get by. They would use the power they have, when they have it, to push the envelope – to use executive power, or to try to pass things like a public healthcare option, or an explicit national right to abortion. In short, they would do the sort of thing the GOP does, except in service of the people, rather than in service to bigotry and the ruling class. They won’t do that, because they seem to view the very act of fighting for something, and of actually caring about something, to be a sign of extremism. They may or may not oppose a given Republican policy, but they won’t “stoop to their level” by putting the same amount of effort into their own claimed agenda. Anything can be sacrificed to gain power, except a “status quo” that seems to be forever stuck in the 1990s.

And so, of course, they have decided that the in the face of a GOP hate campaign, rights of LGBTQIA people are not worth fighting for, because doing so might read as “extreme” to the tiny sliver of the American population that has just about become the sole focus of their political machine. The GOP has fully embraced genocidal rhetoric and policy against trans people, and after a few years of halfhearted opposition from some Democrats and actual action at the state level by others, the national party has decided to just… concede that fight for now.

When Harris said, “I think we should follow the law” about trans rights in October, she did so knowing full well that “the law” is subject to change, if lawmakers want it to change. She also knew that the GOP was fighting to change the relevant laws. Her statement amounted to saying, “This is no longer a priority for us”, and the lackluster response to the GOP attack on Sarah McBride seems to confirm that. This comes at a time when the entire queer community is under attack, both legally and in propaganda. If the Democrats are abandoning that community, then it’s clearly time for LGBTQIA people and allies to change tactics.

Julia Serano has called for everyone with a platform to post something today with the title “LGBTQ+ People Are Not Going Back”, in order to send a clear, coordinated message:

Despite the fact that there is no evidence that trans people pose any threat in sex-segregated spaces, only a handful of Democrats spoke out against this policy change. Even worse, many lauded incoming trans congresswoman Sarah McBride for agreeing to comply with it.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, Mace (who is now selling merch as part of her anti-trans crusade) has proposed a Federal Trans Bathroom Ban that would impact Washington DC airports, museums, and federal buildings across the U.S., impacting trans workers and visitors alike. And it’s clear that Republicans will not stop there.

In “red states” where Republicans have a trifecta (governor plus both state legislatures), they have passed all sorts of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. A quick glance at that legislation confirms that this is not about any isolated issue: Republican lawmakers who rail against trans athletes or gender-affirming care for trans youth are also pushing bans on trans healthcare for adults, “don’t say gay” bills that impact all LGBTQ+ students, drag bans written so broadly that they outlaw most LGBTQ+ performances and pride events, and attempts to censor books and digital media penned by all queer creators.

[…]

I propose that on Tuesday, December 3rd, 2024 (the first day that both the House and Senate are back in session), all of us who are invested in this issue and have a platform (whether it be a blog, newsletter, column, podcast, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, etc.) publish a piece with the shared title: “LGBTQ+ People Are Not Going Back.” Yes, I know, it’s a cheesy title, but it holds Democrats accountable to their own talking points and makes it clear that backsliding on LGBTQ+ rights is nonnegotiable for us.

What you write or say or express in your op-ed or article or video or podcast etcetera is up to you. I encourage you to make it personal and feel free to tailor it to your audience. My only request (other than all of us using the same title) is that you implore people to contact their Congressperson and Senators (and perhaps even local politicians) and tell them that 1) you will not tolerate any backpedaling on LGBTQ+ rights whatsoever, and 2) if they fail to strongly stand up against these attacks on LGBTQ+ rights, then you will take your vote elsewhere next election.

What does “take your vote elsewhere” entail?

Well, that’s up to each individual to decide for themselves. It could mean simply refusing to vote for them, or voting for their primary opponents, or voting third party. The purpose of this endeavor is not to dictate how you should vote in future elections, but to remind your representatives that your vote should not be taken for granted, and if they abandon LGBTQ+ people or backslide on LGBTQ+ rights, then they will pay a political price for that decision.

It looks like the coming years are going to be very dark indeed. It’s important to reach out to each other in the darkness, to remember that even if we can’t see any light, we are not alone, and by working together, we can find our way forward. Check out Serano’s post for more information, and post something yourself if you have a platform and the time. I’ve been a bit tuned out in the last few months, so I didn’t hear about this until yesterday, but it shouldn’t be hard to post something small, or even just the “title” on social media.

Hey, sorry about the long silence. I’ve been reshaping my life a lot in the last few months, and adjusting some of my priorities. I plan on posting more frequently in 2025, but probably with a slightly different approach than in the past. More essays, fewer reactions to news and events. Hang in there, everybody!