When tragedy strikes , how does a community recover? And how do we prevent another one from happening? When "thoughts and prayers" just aren't enough, what else is there? In a world where it seems less and less makes sense every day and more and more unthinkable decisions are being made, how do we not only survive, but actively challenge the oppression and suffering that we face simply because of who we are?
My answer? We must rededicate ourselves to the fight for nothing short of radical queer liberation for all people regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Below are 106 things we can all do to bring about the queer revolution. This list is by no means absolute or finished -- I encourage everyone to add their own items -- but it's a start. Let's get to work.
1. Interrogate your gender.
2. Interrogate your desire.
3. Interrogate your privilege.
4. Contact your elected officials and voice your opinions.
5. Vote for people who care about and stand up for you and the people you love.
6. Vote out politicians who do not.
7. Have sex or support people who do.
8. Support people who don't want to have sex.
9. Embrace your fetishes and/or support others' fetishes and the right to practice them.
10. Support sex shops.
11. Support sex education.
12. Support adult performers.
13. Support sex workers.
14. Fight to legalize sex work.
15. Speak out against sexual assault.
16. Believe someone when they say they've been sexually assaulted.
17. Defend a woman's and/or trans person's right to choose an abortion.
18. Defend everyone's right to die with dignity.
19. Speak out against police brutality.
20. Hold the police accountable.
21. Push for police reform.
22. Push for prison reform.
23. Push for prisoner's rights.
24. Donate time or money to organizations and shelters for queer homeless youth.
25. Advocate for gun control.
26. Support unions and the right to unionize.
27. Come out and/or support those who do.
28. Thank allies for their support.
29. Hold allies accountable when necessary.
30. Be open to answering questions about your identity.
31. Be open to alerting others to why their questions about your identity may be problematic and unwelcome.
32. Honor those who came before you.
33. Brush up on your queer history.
34. Defend everyone's right to identify using whatever language they want -- even if they use terms that you may not be comfortable with.
35. Refuse to apologize for being angry.
36. Refuse to apologize for being heartbroken.
37. Refuse to apologize for being disappointed.
38. Know when it is appropriate to apologize and do it fully and graciously.
39. Support drag queens.
40. Support drag kings.
41. Support queer bars.
42. Support queer nightlife.
43. Support the arts.
44. Support safe(r) spaces for queer people to gather.
45. Support community-building events and exercises.
46. Have a conversation with an elderly queer person. Learn their story.
47. Fight for elder rights.
48. Use protection when having sex.
49. Get tested for sexually transmitted infections and diseases.
50. Fight stigma related to sexually transmitted infections and diseases.
51. Fight to ensure that HIV/AIDS isn't criminalized.
52. Fight bigoted blood bans.
53. Fight for affordable access to medical care and medicine for all people.
54. Fight the drug war.
55. Fight for true religious freedom -- not the opportunity to discriminate.
56. Fight religious extremism.
57. Fight for the clear and distinct separation of church and state.
58. Fight for comprehensive sex ed that includes discussion about queer sex.
59. Fight against abstinence-only sexual education.
60. Fight for affordable birth control for anyone who wants and/or needs it.
61. Recognize, call out and fight racism.
62. Recognize, call out and fight sexism.
63. Recognize, call out and fight xenophobia.
64. Fight for undocumented people.
65. Fight femme shaming.
66. Fight butch shaming.
67. Fight body shaming.
68. Fight slut shaming.
69. Fight agism.
70. Fight ableism.
71. Fight for and celebrate intersectionality.
72. Practice empathy.
73. Take care of yourself.
74. Take care of each other.
75. Celebrate non-traditional, unconventional and chosen families.
76. Support and love queer children.
77. Adopt and/or foster queer children.
78. Give someone an orgasm.
79. Give yourself an orgasm.
80. Respect non-traditional relationship models like polyamory.
81. Respect all expressions and presentations of gender identity.
82. Question authority.
83. Question capitalism.
84. Question the media.
85. Hold the media accountable.
86. Question Hollywood.
87. Hold Hollywood accountable.
88. Use social media to call out bigotry but be judicious in when and how you use it.
89. Ask questions.
90. Demand answers.
91. Tell your stories.
92. Talk with someone who doesn't look like you.
93. Talk with someone who doesn't think like you.
94. Talk with someone who doesn't love like you.
95. Talk with someone who doesn't fuck like you.
96. Listen to someone who doesn't look like you.
97. Listen to someone who doesn't think like you.
98. Listen to someone who doesn't love like you.
99. Listen to someone who doesn't fuck like you.
100. Take risks.
101. Be fearless when you can and make your fear useful when you cannot.
102. Remember where we came from and who sacrificed to get us there.
103. Remember where we're going.
104. Remember what's at stake.
105. Remember we can't get there by ourselves.
106. Commit this list to memory and repeat each item until no longer necessary.
Before You Go
