This article is reprinted from the Speak Out Now General Newsletter.
The rise in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation has met resistance. In at least Florida, Texas, Kentucky, and Alabama, hundreds took to the streets to protest state bills targeting the LGBTQ+ community. Students have led walkouts to demand justice against their oppression, like in Oklahoma where students remembered the death of a trans teen. Students organized a national day of protest, speaking out against laws that limit LGBTQ+ rights.
With the worsening attacks on Palestinians, many in the LGBTQ+ community have shown their solidarity. Many have been present at demonstrations, demanding an end to genocide. A collective called Queers for Liberation gathered more than 25,000 signatures on a petition demanding a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. LGBTQ+ writers, professors, poets, and activists in the U.S. spoke out for Palestinian liberation, while community groups like Queers for Palestine organized on the streets. In a capitalist system that seeks to divide and repress us, we must continue to organize together and grow our forces. The liberation of marginalized people will only come from our collective fight for a world made for and by us.