“Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It’s not pie.” -Jesse Williams

In the last year, the queer and genderqueer communities have been increasingly on the defensive. Across the U.S., and in much of the world, a series of laws and policies have sought to erase LGBTQIA+ people from public life. These policies amount to a quiet genocide.

Don’t say gay bills sexualize and demonize queer identities, forcing teachers back into the closet, and depriving young people of the ability to explore their gender and sexuality in safe, supportive spaces.

So called, bathroom bills, draw upon false narratives of safety, categorizing trans people as predators to be feared, when in fact they are often the victims of violence.

Anti-drag bills attack displays of queer expression, marginalizing queer people, and removing them from public spaces.

Bans on gender affirming care for minors and adults deprive individuals access to life saving treatment, increasing their risk of depression and suicide. In some places, these laws have also labeled this care as child abuse.

These laws and polices are inhumane, unethical, and truly hateful. The sum of them is the forced disappearance of queer people from the world–a genocide. And, right now, their actions are having an impact.

The politicians and promotors of these laws would have you believe they are under assault, that queer kids and adults are confused, that queer people are dangerous, and that somehow gender expression and identities are contagious, like a disease. In this way, they fashion queer and genderqueer people as unnatural and undeserving of equal rights. If this all sounds familiar, it should. The face of the civil rights movement may change, but the struggle never ends.

Queer and genderqueer people only want equal rights and protections under the law. They want to grow up in a world where their gender identity and expression is not pathologized, where they are respected for who they are, and not discriminated against in public spaces. They want access to evidence based healthcare that helps them achieve authentic gender embodiment and the ability to legally transition when appropriate. More than anything, queer and genderqueer people just want to be themselves and not be harassed by ignorant people who hate with impunity. This is the “queer” agenda, and it is one everyone who is kind and ethical should support.