LGBTQIA+ people should not be feared

Riffling through last Sunday’s edition of The Tennessean, I was repulsed at the opinion pieces surrounding current LGBTQIA+ affairs in Tennessee. One letter stated that bills targeting drag queens and trans folks in the Tennessee Legislature aren’t really helping children, “they are just easy” ways to get attention. Another letter advised “reaching out and helping” those who may commit violent acts against the LGBTQIA+ community–offering a glimpse into how perpetrators may feel “threatened by those that are different.” 

As a proud gay man and a proud Tennessean, I can’t help but be enraged at the notions that legislation targeting the livelihood of the queer community is lamented as “easy.” Equally disgusting, is the notion that our societal energy should be devoted to pacifying those who feel threatened by the sheer existence of queer people. Queer people exist. We are lawyers. Doctors. Restaurant workers and journalists. Teachers, public servants, and custodians. Nurses, athletes, truck drivers, your neighbors. We are people. People with passions, careers, families, and lives. Our existence is not an “easy” political football meant to activate and empower factions of voters. Queer lives should not be feared. And we definitely should not focus on placating the fears of someone who would rather turn to violence than acceptance. We, as a society, should dedicate our energy to understanding that queer lives are human lives, and we are everywhere. We must recognize that our language and word choice surrounding the LGBTQIA+ community matters more than ever–our lives are on the line. 

Brady Ruffin, 37212