Our Stonewall
I've heard time and time again that MAPs need a “stonewall”. Stonewall refers to a series of riots against law enforcement who were pestering gays back decades ago, and it had a lasting impact as a pivotal gay rights event. People say we need ours, but no one wants to throw the first brick because we are too scared.
Times have changed, sure. Technology has completely revolutionized things, and the US becomes more of a police state every day, but the point stands that we're never going to gain acceptance until we stop hiding. Everyone seems to wait for someone else to throw the first brick, but everyone would rather hide. Everyone wants the glamour of “being an activist” but no one wants to put in the work to do so.
Stonewall only happened because gay people were being themselves publicly, even though they knew the risk everyday, and then when their worst fears came to pass, they decided to stand up for themselves. How are we ever gonna do that if we stay hiding?
These days we have the luxury of anonymous online spaces, which has helped our movement in some ways, and hindered it in a lot of others. But the point stands that we'll never achieve acceptance if no one is willing to risk it all. Many in this community do, but hide behind pseudonyms.
If you want a stonewall, then you, the person reading this, has to throw the first brick. You can't count on anyone else to. If you're waiting for someone else to do it, the odds are everyone else is too.
It's easy to make a philosophical post like this one that you can read and never think about again, but I ask you call to action by exploring the world outside of the digital one, and make a step towards unapologetically being yourself without fear of others. Find a trusted online friend to meet up with IRL, wear a piece of pride wherever you go, share a selfie, because if our stonewall comes, it's waiting on you. Now this isn't to say you shouldn't be smart and safe about it, but if fear controls you, know that it doesn't have to.
Fascists want you to be scared, don't give them what they want.