07/21/2024
**An Open Letter to Cis People in the LGBTQIA+ Community**
Dear Allies and Friends,
We stand together in a community united by our shared experiences of marginalization and our collective fight for equality. Yet, we also face unique challenges that sometimes divide our focus and energy. Today, I write to you with a heartfelt plea regarding the urgent and escalating threats faced by transgender individuals.
The political climate is shifting, and with it, the rights of transgender people are increasingly under attack. Laws and policies are being proposed and enacted that strip away our rights to healthcare, legal recognition, and basic human dignity. For transgender people, these attacks are not just abstract policy debates—they are battles for our very existence.
In these critical times, the silence of our cisgender allies within the LGBTQ+ community is deafening and dangerous. The fear of becoming less palatable to cisgender heterosexual (cishet) communities, while understandable, cannot justify inaction or silence. The stakes are simply too high. When the right to exist of any part of our community is threatened, staying silent for the sake of broader acceptance is morally equivalent to personally signing off on the death of thousands of transgender people.
We need your voices. We need your advocacy. We need your willingness to stand up and speak out, even when it is uncomfortable, even when it is risky. Your silence can be interpreted as complicity, and it can embolden those who seek to erase us. Conversely, your vocal support can be a lifeline, a beacon of hope, and a powerful force for change.
The struggle for transgender rights is a struggle for human rights. It is a fight against dehumanization, discrimination, and violence. It is a fight that cannot be won without solidarity from our entire community.
Here’s how you can help:
1. **Speak Out:** Use your platforms, your voices, and your influence to raise awareness about the issues facing transgender people. Challenge transphobia whenever you encounter it, both within and outside of the LGBTQ+ community.
2. **Educate Yourself and Others:** Continuously educate yourself about transgender issues and share this knowledge with those around you. Understanding is the first step toward meaningful action.
3. **Advocate for Policy Change:** Support and advocate for policies that protect transgender rights at the local, state, and federal levels. Engage in activism and support organizations that are leading the fight for transgender equality.
4. **Support Transgender Individuals:** Offer direct support to transgender people in your life. Listen to their experiences, respect their identities, and stand by them in their struggles.
5. **Build Inclusive Communities:** Work towards making every space, including LGBTQ+ spaces, inclusive and affirming for transgender people. Challenge exclusionary practices and foster environments where everyone can thrive.
**To the Drag Community:**
It is neither inappropriate nor tacky to address political topics through drag artistry. Drag has always been a powerful form of expression, often used to comment on societal issues and advocate for change. Using your platform as a drag artist to shed light on the dire situations facing transgender people is not just appropriate—it is necessary. The actual lives of trans people are currently in grave danger. Choosing to ignore this reality and not using your voice to amplify these urgent issues is morally reprehensible. Your art has the power to educate, inspire, and mobilize. It can be a catalyst for much-needed conversations and actions.
We are stronger together, and the power of our community lies in our unity. Now, more than ever, we need you to stand with us, to fight with us, and to ensure that the rights and dignity of transgender people are defended with the full strength of our collective voices.
With solidarity and hope,
Leader and founder of the Draven Drag Cult, Damnesia Draven
