Live and Let Me be Queer

Dear America,

Please just live and let me be queer.

I know I should feel lucky to live here –

Home of the brave, land of the free.

Unless, apparently, you are like me.

It’s where minorities of any kind

are targets of violence and hate,

and studies show they experience

mental illness at a higher rate.

America: Land of the Christians,

And home to them and them only.

Where racism continues to live on,

And women lose bodily autonomy.

Founded on the idea of religious freedom,

But laws are made based on only one.

A drag queen reading kids’ books to kids,

Is seen as more dangerous than a gun.

You may feel confident you’re safe here, but

The rights I have can be - and have been - taken away.

417 anti-LGBTQ laws introduced within 4 months*.

The American queer community is not okay.

Whether or not it applies to you,

Imagine 417 bills being proposed in the name

Of limiting your basic rights, and thus

Showing you that you aren’t the same.

When you look at the laws being passed,

At the end of all the political fights,

The message America sends is that

different people deserve different rights.

As sincere as can be,

A fellow American.

*Source: https://www.aclu.org/legislative-attacks-on-lgbtq-rights?impact=