It was once said by Audre Lorde, "Your silence will not protect you."
So unchained and unmuzzled, I’m writing you this letter with my legs crossed in comfort among the crossfire you’ve dared to create.
I've noticed a lack of feminism in your legal motions. You’ve been actively, and successfully, removing our bodily autonomy, degrading non-binary identities and publicly shaming those of us who choose to spread our wings without the fear of being struck down.
You continue to take from us what you say you cherish so much. You’re actively taking away freedom and the right to choose what is in our best interest. You took part in reversing the ruling of Roe V. Wade, removing the right for a pregnant person to terminate an unwanted, or even unsafe pregnancy, if the state so decides. And with this, you claim you want to, “save the
children!” and even swing down in the name of false religious morals.
But what child is safe when these morals have the ability to force them into a life they never asked for?
You've gone out of your way to create this hell-scape, it could even make the devil blush. And that's ironic to me, because isn't he the one you hate so much?
I’ve seen what you’ve done in Florida too, where every day it seems my friends wake up to wonder, "what rights have I lost today? And what do I do?" The military’s don’t ask, don’t tell may have been repealed in 2011, but somehow it’s cousin HB 1557, the “don’t say gay” bill, began to infect the state of Florida in 2022.
This harmful bill teaches kids that their feelings are invalid. That their fate and identity are decided by false, socially constructed binaries. Laws like this bring the malicious out of the woodwork and spread contagious, hateful beliefs throughout our society. Kids deserve to be
encouraged, inspired and uplifted. Yet all they are offered is blind conformity to a system that views them as conflicted.
And all of this makes me wonder. Have you ever heard of feminism before?
Not the feminism that’s claimed to come in waves throughout history, but rather the ever-flowing and glowing feminism that breaks down barriers and changes every landscape it graces. The feminism that values common ground while praising each individual for their differences. The feminism that unites the broken and divided in the most trying of times.
You speak of freedoms, justice, equality and individual pursuits of happiness.
We're more alike than we are different, you and I.
This all sounds great and aligned with the feminism I love, but your actions don’t reflect the words of liberation you choose to speak. Instead, you limit our individual freedoms, suppress non-binary identities and take away the colorful, yet quickly dying, American dream.
Who exactly do you want to be free? Who exactly deserves to live a life worth loving? And who exactly do you believe you're protecting?
Because it's not me. It’s not them. It's not women.
And it's definitely not the children.
Your laws are not only anti-feminist, but unjust to the core and a danger to those who dare speak their vibrant truth anymore. Your laws compare, your laws divide, your laws spread contagious hate as our humanity declines.
But my feminism does not discriminate.
Not against you and surely, not against me.
Our feminism unites and spreads the word that there's not just room for you and I, but for everyone else in between. Our feminism gives us the power to take action and thrive, even if you’re not sure what exactly it is that we mean.
But maybe you haven't heard of feminism, or so I'd like to think so at least.
After all, isn’t that the nature of the beast?
I hope to see feminism begin to guide your hand, so you can realize how free we can really be.
And I hope you start to see that there’s enough room for free people, authentic children, you, and even me.
There’s more to this life than black and white, day and night, his and hers. Through the lense of feminism, there’s gray, there’s dawn, there’s them, there’s us.
All things we can choose to adore.
So let me make one last thing clear for you, this letter is meant to bring change and peace, not to incite a war.
And although this may be my last cry for action,
Don’t let it become a roar.
Welcome to the cool kids club!
My name is Jamie and I'm a young (ish) transman born and raised in the Hudson Valley of New York state. I started my transition in May of 2017 and since then, I've made it my mission to live unapologetically as myself and spread awareness through my pursuit of happiness. I am the creator and writer of Spilling T blog, a proud affiliate of TransTape and when I'm not outside with the best dog ever or hanging out with my two cats, I make and sell my own beard care products through Buckaroo's Beard Care. I'm always looking for my next adventure and have been skydiving, road-tripping, hiking in the mountains and even served for a short time in the United States Marine Corps. My life has had its fair share of twists and turns and I hope to use those experiences to create helpful and relatable content that may help someone else navigate a difficult time in life.
Beards, Socials, Tape and Writing
Use code FINALLYME10 and Find Your Freedom with TransTape!
Comments