I feel compelled to address the 2016 election for president because although I am an artist first and foremost, it simply permeates the culture and won’t get off my brain so I’m trying to write it out. I am not a woman- I am white, I am a male. I happen to be gay but you may not know that unless you are familiar with me personally or could guess from my work. What strikes me is that people are scared and angry and they have a right to be. Mr. Trump has said horrible things and associated himself with very terrifying groups and people. I only want to say that I do not want this president. I do not want his vice president. I do not want hate running around with authority. I do not want violence and oppression. I choose not to hate these people as I actively participate to protect my friends, family, and nation.
I was happy to come across the notion that we are supported by a bigger community http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/patrick-stewart-safety-pin-donald-trump_us_58261897e4b02d21bbc88b75 and that it had become a trend for what was in my opinion solidarity. However, there has been an argument against wearing these safety pins as well, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/dear-white-people-your-safety-pins-are-embarassing_us_58278b9de4b02b1f5257a36a basically making the argument that we as white people are turning racism into something casual that we can use and then go back to ignoring. There is a link to how to not be that person to that I’ll add: https://medium.com/@keeltyc/how-to-easily-be-a-white-ally-to-marginalized-communities-fb0ff326e7ac#.l7t5nbcip and I agree with both but at the same time I don’t believe that blaming people about who and what they are is relevant.
What is relevant is that we have an administration that singles out minorities in this country and can do a lot of damage to our environment. I understand that we have a culture that treats people differently based on their appearance and that what I have to say means absolutely nothing to people that are persecuted because they aren’t able to pass as straight and white.
I am gay and this I feel only allows me the window of fear for my well-being that I have known based on growing up consciously choosing to correct my femininity. I know that my white privilege affords me a lot in circumventing that same fear I know others are incapable of hiding. I am upset that this is the case and I believe it can be better. So I have undertaken the responsibility of making myself do all that I can to support all minorities that are a target of this administration. I feel that this statement is invariably weak and unbelievable to those that have no choice but to fight this fight every day based on who they are.
Knowing that growing up is difficult when you are not accepted as part of the crowd is something I am familiar with. I apologized later in my thirties to a gay man in my high school that was not able to hide his orientation as well as I could. If I had the opportunity to wear a pin then I probably wouldn’t have because the notion of being persecuted daily is terrifying. I mean really terrifying.
I think that there are a lot of people out there that were like me and are still not out of the closet because they fear being separated from their friends and family and believe hating themselves isn’t too high a price to pay (Republicans included). My only defense in being white and wanting to wear this pin is that I’m also prepared to be a warrior whether you are a Woman, Muslim, Black, Mexican, Native American or a natural preserve or endangered species. My love and passion comes from the super heroes that I grew up with that instilled in me the need to have dignity, freedom, and faith in the spirit that connects us all.
When I wear a safety pin I will do it for me and you whether you want me to or not. I will protest with black lives matter and I will send my money to people defending our water from Big Oil. When I choose to wear my pin I will know that my fuel is love and that I will love my enemy and that evil will lose. If a Trump supporter wears a safety pin then I will support that Trump supporter or Johnson supporter if they concede that peace and life is important and should be protected. I will redirect my energy toward defense and opposition and evade violence at all costs. I will practice peace and acceptance of what we have done by moving forward. I can do this without wearing a pin but if only one other person recognizes it and is comforted then this action will have worked and maybe we can create an action to combat our fear together. I want to wear a pin because it would have made me more secure when I was growing up and things were scary.
Who to support during a Trump presidency:
Planned Parenthood- https://www.plannedparenthood.org/
Center for Reproductive Rights- https://www.reproductiverights.org/
Natural Resources Defense Council- https://www.nrdc.org/
The International Refugee Assistance Project- http://www.refugeerights.org/
NAACP Legal Defense Fund- http://www.naacp.org/
The Trevor Project- http://www.thetrevorproject.org/
Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. http://www.maldef.org/
Who to read:
BBC America
New York times
Propublica
Democracy Now
