Radicalized Religious Zealots

Our Basic Human Rights Outrank Your Religious Beliefs

As LGBTQ Citizens, Our Safety and Well-Being Matter

LGBTQ lives matter. Your basic human rights are more important than someone else’s weaponized religious beliefs. Photo: Bing

I’m tired. So very tired. It shouldn’t be so mentally exhausting to exist.

My name is Aurora. Aurora Jane. I’m a trans woman. I was born with a different name and for many years, assigned a different gender than I identify as now. Let me tell you how difficult that was, raised in a conservative red state by God-fearing parents.

I’m 36 years old now. Young enough not to have lived through the most difficult times that transgender citizens faced. Unless you count the current times here in America. I’m old enough to see that things are headed in the wrong, dangerous direction.

People like me aren’t safe in America. You may think that your liberal city in a blue state will always be a safe haven for trans citizens, but times are changing, and not for the better. Transphobia is on the rise and it’s becoming more and more dangerous for trans people. Let me tell you what it’s like to be openly trans in 2024.

I remember life in the 90s. As a grade school boy, I attended church every Sunday morning and Wednesday evening. My parents were fully immersed in the conservative Christian lifestyle. My dad…