Prism & Pen Joins Queer People Globally — Shouting Defiance & Joy
Prism & Pen Special Election Edition, 11 November 2024
by James Finn
Today, our headline image is bordered in black, in recognition of the fear and grief so many LGBTQ people feel in the face of an election campaign that often centered on demonizing us. From a former Secret Service agent who broke down in tears on DC’s P Street, to a lesbian in Ghana who fears for her safety, we present perspectives from across North America and around the the world.
We’re leading with constructive stories, so if you feel traumatized by last Tuesday’s wave of … whatever that was … we offer nourishment and grains of joy while respecting the grave reality of what just happened. If you’re queer, you’re safe here. This is your community, and as Alex Mell-Taylor writes, building community must be our top priority right now.
As always, Prism & Pen brings you authentic queer voices every morning…. Come read with us!👇
Read stories for free by clicking the links that say “Read in P&P.” Want more daily stories from across the rainbow? Follow us on Medium, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Mastodon, or Bluesky! Want to help support P&P? Join Medium.
* P&P Highlights *
A Letter to the Trump Voters Who Support Trans People
What am I doing in the aftermath of the 2024 United States election?
I’m wondering about you. Of course, I already know you exist.
You’re the coworker who hugged me the day after this week’s election, ignoring my queer rage masked too thinly by professionalism. I gladly accepted your kind hug because I desperately needed one. We didn’t discuss anything you said about Trump being the “lesser evil.” …
We work in homeless shelters together. Our work requires a lot of heart.
You’re the preschool office director who could have fired me the day I came out as the queer spouse of a trans woman.
What If the Queers You’re Afraid of Are Really the Family You Seek?
Last week, I intended for this to be an inspiring little story about me coming into my own as a gay person at my favorite coffee shop… but this all happened in the Obama Era, when progress seemed inevitable.
I have never encountered any really overt homophobia… I’ve never had to bandage my nose after a punch to the face from a straight guy who thought I looked at him funny.
I take for granted that I have queer allies, and I can go to a place with a big rainbow flag on the wall and feel safe and at home . I forget how many places there are in this country where a flag on the wall is liable to make someone throw a brick in the window.
As many memories as I have in the city that I love — my personal heaven, that I know like the back of my hand — I look around at my country and I still feel like it’s a strange and scary place I’ve never been before.
Americans Living with Election Grief: Courage from Us Older Queer Folks!
Like many Americans, I woke this morning with grief and fear weighing down my chest. I barely slept after overnight election returns. I didn’t know how to process, but I knew I had work to do — for my queer family and for any loving American frightened over the fascism overtaking our nation…
Trump told us what he would do, and we collectively told him yes — to mass deportations and concentration camps. To eviscerating the civil service. To giving Israel the go-ahead to finish its genocide in Gaza and quite likely start another in the West Bank. To partner with Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Queer people in Ukraine are freaking out today. They know Putin is coming for them and the U.S. has abandoned them.)
But while the New York Times might find all this unprecedented, the election represents a return to the status quo I lived with for most of my life. If you’re younger than my 62 years, listen to my queer generation, please. We’ve already been here!
Queers Need To Realize That Elections Won’t Save Us
It’s heartbreaking when a terrible man ascends to power. Every time this happens, and it’s by no means a unique experience in America, we are reminded of just how horrible our system is. And when that man is the next leader of your country — a man who campaigned trampling on your very identity — a whole lot of people crash against that realization at the same time…
[Elections are] a backward approach to gaining power. You are spending resources upfront in the hope of getting “amenable enough” people so you can start building what you need... And every election cycle, we keep volunteering and donating more and more to keep this gamble going, and it isn’t working.
I propose — and I am not the first to advance this today, let alone this century — that we work on building what we need, irrespective of who is in power.
Smoke & Rainbows II: Petra the Gay Texan Shi’a on Hezbollah
My friend Piotr is sobbing on the phone in a Christian town in Lebanon called Ain Saadeh (The Fountain of Happiness).
“I’ve been crying every day,” he says.
I’ve never heard him cry before, except when he broke up with his boyfriend, Angelo, that short twink who always looked like a slightly peeved Italian schoolgirl but had the silent malice of a ninja. Gorgeous features, never smiling, except, I’m told, when topped. The crying makes me feel the gravity of his situation. The fact that we are powerless and we must sit and wait and hope and seethe. I reject being pathetic and decide to piss on the dread with jokes.
What a Trump Win Means to This Lesbian Living in Ghana
Politics in my country, Ghana, is a total shitshow — I gave up on it a long time ago. If I’m utterly numb about all the nonsense ongoing in my own country, then it makes sense that I barely think about other countries.
But let’s be real, when it comes to the USA, whatever transpires there usually has a ripple effect worldwide.
So yes, let’s talk about what a Trump win means for me even though I live in Ghana.
Donald Trump has a huge fan base in Ghana and many parts of Africa. Between Harris and Trump, many wanted Trump to win. And when he did, my contacts on WhatsApp continuously bombarded me with status after status about how America would be great again.
Yep. Almost everyone I know is a Trump supporter.
I’m a Gay Former Secret Service Agent Trying To Find My Way in Dark Times
I was in DC on Election Day for work, which was fitting given I was a Secret Service agent for nearly a decade.
The evening after the election, I met with Tony … at Number 9 for a drink. He was the first close friend I saw after the results were known. I broke down and started crying when I saw him, for all to see along P Street. I cried for our community and the setback we just suffered, for the women in our country, for the African-American children I’d seen that morning who were just told they weren’t good enough by a majority of Americans, for Tony’s daughter and my son …
The fear we carry with us is real and palpable. I am uncertain if I will take my family to western Pennsylvania to visit family this Thanksgiving. It is heavily Trump country, and that does not bring me comfort as a gay man in a biracial marriage, with a biracial son.
The Most Important Issue on the 2024 Ballot? Masculinity!
Fundamentally, this election boiled down to how individual voters feel about masculinity and what they think masculinity represents in today’s America. Essentially, particularly in the presidential contest, every voter was asked to decide between two very different concepts of manhood:
Choice (A) evolved, expansive, and inclusive.
Choice (B) regressive, limited, and restrictive.
Choice (A) progressive, open-minded, and positive.
Choice (B) conservative, rigid, and (let’s face it) toxic.
U.S. Election Outcome Will Affect This Queer, Even in Australia
Today, hate won. Does this mark the start of a civil war (at the very least)? Is this the end of the U.S.A.? And what does that mean for the rest of the world?
Make America great again? We know what Trump thinks is great and after he does away with his easiest targets, his supporters will discover that most of them are NOT what he thinks is great.
PLEASE — stay safe! This will be a mere blip in history, but it’s our right now, and that is scary as hell. I’m watching the tsunami roll in and desperately hoping it doesn’t do as much damage as everyone expects. And I’m watching to see how big the waves are that hit our Australian shores.
* This Week’s Essays & Creative Non Fiction *
I Was Cruised on Sunset Blvd — When I Was Only 12
I don’t know why I had “Gay” stamped on my forehead as a kid. Not as a young kid, but beyond 10 years old.
That’s about the time that our so-called family moved to Southern California. Though only sixty miles from Los Angeles, Ventura was nothing like LA. I’d been pretty sheltered in the West Texas town of Abilene... The year was 1968.
On the main street that led to the beaches was a row of counter-culture shops selling “hippie stuff.” The smell of patchouli drifted out of every storefront.
And then there was little ol’ me. Trying to grasp life after four cross-country moves in the fourth grade alone.
The Cost of Homophobia, Monetary and Otherwise
Uganda’s 2023 anti-homosexuality act (AHA) was estimated to cost the country 470-million-1.6 billion USD in the year since it was passed. A report by Open for Business found that Uganda’s AHA could cause losses of up to 8.3 billion USD per year. Not only does the AHA tarnish Uganda’s reputation in the eyes of investors and tourists, but it also caused a sharp reduction in international aid.
Uganda’s AHA is not only projected to cost the country 16.85% of its GDP in 5 years, but it will be difficult, if not impossible, to recover from such a loss.
Here’s Your Obligatory “Vote Now” Reminder from a Trans Man
Last year at this time, I was working overtime to get out the vote for that election. I would knock on the doors of dilapidated trailers with numbers that were mislabeled on my map. Then, I’d hop into another field manager’s car to drive to a rich suburb or an old apartment complex to do the same. The result is that every neighborhood I see now looks familiar.
Queer and Trans Folk: Humor is Our Most Endearing and Winning Asset.
I just re-watched Page Hurwitz’s excellent Netflix doc, Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution. The film explores the history and growing acceptance of queer stand-up comedy through the reflections of several generations of lesbian, gay, and trans comics.
I came away from this second viewing reminded that one of my favorite things about queer culture has always been our ability to poke fun at ourselves, at one another, and the world we live in from a uniquely acerbic (at the same time, loving) perspective.
Is Gender Integration Worth It in the End?
In the many years before I finally committed to gender transition I looked for ways to calm the anxiety I felt whenever I considered gender related issues and my identity. By that time I knew my oldest friends and family wouldn’t understand and possibly would find the questions I had to be very strange.
To be completely honest, I also found those questions to be strange, but that was based on my upbringing and the general views of society about gender. I still needed to ask the questions, but options for good answers were limited, and the prevailing wisdom was limited to a few negative stereotypes.
I Will Do More Trans Education After the Election, No Matter Who Wins
The facts are clear. An alarming number of voters in this country have never met a transgender or nonbinary person. (There’s a rumor going around that more people in this country have seen a ghost than have met a transgender person…)
No matter how this 2024 election turns out, I will take on meeting people where they are about transgender rights and needs. That will take patience (which has been in short supply for me this year) and listening and asking and answering questions.
I was encouraged when I hosted an event called ‘How to be a Trans Ally’ for my senior center.
Looking Past the Transness: The Boy Who Helped Me Love Myself
Dating post-transition has been so exhausting that voluntary celibacy often feels like the smart choice. Men are either repulsed by my gender-nonconforming appearance or way too into it. So much so that they don’t want to see the human behind the trans identity.
I met him at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting and was instantly enamoured by his casual prettiness. He was a newcomer, and I tried to maintain distance. Weirdly enough, he came up to me after the meeting, chatted me up and kept trying to engage. Strangers don’t usually talk to me because of the way I look, so this felt refreshing.
This Older Gay Widower Fell in Love on a Train Last Night
… But last night, in a dream, I fell in love again. The dream was so real, the emotions so intense, and the love so strong that it caused me to question my decision. Even if the dream was fiction, the experience was creative non-fiction, and it made me realize that, in many ways, we live by loving.
I sat down next to a stranger on a commuter train. We glanced at each other, and something clicked. Nothing was said, but our thighs touched now and then as the train rumbled along rough tracks. Each touch set off a charge of electricity that I could tell affected both of us.
Stop Talking About My Voice — A Gay Man’s Plea for Compassion
People always think I’m British, and it drives me crazy. On a regular basis, they demand to know why I have “an accent.” I can always tell when they’re about to say it, and immediately I feel myself getting defensive and tense.
Last week, I went up to someone, and literally all I said was “Hello,” and right away she responded with “Are you British?” I just collapsed to my haunches on the pavement and cackled in bitter frustration.
As the world gets more contentious and vitriolic, I try to lead with a loving spirit, take stock of what’s really important, and let everything else go… but this one thing just gets under my skin …
As a Queer Person, I’m Doing This in the Aftermath of the U.S. Election
James Finn’s essay and Prism & Pen writing prompt, “As a Queer Person, I’m Doing THIS in the Aftermath of the U.S. Election,” has disturbed me.
Thank you, James, for disturbing my thinking! Most of my writing has been about personal experiences and, therefore, personal issues and personal philosophies.
My predilection is to lean left. I prefer not to be too radical. My usual is to avoid politics. I would call myself a liberal and … at times, a conservative. Sometimes, my thinking is that of a socialist, sometimes a capitalist, sometimes a Democrat, and yes, sometimes even a Republican!
… But I am not so sure I understand what all this means on a day-to-day basis or if I am able to function from a political point of view.
I Just Became a Teacher for Queer Kids. Right on Time?
The new privilege awarded to me by this election is that I live in a Blue city, one that will have a new group of refugees to receive, the gender refugees.
The election is too new to know how desperate it will be for members of the LGBTQ community in Red areas, but I have read that people are already moving or trying to move from these gender-repressed areas.
Sadly, I think it will only get worse.
I don’t have any answers yet, but I know I can’t be passive either. I have gotten certified as a substitute teacher in my city. I have been specifically assigned to [a school] that specializes in the needs of LGBTQ high school students.
What This Queer Canadian is Doing Now That Hate Won
I spent the day after the 2024 US election grieving. My stomach was in knots and my heart hurt. Everyone who saw me could tell just by looking at me that something was wrong. I felt helpless.
The next morning, I woke up determined to light a lamp in the darkness.
I am relatively safe. I’m a White Canadian, living in a major city and working at a queer-friendly female-dominated workplace. I am a bisexual woman married to a man, so I can pass as straight.
So, what can I do?
Why I Will Never Come Out to My Parents
My parents are deeply conservative, and their beliefs aren’t just opinions; they are convictions. In recent years, they’ve made their views on gender, sexuality, and what they believe constitutes a “moral” life very clear.
I hear my mom praying every morning. She gives thanks to God for health, a home, security. She prays for my future: a good career, stable and prosperous, and, of course, a husband. Then, in never-failing order, she says prayers for protection from “evil,” from natural disasters, from illness, and yes, from what she calls “sinful lifestyles”.
She started adding that into her prayers when I was in my last two years of high school, because she thought I was “becoming” gay.
* Fiction Shorts *
The Gay Detective: Game Show Host Meets Guillotine — Off With His Head
Timothy Matheson wanted more than anything to be recognized as the best day-time game show host. And Tim thought it was in the bag with Georgie Bartholomew’s forced retirement from the network’s longest-running game show, “How’d They Do That?” The coveted award would be his.
But no-one knew Georgie had prepared a surprise for the underhanded schemer who was replacing him. A special event for the gala broadcast intended to say farewell to Georgie and welcome Tim as the new host.
Georgie pleaded with the arresting officer. “You gotta believe me, it was just a gag. The magician promised me the guillotine was safe.”
* Poetry Picks *
I Have a Brick — protest poetry
I have a brick.
It’s weathered, worn —
rough in my hands,
like the hands that once held it.
The hands that grasped it
when there was nothing else to hold on to.I think of her —
her kind face framed in courage,
in rage, something deeper…
That’s it for this week! Writers, we have a prompt running: As a Queer Person, I’m Doing THIS in the Aftermath of the U.S. Election. We hope to hear from all of you! And if you don’t write for us yet, now is a great time to get started!
Courage to all of you, and constructive (happy seems like the wrong word today) reading! Keep shining the love, and send your stories to Prism & Pen.
We need you all!
Jim
