Illustration by Tess Brzycki
As 2021 began, the LGBTQ community (and perhaps much of free world) breathed a sigh of relief. On January 20, the inauguration of Joseph Biden as the 46th President of the United States and Kamala Harris as Vice President signaled a respite from hate. A hopeful celebration of democracy and diversity, the event heralded an optimistic return to compassion and social justice. For many, including myself, it elicited tears of joy and pride.
For all its many moments of inspiration, the inaugural fête also revived our sense of humor. An image of a chilled Bernie Sanders in winter array continues to provide a relentless stream of bemittened Bernie memes, including one of him perched on the stalwart shoulders of our very own Milverine, in St. Christopher’s manner, resolutely carrying his charge. By the way, a Vermont lesbian mom knitted those now immortalized mittens.
It was not mittens alone marking the change of fortune for LGBTQ Americans. That morning after “we’re not in Kansas anymore” afterglow saw Joe Biden setting about to reverse the previous regime’s efforts to restrict LGBTQ rights. An executive order has already overturned the transgender military service ban declared in 2017. LGBTQs are among the many new and diverse faces in both the cabinet and high government positions: Pete Buttigieg as Secretary of Transportation, Rachel Levine, a transwoman, as Assistant Secretary of Health; Ned Price as spokesman for the U.S. State Department; Karine Jean-Pierre as the administration’s principal deputy press secretary; Carlos Elizondo as the administration’s social secretary. More are, no doubt, yet to come.
The Rainbow flag will again fly at U.S. embassies. Acknowledgement of genre diversity has reached even to the extent of an official administration request for White House staff members to name their preferred pronoun. Meanwhile, as if to underscore the new administration’s commitment to inclusion, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden visited an LGBTQ community health clinic.
Overcome the Politics of Division
For the time being, we can bask in the optimism of the moment. However, as much as it might seem as though a transition from the nation’s self-destructive politics of division to a common goal of rule by compassion and justice for all is taking place, hate is not banished so easily.
We cannot forgive and forget the thwarted insurrection perpetrated by storm-trumpers incited by the former president and his GOP cabal. One shouldn’t be tricked by the calls to move on and that an impeachment trial would further divide the country. For their part, implying the guilt of their GOP leaders, gay Log Cabin Republicans of Wisconsin are praying for President Biden to pardon them.
In any case, the real fear among Republicans is that an impeachment trial would further expose the broad network of accomplices. Not surprisingly, even the inauguration has not kept Republicans from perpetuating the lie of election fraud.
Meanwhile, a new extreme rightwing political party seems to be in the offing. The original hint of its formation suggested calling it the Patriot Party. However, it apparently dawned on someone to ride on the brand and call it the MAGA Party, especially since there are no doubt stockpiles of unsold MAGA merch lying around. The thing is, with his lingering power over the base, the ex-would-be potentate can hold over the heads of Republican incumbents the threat of being primaried if they do not kowtow to the leader. His proponents’ vocabulary du jour includes such authoritarian favorites as “denunciation” and “purge.”
Meantime, for LGBTQs, it appears as though, at least for the duration, we are back on track towards equality.
