Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

MOMBIAN Picking up the shards
by Dana Rudolph
2016-11-30

This article shared 365 times since Wed Nov 30, 2016
facebook twitter google +1 reddit email


I made a cake on Nov. 8 to celebrate what I thought would be Hillary Clinton's election.

For decoration, I melted sugar into sheets and broke it into shards to represent the glass ceiling that I hoped she would shatter. On Nov. 9, however, I found myself looking at the remains of the cake and wondering if it better represented an earlier event on that date: Kristallnacht, when Nazi-led mobs vandalized hundreds of synagogues, Jewish homes, schools, businesses, hospitals and cemeteries, leaving the streets littered in broken glass.

We are not at that point yet in the United States, but it feels like we have taken a step in that direction. Donald Trump's racist rhetoric, constant name-calling, and general demagoguery have set a tone that some have compared to that of Hitler. I would like to believe that the checks and balances we have in this country—and the fact that more than half of the country did not vote for Trump—will keep us away from a racist dictatorship, but the echoes are nonetheless disturbing. Whether we can heal our nation and create a more hopeful future depends on all of us, not just President-Elect Trump.

None of us can predict, of course, exactly what Trump's presidency will mean for ourselves or our country, but here are some fragments of what I do know:

My family is still a family. No matter what the law or anyone else says, nothing can change that.

We must tell our kids that when bullies win, the good people try harder.

We must tell them that change takes time, but we will always love and protect them.

Good people have been standing up against what Trump stands for—bullying, name calling, racism, and misogyny—and will keep doing so.

Hillary Clinton may not become president, but we can still help deliver on her vision of "Stronger Together"—a vision with roots in the "one out of many" that our country's founders promised. We must work to bring together a nation that has become deeply divided—not only by the election, but by a history that separates people and has allowed racism, sexism and all of the other "-isms" to flourish.

Others in this country have more to fear from a Trump presidency than I, and I must keep fighting for them, too. I feel extra pain this week thinking of my friends of color and those who are Muslim or immigrants. I know they wouldn't want my pity, however, but my allyship. I am privileged in being White and middle class and not currently disabled, despite being a lesbian and a Jew. I must use the privilege I have to support those who have less. I must listen to their perspectives and learn from them how best to help advance their rights and opportunities.

Many who voted for Trump did so because of a discontent with our current system and their place in it. We must listen to their fears and concerns, too, for only by understanding other perspectives can we work to create a more equitable society for all. This does not mean we need to tolerate racist or sexist comments or actions, or forgive Trump supporters for voting in someone who will likely set back social justice in many ways. We do, however, have to try to understand why they did so. Only then will we have a chance to help find different solutions.

We parents have a key role to play here. All of us want to protect our children, to help them learn, to give them opportunities. That is an immediate commonality across every political persuasion. That means we have a starting point for conversation.

We have to keep telling our own stories. We cannot expect others to understand us if we do not share our experiences as well. Stories can lead to understanding, and that can drive action.

Communication is best when we check the facts. Misinformation about both sides was flying around during the election. On a very basic level, we should read through articles and watch videos before forwarding, reposting, or retweeting them. We should try to confirm from multiple sources. We shouldn't assume that just because something supports our worldview, it's true.

I have confidence that we will make progress towards a more just and equitable society—perhaps not in the short term, but in alignment with the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., when he said, "We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."

The obstacles are daunting, but I am also thinking of Dr. King's observation, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." Pair that with the words of Harry Potter's Albus Dumbledore: "Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light."

If many of us are feeling a little broken right now, therefore, we should remember: Shards of glass may appear to be broken, but they are sharp, there are many of them, and they reflect the light.

Light and love to all of us.

Dana Rudolph is the founder and publisher of Mombian ( mombian.com ), a GLAAD Media Award-winning blog and resource directory for LGBTQ parents.


This article shared 365 times since Wed Nov 30, 2016
facebook twitter google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Quigley looks ahead to November election at LGBTQ+ roundtable
2024-04-25
U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Illinois) discussed the importance of voting in this year's election and the consequences its results could have on the LGBTQ+ community during a roundtable discussion Thursday at Center on Halsted, 3656 N. ...


Gay News

State Sen. Villanueva discusses migrants, reproductive freedom and LGBTQ+-rights at ALMA town hall
2024-04-25
On April 23, the Association of Latinos/as/xs Motivating Action (ALMA) held a virtual town hall, in collaboration with Equality Illinois, that featured Illinois state Sen. Celina Villanueva (D-12th District). ALMA ...


Gay News

Center on Halsted looks ahead to New Horizons at annual Human First Gala
2024-04-22
New Horizons was the theme of this year's sold-out Center on Halsted (The Center) annual Human First Gala April 20 at The Geraghty in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood. Ahead of the awards ceremony, the Center's Board of ...


Gay News

SAVOR 'Hot Ones,' 101 complex opening, Casati's closing, Crumbl
2024-04-20
—Feeling hot, hot, hot: The addictive show Hot Ones is coming to Chicago, Time Out Chicago noted. First We Feast is teaming with Stella Artois to bring the show/YouTube sensation—which has featured guests such as Tyra ...


Gay News

Legislation to increase HIV testing, Linkage to Care Act passes Illinois House with bipartisan vote of 106
2024-04-20
--From a press release - SPRINGFIELD — Thursday night, House Bill 5417, the Connection to HIV Testing and Linkage to Care Act, or the HIV TLC Act, championed by State Representative Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) passed the Illinois House of Representatives with ...


Gay News

WORLD Nigeria arrest, Chilean murderer, trans ban, Olivier Awards, marriage items
2024-04-19
Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission's (EFCC's) decision to arrest well-known transgender woman Idris Okuneye (also known as Bobrisky) over the practice of flaunting money has sparked questions among several ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Ohio law blocked, Trevor Project, Rev. Troy Perry, ICE suit, Elon Musk
2024-04-19
In Ohio, Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Judge Michael Holbrook temporarily blocked a Republican-backed state law banning gender-affirming care (such as puberty blockers and hormones) for transgender minors from ...


Gay News

BOOKS Frank Bruni gets political in 'The Age of Grievance'
2024-04-18
In The Age of Grievance, longtime New York Times columnist and best-selling author Frank Bruni analyzes the ways in which grievance has come to define our current culture and politics, on both the right and left. ...


Gay News

Hunter leads resolution declaring April 2024 as Minority Health Month
2024-04-18
--From a press release - SPRINGFIELD — To raise awareness about the importance of cardiovascular health, particularly among minority communities, State Senator Mattie Hunter passed a resolution declaring April 2024 as Minority Health Month in ...


Gay News

Supreme Court allows Idaho ban on gender-affirming care for minors
2024-04-18
The U.S. Supreme Court has granted a request by Republican Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador to lift a lower court's temporary injunction preventing the state from enforcing its felony ban on gender-affirming care for minors, The ...


Gay News

City Council passes Lesbian Visibility Week proclamation
2024-04-17
Chicago alderwomen Maria Hadden (49th) and Jessie Fuentes (26th) introduced a resolution at Chicago's April 17 City Council meeting to declare April 22-28 as Lesbian Visibility Week in Chicago. This is part of a nationwide effort ...


Gay News

Morrison to run for Cook County clerk (UPDATED)
2024-04-17
Openly gay Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison has decided to run for the Cook County clerk position that opened following Karen Yarbrough's death, according to Politico Illinois Playbook. Playbook added that Morrison also wants to run ...


Gay News

Q FORCE launches 2024 election efforts in Chicago
2024-04-14
More than 100 people attended the launch of 2024 election efforts by Q FORCE Midwest Action Group at Sidetrack April 12. Q FORCE is a Chicago-based, all-volunteer, grassroots movement organizing to recruit and activate "at least ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Trans woman killed, Tenn. law, S. Carolina coach, Evan Low, Idaho schools
2024-04-12
Twenty-four-year-old Latina trans woman and makeup artist Meraxes Medina was fatally shot in Los Angeles, according to the website them, citing The Los Angeles Times. Authorities told the Times they found Medina's broken fingernail and a ...


Gay News

VIEWPOINT Meditation on the killing of journalists
2024-04-11
Trigger warning: I am a journalist and I read newspapers. I've been reading newspapers since I first learned to read. Newspapers were a lively part of the daily life in my family. I even wrote letters ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor
Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.