I’ve got multiple white queer friends who are staunchly “vote blue no matter who” and dissolve into a trembling breakdown whenever they’re asked about it, talking about how if republicans win the world is going to end etc. Like, full on angry-crying wojak, talking about third-party voting being a waste, Project 2025, etc. Coincidentally, these friends hardly ever engage with activism.
How do you choose to engage with these kinds of people? What’s the general opinion on the vote in leftist circles, considering so many are refusing to vote for Biden (just checking the water temp since I’ve been largely offline save for activism and work lately)?
I’ve been away from Hexbear for a minute, apologies if this has been discussed!
Edit: Really appreciating all the replies! Really glad I can reliably come here for good discussions. Thanks everyone Slash gen., in case it’s needed.
I don’t. I haven’t found it to be a worthwhile use of time. I have sympathy for queer people who are terrified of a Trump victory. The situation is horrifying, many people are already fleeing from GOP states as refugees. That kind of personal terror, if someone isn’t already hardened by experience, theory, and hardship, is very difficult to overcome. So i don’t bring it up with people who aren’t comrades, and I mostly don’t engage when others do. except on reddit, because fuck
I’m trans and my wife is trans too. We recently fled a red state to a solid blue state because of all the anti-LGBT legislation that was passed. It is absolutely terrifying to watch your rights slowly be stripped away and to see your community become more hostile to you everyday. It really sucks that our only choice for president is an old guy who supports genocide and is apathetic at best to LGBT and women rights and an old guy who supports genocide and is actively hostile to LGBT and women rights.
Sure would be cool if Biden did literally anything to support LGBT rights on a federal level
That seems to be a good personal policy, I think I’ll adopt it going forward. None of the conversations I’ve had with these people surrounding this topic have ever really led to anything productive, and I thought it was an issue with me not being well spoken enough, but I see now that that’s just the typical experience in our political climate right now.
Yeah. People are justifiably terrified. Whatever happens in November the next few years are going to be very very bad and people are clinging desperately to hope. I can’t blame them for that. I wish they could see more clearly, and had more resolve to bear whatever comes, but not everyone is suited to be a warrior nor should we expect everyone to. To quote one of Bush’s henchmen, we go to war with the army we have, not the army we want.