Over the last few months , a pandemic has swept throughout the world altering our life forever. For as many lives that have been lost,many have been altered and are hanging in a pendulum of uncertainty. Without a moment’s notice, they can  become another statistic ,a headline in the nightly news , a victim of humanity porn. In due time, another person will take the limelight leaving the other person locked away in yesterday’s news. It has dawned on me that many of us view life much the same way. We live in the moment,but seldom does the moment live in us. 

           We as a people are succumbing to a virus even greater than Covid-19/Novel CoronaVirus. This mental pandemic has been around for decades with no sign of a vaccine or a cure.  We have been infected with deceit ,distrust and delusion for so long we no longer recognize that we are sick. Nevertheless,we continue to spread this internal virus to others with via prejudice, racism, anti-semitism, islamophobia , sexism,homophobia and transphobia.

No matter how it is spread, the infection rate is large and has a lifetime of effects.In addition, We have been groomed to believe that our happiness lies only in a cisgender,heteronormative, white construct.  As a result ,we as a society are continuing to infect the vulnerable, the marginalized and the disability communities. Quality of life has continued to diminish and there have been many,many,many lives lost in the process.

       As queer ,disabled, person of color I beg of you to not only stop spreading this letal virus ,but to aid in eradicating it.  Quarantine yourself from the mentality that we all must be the same,do the same and act the same in order to be happy. Let me be clear -giving someone a voice  is good but it is not enough. Giving someone a platform is better,but it is not enough. Giving someone the space to find their own voice and build their own platform,is best but it is still not enough. In order to end this virus that is plaguing our nation,we must stop thinking that a few crumbs at the table, is equal to the meal that others get partake in.

           Many of you in the arena of privilege may be wondering or asking how to do more when you too feel hopeless,helpless and don’t know what to do. I don’t claim to know all the answers to the question ,but the best place to start is with our own complacency. Please do not settle in your tide of gratifying ideals while there are others around you who are suffering  . Please do not sit by as others drown in the distance. Now is the time to go full force into uncharted waters and towards lands unknown. It is only when you are willing and able to do this that true and genuine change will occur.

         I am also calling for the major religions in the world to focus more on love,acceptance and broadening community  in their chapels.It is my hope that they will embrace that more than rebranding, new symbols, isolating policies and life-threatening procedures. In other words, our goal is not to look good,not just be good but to increase in our greatness. Irregardless if  we are members of religion ,of society ,our community or in our home we must be willing to speak out against injustice no matter where it is found.

          I have been infected by the deceit,distrust and disillusion virus multiple times but yet I am still not immune . I have fallen prey to the deception that if I try hard enough to blend in my differences will fade away. I learned to distrust my own inner feelings in order show my devotion to societal norms and  for that I have paid a great price.I was disillusioned for many years believing that my life was not my own and that I owe the privileged an explanation. Virus DDD has impacted my self-esteem, my relationships and altered the picture I saw in the mirror.

While we are a long way from finding a cure, I have come to realize that it was never me all along.  I was never broken,confused or without a purpose. I never needed to change because the only person I needed to make happy was myself. I was never lost in the storm ,just abandoned while others took shelter.

 I do not for one moment regret the experiences I have been given and the life I have lived.  For each step in the rocky,thorny places I have taken ,I have grown strength beyond measure and no longer accept the  crumbs society has tried to offer me. I have grown to realize that there are so many that have endured the same journey and so many that will follow after me.It is my hope that while I cannot cure the virus, I can build a path to healing for myself and those who will come after.

It is my hope that after this physical pandemic has passed,that things will not go back to normal. 

It is my hope that we take this time away from each other to reflect on how we can return to society a stronger, more loving and more uplifting people. It is my hope that those with privilege will take down their blinders and find ways to support those who are marginalized. 

It is my hope that we do not look forward to normal ever again,but instead an exceptional version of the life we are currently living. Let us continue to quarantine our minds with peace and compassion.  Let us continue to go beyond mending broken fences, building bridges, and longer tables . Let us mend our thinking,open our hearts and recommit ourselves to becoming our best self. It is then and only then will we be able to eradicate the DDD virus . Are you ready for a cure?