Reaffirming LGBTQ+ Rights to a Diverse, Inclusive, Equal and Just Society in the Face of Prejudice, Discrimination and Oppression: Maintaining Resilience, Strength, and Optimism

By David Smith, M.Sc., CSCS., SDL (He/Him)

Unfortunately, we are facing some turbulent and tough times ahead as religious conservatives subsume power. LGBTQ+ rights are under direct threat as we anticipate a rise in anti-LGBTQ prejudice, oppression, and discrimination that will push our limits to the edge of chaos. The fact is, we are likely to return to a 1950s style of governmental McCarthyism in which our rights and freedoms will be continuously violated and suppressed, if not worse.

As we anticipate this turnover, it is our resilience, strength, and ability to endure while maintaining a sense of hope and faith that things will get better, that will determine our survival. This isn’t the first major setback the LGBTQ+ community has faced, and despite facing the worst, we’ve managed to survive and move forward. LGBTQ+ history is built upon picking ourselves up from the bottom, often with nothing, and building ourselves up to become some of the most powerful and influential people in the world. This has defined us for the last 100 years as we have overcome insurmountable challenges.

• Burning of the Hirschfield library and the Pink Triangle Genocide of the Holocaust.
• Lavender scare and liberation from police oppression and mob exploitation.
• HIV and AIDS epidemic while lacking support from our own government.

These generations of LGBTQ+ people have endured through some of the worst atrocities that have helped push them toward achieving some major milestones on the path to LGBTQ+ liberation. As the next generation to take on this mantle, we are tasked with overcoming such a strong challenge to our very existence. Our strength and resilience as individuals as well as cohesion as a community are important factors to help us survive and thrive despite all attempts to erase us.

If the incoming government insists on taking us back, then we must look to our past for the very inspiration we need to press ahead.

• Alan Turing- Openly gay man who developed the framework and theory that helped the allies win WWII and defined the modern computer age. Despite facing criminalization and castration for his sexual orientation.
• Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera- Strong and outspoken advocates for trans and gay rights and prominent figures during the Stonewall Riots. They were both important leaders in advocating for LGBTQ+ liberation, pride, and community, even while facing backlash from the community itself.
• Harvey Milk- First openly gay man to be elected to public office built upon his work in building bridges between the LGBTQ+ and others, garnering support toward unity and collaboration.
• Kiyoshi Kuromiya- Born in a Japanese internment camp, later serving as MLK Jr’s personal assistant. Helped found the Gay Liberation Front, served as an openly gay delegate to the Black Panther convention, fought for and worked in HIV/AIDS research and treatment.
• Billie Jean King- Strong advocate for women’s rights and LGBTQ+ rights, especially in terms of equal pay and representation in sport. Helped found the Women’s Tennis Association and, despite being outed non-consensually, has used her platform as one of the greatest tennis players to fight for LGBTQ+ equality.
• Greg Louganis- World’s greatest diver known as the only diver to win two gold medals at a single Olympics, a feat that he achieved twice with the second time representing a comeback following an accident in the semifinals. All of this while being HIV+ at the height of the epidemic and lacking treatment options and uncertainties over his own mental and physical health.

Resilience is built upon our ability to withstand and recover from difficulty. While the election results are still fresh, it is healthy and normal for us to process and express our emotions. We still have a few months to mentally, physically, and socially prepare ourselves for what comes next. Moving forward, it is important we embody the strength and spirit of our favorite historical and modern LGBTQ+ role models to help us develop the resilience we need to face these challenges.

How can we develop resilience? Well, let your resident LGBTQ+ Sport Psychology Practitioner help…

• Develop and maintain a growth mindset.
  • Open yourself to new experiences and opportunities to learn and grow. Our strength and power are built on knowledge and wisdom for which we can obtain if we open ourselves to it.
• Find what motivates you.
  • What is important to you and why is it so important? Use this as a foundation for which to set goals for yourself. It is our belief in ourselves and our faith in the process for which we set to pursue that helps us achieve our goals. Staying motivated is crucial to overcoming adversity and facing the challenges that lie ahead.
• Anticipate setbacks.
  • The most powerful tool at our disposal is to be able to anticipate and plan for setbacks and adversity. We must accept that we may fail and that our plans may fall short. When we anticipate this, we can prepare for how we overcome these setbacks, recenter ourselves, and plan our next step. This helps us overcome anxiety and develop our confidence, the confidence we need to move forward.
• Develop support and community.
  • We are the “LGBTQ+” community, despite our differences within the acronym, we have come together throughout history to provide support for each other. From trans people fighting for gay liberation to lesbian people taking care of HIV/AIDS victims. We must come together once again to support each other and lift each other up when we need it most.
  • Finding a support system within your own local community is key, be it within your group of friends, joining an LGBTQ+ social organization or sports team, or patronizing LGBTQ+ businesses. We must develop our social bonds to strengthen our resolve and help support ourselves and each other.
• Engage in the Action Cycle
  • That is, maintain a continuous process of planning, action, reflection, and learning. This is how we apply our growth mindset toward overcoming adversity.
    • Planning: What are you going to do?
    • Action: Do it.
    • Reflection: How did it go? Were you successful?
    • Learning: What went well? What could be improved? What can we change for next time?
• Prioritize self-care.
  • Not going to lie, things will become very stressful and there will be some days that will be hard to overcome. Maintaining your own physical, mental, and social health is absolutely paramount. Prioritizing recovery and self-care to separate yourself from the stressors and drama of it all is key.
  • What are your go to self-care strategies?

As we proceed into this uncertain future, we must maintain our optimism, reiterate our values as a community, and continue to stand up for ourselves just as those before us have done. The next several years will come to define us as a country and as a community, but we can maintain control of the narrative and establish ourselves as a force to be reckon.