if they mean what they say, here's a thread of ideas about how to stand up for yourself or your trans loved ones (or just be a decent human) during this time of escalating legislative and extralegal threats and violence against LGBT people

first and foremost: focus on what unites us, not what divides us. focus on deescalating all conflict that isn't with the enemy. This doesn't mean we all have to agree about everything, but it does mean we have bigger problems right now.

This fight will happen on multiple fronts and using multiple tactics. There will be people who focus on legislative action. There will be people who focus on community defense. There will be people who illegal things. Everyone who is fighting on our side is on our side.

If you are not visibly LGBT make it clear that you support LGBT folks. Frankly, the metalhead cis guy working at Lowes in rural Appalachia with his trans ally pin did more for my morale today than anyone else.

If you are in a place where pro-trans rhetoric is strong, consider how to cement that in law. What city will be the first to offer sanctuary to families fleeing Florida and its proposed "legal to kidnap trans kids" law?

Support trans people who choose to flee hostile states. Support trans people who choose to remain in hostile states. Determine what "support" means to you. It's quite likely that a lot of us will need material support.

For allies: I can't speak for all trans people, but one thing I suspect does not convey support is to tell us things like "oh you're so brave" or "I know you're valid." I know I'm valid too. And I didn't choose to be brave. The people to tell that I'm valid are your cis friends.

Consider the various ways this might play out. The Nazis went after LGBT folks first thing. The famous "nazis burning books" photos are of them attacking an LGBT center. The first known trans woman to undergo surgery, Dora Richter, was killed or disappeared in these attacks.

Take this threat seriously. Don't treat trans people like we're hysterical. Don't assume this is just another culture war issue. At the same time, avoid jumping to conclusions or overstating the enemy's strength. History doesn't have to repeat itself.

We need to calmly and soberly accept and address the threats that face us. Have real conversations with your friends and family about what risks you are willing to take and what threats you are likely to face.

Install Signal and use it as your messaging app. Learn security culture. The threats are coming from a combination of state and non-state actors.

Relate what's happening to us to what's happening to other marginalized groups. Work together, organize together, figure out ways that our various tactics and goals and complement one another rather than stepping on each other's toes.

Know your neighbors. Know who in your physical proximity is likely to have your back and to what degree. Build connections with the community around you so that you are harder to isolate. Conversely, to allies, don't let them isolate us.

Think about what you're good at, or what skills you'd like to develop. Then think about how to apply those skills in various levels of activism and/or conflict. Are you a party planner? Then you have the skills to organize demonstrations. Artist? We need fliers, comics, art.

Musician? There are musicians tonight in Atlanta playing an anti-Cop City show despite a police siege. (And all of these struggles are connected: the struggle against the militarization of police is our struggle too.)

You have skills and you have interests. They can be applied, often in surprising ways.

Woodworker? It's probably time that every piece of furniture you make for yourself or friends has secret compartments, so that if your house is raided by some right wing gang, they don't get your passport (or other valuables).

One thing that saved lives in Europe in the 30s and 40s was hidden compartments and apartments. How would you modify your space in a similar crisis?

A Dutch queer man, Arent van Santhorst, memorized the entire mailing list of their gay newspaper then burned the print version, so that records wouldn't lead to arrests but that people might be able to find one another again after the nightmare had passed.

(and from reading history, I will say, nightmares do pass, even if not everyone survives the night.)

Though also from reading history, the things that populations in resistance seem to prioritize the highest and put the most effort into gaining (and therefore are worth knowing about access to ahead of time) are food, printing presses, and small arms, in roughly that order.

I am begging liberals who care about LGBT people to recognize that there are times in history when small arms have been the difference between survival and death for large swathes of people, and that it is possible (but not certain) that we are barreling towards such a time.

Supply lines are more important than stockpiles or reserves. If you garden, garden harder and get in touch with your local mutual aid organization or just give the extra food away yourself. If you're a farmer, figure out who to connect with to get food to people.

There are so many things that can be done. Volunteer with legal collectives, mutual aid organizations. Street medics. Armed community defenders. Unarmed community defenders (shout out to the umbrella-wielders who protect drag shows). Teach each other things. Learn things.

Find each other. Stop fighting with each other about bullshit. Defend each other. Be brave. Remember the anarchist's prayer: I ask not to be safe from my enemies, but dangerous to them.