I want to say Happy April but honestly sometimes it’s hard to find the queer joy, lately. It feels like every time we look up there’s more and more anti-trans legislation being introduced and more vitriolic (and hypocritical) rhetoric about drag in the news. We know advocacy is a long-game effort, but it’s still too easy to lose hope in the now.  So – I want to take a moment to highlight some things that might quiet l’appel du vide.

• • I think it’s worth remembering why we’re here. The Tucson LGBT Chamber of Commerce advocates for our community through the economic lens, because for better or for worse money talks – the business voice is crucial!
    • • The US Chamber of Commerce released a report in 2019 that found that companies with LGBT-inclusive policies have higher employee retention rates and earn more revenue. Bam!
      • I’m just going to stop right there and leave this point with: your involvement in our organization and in these efforts has you on the right side of history. Good job.

• • To my note about long-game advocacy and keeping our eye on hope:
    • • We have more LGB representation in Congress than ever before*!
      • Globally, Finland’s parliament passed a law allowing trans people to change their legal gender without them needing to be infertile or to have been sterilized before. (Read more about this LGBTQ+ victory here. Other global LGBT victories listed on a wiki here).
      • There are more federal protections in place to protect our community than there ever have been (though interestingly, it appears hate crimes are on the rise), and anecdotally many LGBTQ+ elders who lived through decades where they would NEVER have been able to hold their partner’s hand in public are able to live their fully integrated lives even while other people can see them.

• • March 31st was Transgender Day of Visibility.
    • • Did you know there are over 1.6 million trans youth  (13+) and adults in the US?
      • Trans, non-binary, third-gender, and other gender-expansive folks have existed in cultures worldwide forever.
      • More and more people are identifying with gender expansiveness in 2023 for the same reason that numbers of left-handed people “skyrocketed” in the early 20th century: we stopped beating left-handed kids and forcing them to act right-handed

As this visibility and community increases, unfortunately so does the backlash (look at nearly any Fox news screenshot from the last 2 years and you’ll see what I mean – but if you can’t stand looking at Tucker Carlson’s stupid face, you can see the national anti-trans leg attempts here). Trans and gender-nonconforming (TGNC) folks – like their community siblings LGBQ+ – are a vital part of the vibrant society we live in, and thank goodness we have champions like ACLU, Lambda Legal, HRC, Transgender Law Center, and countless others fighting for the cause!  The rest of us can help our TGNC loved ones (and even the ones you don’t know and love!) by calling our representatives and by educating the people around us.

One of my favorite ways to plant the seeds of empathy is to ask people to imagine a time when someone else was trying to impose outside “shoulds” onto their bodies. How did it feel to be told “you shouldn’t be with a man because you’re a man”? Or “you should lose weight,” “come on you owe me, I bought you dinner,” or “birth control is a sin,” or “your tattoos make you look like a criminal”? No one knows our bodies and souls like the person the body and soul belongs to.  The principle is universal and extensible to empathizing with TGNC people who are literally just trying to live their best lives.

One final bit of close-to-home good news: we are honored to share that SAAF has awarded the Gaymber the Steve Hall Award for outstanding volunteer work in the community, which we will accept at their OutBrunch on 4/8. The Steve Hall Award is given to an individual who makes outstanding volunteer contributions to further the mission of promoting freedom, equality, safety and well-being of LGBTQ+ people in Southern Arizona. The award is named after Steve Hall, a pioneering volunteer who served the LGBTQ+ community with tireless dedication. We couldn’t be more thrilled to be chosen! 

Finally, we’ve put together a survey we’d love you to participate in. As the year progresses and we continue to grow the Gaymber and our reach (with the ultimate goal of hiring an Executive Director! #volunteeringisgoodandhard), your feedback is greatly appreciated. You can fill out the survey here.

Queerest Regards,
Vera Minot
President – Tucson LGBT Chamber of Commerce