Asking people their preferred gender pronouns needs to be normalized. The only way we can help end the stigma surrounding transgender and genderfluid men and women is to make it common practice to ask people what pronouns they prefer. We're getting there, but there is still much work that needs to be done.
Transgender women, especially BIPOC transgender women, are assaulted and murdered at alarmingly high rates. Progressive cities and workplaces make life a little easier for people in the LGBTQIA+ community. We need the rest of the country to catch up, and the sooner we can do that, the better.
Blue states with progressive companies and corporations are the most inclusive spaces. They tend to embrace marginalized groups' preferences, which is fantastic. Red states, however, are a different story. Red states, especially those in the south, tend to be the most religious. With the largest religious denomination in the United States being evangelical Christianity, there are an incredible number of laws that push to keep marginalized and oppressed groups exactly where they're at.
They want to silence everyone they hate- which is everyone who isn't an evangelical Christian like them. Evangelical Christians are the most hypocritical, bigoted group imaginable. They are filled with hate, and they want to keep their foot on everyone who doesn't follow the evangelical Christian religion. They are blood thirsty for power and control, and their goal is to force America into a theocracy by enacting dangerous Christian Nationalism laws.
Christian evangelicalism is absolutely nothing like the Jesus they claim to follow. We know only a handful of evangelicals who are truly good people. The group overall is a hate group. Have you noticed when you do anything they don’t approve of, they sit on their judgement thrones and gleefully revel in screaming that you’re going to be tortured eternally in the pit of fire? We certainly have.
If Jesus were alive and on Earth today, they would crucify him all over again. Jesus despised religious laws and rules. In fact, he had such a radically liberal message for that time that they hated him for everything he stood for. He loved everyone that the religious leaders of that time hated. They hated and ultimately murdered Jesus because he did not hate, oppress, or marginalize anyone. In fact, Jesus hung out with thieves and prostitutes. He broke bread with people who were so poor, they could barely afford to eat.
If Jesus were alive and here today, he would love the LGBTQIA+ community. He would just love them. He wouldn’t condemn them to hell. He wouldn’t stomp on them. In fact, he would angrily rebuke anyone that did. And evangelicals would hate him for it.
So, wear your pronoun pins with pride. Plus, if you're anything like me, it's so satisfying to piss evangelicals off. Fight back against the stigma. WE are the majority. But being the majority is a complete waste if we aren't louder than them.