Monday, June 20, 2016

Denver and the Western Conservative Summit

Again, this is my life. I'm attending a conference in two weeks in Denver. It will be attended by more than 6500 LGBTQ people and allies. We've recently found out that the Western Conservative Summit will be overlapping the first few days. As such, security is being increased.
The mere presence of a large conservative political group has us worried enough to increase security to an LGBTQ event. Ponder that a bit.
While it's true that the actions at Pulse Nightclub are fresh in our mind, and we're all being extra careful, it's a "normal" calculation when travelling, going out, choosing where to go out to, that you consider the various threats to yourself as an LGBTQ person.
I've had homophobic comments made to me just one town over in Auburn when I was at a bar. So it's not just about a foreign place or a specific group of people. You get so used to it, it's almost not conscious thought anymore.
Orlando simply brought those subconscious thoughts to the forefront and pulled back the veneer that we had moved to a new level of acceptance. If you're wondering why the LGBTQ folks in your life are so deeply affected by Pulse, this is partly why.
That is my life. ‪#‎EveryDamnDay‬.

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