In the punk rock manifesto “Clampdown” from the Clash’s London Calling LP, Joe Strummer wrote, “Let fury have the hour/Anger can be power/D’you know that you can use it?”
A lot of us have been feeling anger lately, for a lot of good reasons. The Supreme Court appears to be on the verge of overturning Roe v. Wade. Craven politicians attack the LGBTQIA community incessantly and call us “groomers” or worse. They and their media allies push racist tropes like “white replacement theory.” And just last week, a racist gunman in Buffalo, inspired by this hate, murdered ten Black people using a gun adorned with racial slurs.
So, your anger is justified. The challenge is how to express it effectively and constructively. Because we have to express it, especially those of us with privilege.
We don’t have all the answers, but a Michigan state senator, Mallory McMorrow, provided valuable insight when she pushed back against a colleague’s vile attacks. Listen to her speech, which is a little less than five minutes long. This is the anger and honesty we need more of, not just from politicians, but from all of us.
Please enjoy to this week’s episode, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments, and, as always, support the rights of LGBTQ+ people everywhere! And if you’re new here, you can also follow our Twitter account, @itsotetPodcast.
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