The Facts – There are now around 64 UN member States that have laws that criminalize being gay. In Brunei, Iran, Mauritania, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, the death penalty is imposed across the country. Uganda just joined other countries in criminalizing being gay with a penalty of life in prison. To note, no European countries have a law against being LGBTQ+. And now the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s top LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, has declared a state of emergency for the LGBTQ+ population in the United States. This follows the spike in “unprecedented and dangerous” anti-LGBTQ+ assaults sweeping State houses this year.
What comes to mind when you think of an exodus? People fleeing Germany during WW2 or those quickly leaving Cuba in the 1960’s seeking asylum. And now, those from Africa and other countries who are looking for hope and seeking positivity.
We recently took a road trip up north. We found that the highways were teeming with large Moving Vans and Car Carriers traveling back and forth. Yes, this nation is on the move as there is a form of internal migration which is happening in this country. Yes, a mass departure, a migration. People are voting with their feet with trucks and cars wheeling on our highways filled with their life’s possessions. The Trucking and Van Line industries are amazed with the amount of work that this migration has created for them!
Do we as Americans appreciate that there are those who are migrating out of the States they abhor? That people are choosing to move from States that enforce, Don’t Say Gay, which ban books, and are anti-woke? What about States that are merging church and state, altering medical treatment, and denying women’s rights but are increasing the rights of gun owners? The local paper reported recently that many Florida parents have chosen to protect their children by relocating to kinder States that appreciate social justice and diversity, LGBTQ+ and transgender individuals. Even drag queens! As the flood of discrimination pours in, many are moving to safer, higher ground to protect their families and themselves from danger and discrimination.
Using life savings, Go Fund Me accounts, or the Transit Underground system – people in the US are finding ways to transplant themselves. Whether you want to call it migration or emigration, it is happening right under our noses, in our neighborhoods, communities, and within families. These groups may not be called refugees but for countless many, it sure feels that way!
Happy Pride Month to all who celebrate and appreciate diversity and inclusion. Celebrate your freedoms and support those working for theirs. Join us as we celebrate diversity, equity, and inclusion during Pride Month and on Juneteenth, marking the emancipation of slaves.
And remember-
“Live your life like a book they would ban in Florida.”
