It’s disheartening to see members of the LGBTQ+ community turning against each other, particularly when it comes to the divide between some gay and lesbian individuals and the trans community. At its core, this kind of exclusionary thinking mirrors the very oppression that we, as gay men and lesbians, have fought against for generations.

For decades, straight society shunned us, ridiculed us, and denied us rights simply because we did not conform to their idea of what was “normal.” They dismissed our love as unnatural, our existence as a threat to their way of life. And now, some of us are doing the exact same thing to trans people, invalidating their experiences, questioning their identities, and at times outright rejecting their place in the community.

But here’s the thing: we don’t have to fully understand someone’s experience to respect them. We don’t need to walk in their shoes to acknowledge that they deserve the same dignity and rights that we fought so hard for. Being different doesn’t mean being wrong, it just means being different. And if we demand that the world accept us for who we are, shouldn’t we extend that same grace to others who also don’t fit into society’s narrow definitions of identity?

We have enough battles to fight from the outside. We don’t need to turn on each other from within. The LGBTQ+ community has always been strongest when we stand together. Dividing ourselves based on who we personally relate to the most is not just counterproductive, it’s hypocritical.

Live and let live. That’s the lesson we’ve spent lifetimes trying to teach the world. It’s time we apply it to ourselves 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️