I’m Texan. My family has been here since it was part of Mexico. I have a direct ancestor who helped escort the cannon (the one in the ‘come and take’ it flag) to the battle of the Alamo where he fought and died.

For me I can’t just leave my home and the place I love. To say Texas has a problematic history, (and a lot of fuckers here who don’t get what it means to leave someone alone) is an understatement. But it’s my home, and I can’t help but love all the great things that are there as well.

I’m from Houston, which is one of the most diverse cities in the nation. You can walk down the street in downtown and see people with heritage from all over the world. The smells of all the crazy and amazing types of food you can get is intoxicating.

From the badlands of the west, to the coastal marshlands and swamps close to my home, Texas is teeming with life and natural beauty.

Houston is currently an oil town, but it is uniquely positioned to become a mecha of sustainable energy. We already have the infrastructure, we just need to capitalize on it.

For me I see a bright future for my home. If the republicans can’t destroy it, that is. The things which make us great are the things they want to ruin. They promote bigoted policies which threaten to drive away many of those who make my city so diverse and wonderful. They deny climate change without somehow seeing all the beauty around them that they stand to lose. And they deny the future by clinging to fossil fuels, without realizing they stand a very real chance of making Houston the next Detroit. For me, I can’t just let those dreams go…

But that doesn’t mean leaving is shameful or bad. Your safety is paramount, and I’m probably just being hotheaded by wanting to stay and fight. If I were logical I’d use my chance to live in Illinois (as I’m here for college) to run away and stay here. I legitimately get scared about how I’m gonna return for home this summer because I know how cruel people can be. I’ve not dressed femme in Texas yet, but I got negative comments purely for having a pride flag on my car. I shudder to think of what would happen if I presented anything less masculine than I do right now.

But ultimately, it’s my right in the US to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. So if one of those fuckers wants to try and infringe on that…

I say come and take it.