The very act of existing is something we mortals consider a given; however, when that “given” of even one is questioned, threatened, and sought to be quelled, where do we all stand?

“No one is free until all of us are free” should stand as the central tenet in every society, but as we strive to pit ourselves against one another, we take away from what we claim to be civilization.

LGBTQIA+ individuals find the act of simply existing authentically to be a daily challenge, something that they have to fight to do every day. Fight for rights that are given to others without question, rights that were once theirs, now taken away merely because of who they are. What those who try to take away their rights do not realize is that, in the process, they erode their own standing as members of humankind.

In parts of the world, the bare act of loving someone is treated like a crime worthy of the death penalty. Something as normal as loving someone, being treated like something that’s totally abnormal, will always seem absolutely puzzling for all before we decide to look at life with certain prejudices that in themselves are incredibly frivolous.

As we continue to counter what we as allies deem as just injustice, we realize that it’s so much more than just that; it stands as a threat to what we as humans owe to one another, that being love, understanding, and above all humanity.

At the end of the day, we are all granted just one life, and letting others be and live how they want to live their only life, averaging 75 years, is really not that deep. As the saying goes, “live and let live.”