The year 2022 ended on a high note with the signing of the Respect for Marriage Act. It was an honor to be with so many others on the White House lawn as President Biden put pen to paper. It made me thankful for all those who fought for this day, and proud, knowing I was one of them. It is not the end, but the beginning of the next fight, to secure full rights for LGBTQ Americans. It was 1974 and I was a closeted gay man working for Rep. Bella S. Abzug (D-N.Y.), when she introduced the first Equality Act 48 years ago. I think all of us on the White House lawn were appreciative when President Biden committed to continue to fight until it is finally passed.
The year was a mixed bag — good, bad and worst. The good included a better than hoped for midterm election with Democrats winning governorships in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Arizona, and keeping all our incumbent senators as well as adding a 51st in Pennsylvania. The bad included some House results including losses in New York due to Democrats’ overreach in redistricting. Then the worst, including the war in Ukraine, the rise in hate crimes against the LGBTQ community, the rise of anti-Semitism, and the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.
Clearly, all this leaves us with a lot to do in 2023. I am an optimist and know we can and will overcome the hate and lies being spread by the Republican Party, currently still the party of Trump. Maybe a positive can be seen in how outrageous Trump has been offending even his supporters, and knowing nearly all of his endorsed candidates lost. But that must be tempered by the rise in mini-Trumps like Govs. Ron DeSantis and Glenn Youngkin. Another bad is the closing of Casa Ruby, with its founder Ruby Corado leaving the country. In 2023, we must make sure the transgender community that Casa Ruby was founded to serve does not lose the services it needs.
Some of the good includes the legislation President Biden managed to get through the Congress — the Inflation Reduction Act and the massive infrastructure bill. For the first time in years America will be able to rebuild its roads and bridges, upgrade the rail system, and prepare for new technology. Communities large and small will benefit from this bill. We have generally overcome the worst of the COVID pandemic even if it is still around. I got COVID in November after having avoided it for nearly three years. Thankfully effective vaccine boosters and the drug Paxlovid ensured it was a mild case.
In more good, theater is coming back in D.C. and around the nation. New plays are opening in New York and exciting productions are here in D.C. at the Shakespeare Theatre Company, Kennedy Center, Studio Theatre, Signature and Theatre J among others. A must see is “Jane Anger” at the Shakespeare Theatre. Michael Urie and Ryan Spahn are brilliant in it.
In the bad category, we are still seeing inflation at a much too high rate even though it is coming down. Gas prices are on their way down but they are still too high and food costs are still rising.
So as we look to the new year I hope when you read this you are healthy, happy, and with friends and loved ones. Life is really about taking care of yourself, family, and friends and reaching out to the community around you to see how you can make life better for others. If you are alone consider joining one of the many social and sports groups flourishing in the community. The D.C. Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs has a great list of some of those groups. If you are able, donating money to your favorite charity is one way to help and there are many in our community who need it; groups like SMYAL, Whitman-Walker Health, and the Wanda Alston Foundation, to name three. Just make sure you check out the group you are giving to is well run, and your money is going to its mission. More than money, many organizations need volunteers. If you have time check out the various opportunities to volunteer in your community. Organizations working to make our lives better; be they political, climate action, healthcare, women’s rights or LGBTQ rights, all need a cadre of committed volunteers to accomplish their goals.
So, as you ring in the New Year, drink a toast to the year gone by, 2022; and another to what we all hope will be a great 2023.
Peter Rosenstein is a longtime LGBTQ rights and Democratic Party activist. He writes regularly for the Blade.
Story courtesy of the Washington Blade via the National LGBTQ Media Association. The National LGBTQ Media Association represents 13 legacy publications in major markets across the country with a collective readership of more than 400K in print and more than 1 million + online. Learn more here: https://nationallgbtmediaassociation.com/