I read the column by Mark Segal of the Philadelphia Gay News posted on Nov. 9 after Donald Trump’s election where he states: “As we have done for the past 55 years since Stonewall, we will continue to stand tall, proud, and ready to wage the good fight. This isn’t new; there have been times when elections in this country directly impacted our lives. Let’s reflect on those moments, the challenges we faced, and how we not only survived but made progress.”
I believe Segal is right on point that we are on the verge of another era where things will change, Trump will be Trump (possibly worse), but the LGBTQ community will make progress! I am not saying this to be a Pollyanna, but I know the LGBTQ community is strong (and we stand on the shoulders of strong leaders) who lead, at times suffered, but triumphed and helped us all to hold our heads high and be proud of who we are!
I remember my dear late friend, accomplished author, and mentor Jeffrey Guaracino, who was a champion of Philadelphia and the LGBTQ tourism community as CEO of VisitPhilly. Guaracino would say to me in difficult times: “God’s got this, we got this,” and “It's going to be fabulous,” and in every instance, the LGBTQ community got it, God had it, and we made it fabulous!
In the setting of my reading of Wayne Besen’s column on Nov. 26, “America Poised to Implode like Trump Tower” I wonder if the reality Besen’s writes of could be more so? For sure, I agree. What we are about to see in Trump and in his cabinet are a bunch of unnatural disasters waiting to happen! Nevertheless, even in this setting I firmly believe without a millisecond of hesitation whatsoever: God’s got this, the LGBTQ community has this, and together we’ll make it fabulous! Similarly, St. Augustine in his autobiography called Confessions said it this way: "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you!”
Dr. Kevin P. Hanaway, DNP MBA. Adult/Gerontology Pulmonary Medicine, former priest presider at Dignity-Philadelphia and Dignity-Fort Lauderdale.
