Terrified

I don’t want to live in fear

But I’m terrified,

For my own life,

The lives of my queer, trans, and non-binary community.

It’s a waste of time spending your life worrying about being killed--

Like so many like you already have and continue to be--

But how can we smile and go on blissfully when our people are unjustly dying?

How can I not be scared when murder of my kind is a common occurrence?

How can I go on my merry way when

Any second could be the second I lose my life,

A friend loses their life,

Someone else in my shared community loses their life,

Just for the cost of living and existing as a queer, trans, or non-binary individual.

Our pride and bravery is deadly,

Punished at the hands of

Toxic hatred translated into uncontrollable violence.

I don’t want to live in fear,

But I’m terrified.