Just a brief personal anecdote as a someone who is in the LGBT community: 2008 was a tough year. I was younger, getting to terms with who I was and honestly felt like there was momentum growing in the US towards acceptance of marriage equality. I was in college at the time and really thought the country could be on the cusp of a breakthrough and felt a lot of hope for the future.
Then California voted on Prop 8. Arguably the most liberal state in the entire country voted for a state amendment to ban gay marriage.
Honestly, it felt like if California was going to pass something like that, there truly was little hope for the future and even if I did meet a man I wanted to stay with for the rest of my life, we’d just be two cohabitating adults who were strangers in the eyes of the law (this has major legal ramifications for insurance, estate planning, medical care, etc.).
I’m not bringing up this example to play politics or be divisive, I’m sharing because some of you may never have had legislation that hit you emotionally. It can really take the wind out of your sails. It feels like what you’ve fought for is dead in the water.
But setbacks happen and there has never been a major political movement that hasn’t suffered them. The fight for transparency has been going on for 70 years but 2023 has really given us some major boons:
A key whistleblower in David Grusch A UAP Disclosure Act sponsored by powerful political figures Leads on who the enemies of transparency really are, both those in Congress and specific companies Hints at what programs may be using reverse-engineered technology A first-hand look at the corruption in the US legislative process and a hint at how ingrained the MIC is in the US government
All of those give critical momentum for further work on behalf of transparency. We can petition the president and whoever wins the 2024 election to use executive orders to declassify or further disclosure goals. We can protest those who would hide technology from the human race for their own gain.
We’re still building this wave. Show’s not over. Let’s make 2024 even more impactful. We can do this.
submitted by /u/screendrain
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