SXSW 2024

Defending Democracy – LGBTQ Activism and Power in 2024

Description:

Weaving together democratic theory and practice, this panel engages democratic self-defense from a queer and trans perspective. It recognizes attacks on the LGBTQ community as one symptom of a broader democratic crisis. We will address the connection between the status of LGBTQ rights and the health of our democratic institutions. Strategic division and fear mongering are classic tools to govern through fear and promote anti-democratic values. LGBTQ people are acutely impacted by the social regression of the democratic crisis, but our shared history uniquely equips us to fight it.

Other Resources / Information

https://vimeo.com/847781059?share=copy
https://msmagazine.com/2023/06/26/pride-has-always-been-radical/
https://gobehindtheballot.com/ricardo-martinez-of-equality-texas-helps-us-understand-the-effects-of-the-88th-texas-lege-on-the-lgbtqia-community/

Takeaways

  1. Legal attacks on LGBTQIA+ people are autocratic tools that signal a movement away from democracy, rather than isolated, ideological talking points.
  2. Defense should focus on shared prosperity and the impact of social, economic, and political inequality on our institutions and individual rights.
  3. Living authentically and visible allyship is powerful resistance. We can each call out anti-democratic tools and create a shared, inclusive future.

Speakers

Organizer

Robin Maril, Assistant Professor Of Law, Willamette University College of Law

Meta Information:

  • Event: SXSW
  • Format: Panel
  • Track: Government & Civic Engagement
  • Track 2
  • Level: Advanced
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