OUT ON THE HILL is the official blog of the Victory Congressional Interns. Views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of LGBTQ+ Victory Institute. Learn more about the internship at victoryinstitute.org/vci.
__________________________
Last week, Congressman Mark Takano extended a welcome to the Queer Congressional Staffers Association for a “fireside chat” to celebrate Pride Month. Among comments about congressional shoe etiquette, fashion icons, and favorite queer media, Congressman Takano said something that has stuck with me. When asked how to endure the Hill as a queer person, Representative Takano stressed the importance of staying, not letting “them” push you out.
It made me think of this inner discourse I’ve been having and how I feel about the particular slogan: “Existence is resistance.” It’s an easy statement to chant at marches, to write on cardboard signs, to sell on t-shirts and buttons, but feels a bit lackluster. I have particular qualms about it when it’s echoed by more privileged members of our community: the white, the cisgender, the men, etc. Everyday our community is threatened with legislation and violence; there’s much more to do than simply “exist.”
However, my opinion has begun to change on the Hill. I have been caught in the middle of the current bathroom culture war started by far-right conservatives to attack trans people. The Hill is an incredibly gendered atmosphere. Men wear boring three-pieces, Women wear dresses or skirts. For someone who dresses more masculinely, outside of what is expected from my gender assigned at birth, this becomes difficult to navigate. Everyday, my suit and tie garner looks and side-eyes from other women in the bathroom. These “little gender troubles” in the bathroom have reminded me that my presentation is not just a fashion statement.
Now more than ever, it’s important that we continue to show up as our authentic selves, to assert ourselves in spaces which seek to exclude us. I find inspiration in the out LGBTQ+ Members of Congress, like Representative Takano, and also in the incredible queer staffers that serve on the Hill. These queer staffers continue to come into work despite it becoming an increasingly hostile environment. While the Lavender Scare days of the 1950s seem long behind us, our existence still challenges society. By standing proud in their identity, these Members of Congress and staffers remind those who seek to oppress us that we are not going anywhere. As much as they try, you cannot legislate queerness away.
