My Dear Readers/ Poet Friends:
June marks the start of Pride Month at a moment when trans and non-binary individuals are the targets of a global campaign by conservative religious fundamentalists.
Los Angeles Times, June 6: "Anti-LGBTQ+ laws put U.S. in a state of emergency, Human Rights Campaign says"
At least 525 bills that the HRC characterized as anti-LGBTQ+ have been introduced across 41 state legislatures during this legislative session, and 76 have been signed into law — more than double the record reached last year, according to the organization. More than 220 of the introduced bills targeted the transgender community, the group found.
rainbow-haired teens kiss
outside the U.S. Consulate --
this land of the freer?
CBC News, June 8: "LGBTQ Canadians facing a rising tide of hatred, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says."
The number of police-reported hate crimes related to sexual orientation rose 64 per cent in 2021 over the previous year, says Statistics Canada.
And CTV News, June 5: "Pride events in Canada facing higher safety and security costs, feds offer $1.5M"
Every day, we witness attacks in person at events and online targeting community leaders, event organizers, elected representatives, venues, artists and performers, families and young people.
-- Fierté Canada Pride, the National Association of Canadian Pride Organizations
I would like to encourage each one of you to read and/or write the poems about the issues related to or the challenges facing LGBTQ+ communities.
What poetry can, must, and will always do for us: it complicates us, it doesn't "soothe."
-- Jorie Graham
Poetry can act as a witness in, to, and most importantly, through troubled times.
-- Chen-ou Liu
I look forward to reading your haiku and tanka (see revised submission guidelines).
Chen-ou
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