We at the Human Rights Campaign have repeatedly declared that LGBTQ+ people are inherently resilient and strong. Now more than ever, we stand by that message. Our resilience and strength were inspired by the great battles of our community’s history and our splendid triumphs. Our community has summoned these unyielding and unifying feelings before — from the AIDS crisis to challenging anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and protecting access to gender-affirming care — and will undoubtedly do so again during the next four years.  

HRC joined the fight for LGBTQ+ equality in 1980, right at the start of the AIDS crisis in America. For Ellen Kahn, vice president of education and systems of care at the HRC Foundation, her professional journey coincided with the rising public awareness of HIV and AIDS and with it, a growing social movement calling for the development of public health infrastructures to combat the epidemic. 

Like many LGBTQ+ communities across the country, Kahn’s was directly impacted by AIDS, but more specifically, the inactivity and, arguably, blatant disregard from the federal government and the medical research entities it oversees. 

“For a group of theater queers and softball dykes from Philadelphia who provided refuge for each other, this was yet another battle to fight,” said Kahn. “We all were already dealing with family rejection and bullying. This was something that clearly was going to need us all to fight back against. All of us who were part of that social circle shifted our energy and fire to fight for people with HIV.”

Once enrolled in a graduate social work program, Kahn’s work brought her to directly serve people living with HIV and AIDS. She describes this point of her life as “quite literally the best and worst of times.” The opportunity to grow professionally meant also witnessing staggering death rates and the “physical, spiritual and emotional suffering” of not just those with HIV but the entire LGBTQ+ community, especially young queer people, something Kahn said was almost impossible to bear. 

“At the same time, in the midst of so much heartbreak and uncertainty, our community emerged from the shadows and created a family by choice,” said Kahn. “Complete strangers cared for the sick and dying as they would for their own family members. If it wasn’t for the community, AIDS patients would have faced the disease alone. Not that many people in power showed compassion, and the government did not respond to the spread the way we experienced with COVID.” 

Kahn credits the heartbreak and uncertainty as the impetus behind the historical activism that surrounded the AIDS crisis. 

“A few years into the HIV crisis and with more intentional activism such as ActUP, we began to realize our strengths and our gifts as a community, and that we could make change if we worked together,” said Kahn. “For my generation of queer folks, many of us found our wings and our power during the worst days of the HIV crisis and in response to apathy on the part of political leaders and blatant discrimination in health care, housing and employment. Seeing and feeling the depth of injustice and hatred toward LGBTQ+ people was itself a motivating factor. In the face of tremendous ignorance and opposition, our community built organizations and systems of care to support people with HIV; we educated others and advocated for policy change. We flexed our collective muscle to save the lives of our own people. The resilience was palpable during that era.” 

That resilience, Kahn said, is solidly in our community’s DNA. 

“I see it now in response to the attacks on trans people, in particular women of color and trans youth, and our community is not going to stand for that,” said Kahn. “Every day, I draw inspiration from my early days in HIV work. That time in our history taught me what is possible when we stay focused, strategic and keep our hearts in the work, which is exactly what we at HRC intends to do.”

Of the many teachings of the AIDS crisis, knowing that advocacy and activism are powerful enough to change the course of history seems the most relevant. The work of organizations like ActUP and community leaders pressed for the creation of life-saving medication. Today, antiretroviral treatments have made HIV a chronic disease instead of a life sentence, while preventive medication helps combat the spread of the virus.

The calling for medical advancements can be also seen in the transgender community’s demand for access to gender-affirming care — a range of services, including mental health care, medical care and social services. The HRC Foundation’s Director of Community Engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative Tori Cooper was living in the New York City area when she began her own gender-affirming care journey. 

“I used to buy ‘hormones’ via an 800 number I found in the back of a magazine in 1993,” said Cooper. “At 23 years old, I knew that I needed my body to be in sync with my mind. When I finally felt empowered to talk with a medical provider, we discussed my wants and needs. I explained why I felt desperate enough to order something I knew nothing about. I needed to be proactive in taking care of myself. I knew that somewhere, somehow, medical experts were ethnically creating health care systems to protect trans people. In a way, talking to that medical provider was an act of resilience. I wasn’t going to suffer because of barriers to appropriate health care, and no trans person should.” 

And every single major American health care organization agrees. They all medically back and validate the need for gender-affirming care and the quality of life it can provide trans and gender non-conforming folks. Despite this, right-wing extremists have unreasonably attacked access to this appropriate and life-saving care, particularly for young trans people. Over 34% of trans youth currently live in a state which bans gender-affirming care. Under a Trump administration, access to gender-affirming care is likely to continue experiencing legislative attacks. Still, advocates like Cooper are astonished by the medical strides made thanks to the LGBTQ+ community’s relentless fight. 

“Over 30 years later, I am in awe of the access and variety of approaches to gender- affirming care that many people have,” said Cooper. “I am encouraged that these advocates, especially young trans advocates, use their voices to fight to ensure that others don’t have to experience the sadness, depression and negative feelings associated with not being able to access the health care they need and deserve. People seeking transition care are continually making health care systems better and less difficult to navigate by challenging the status quo, educating providers and helping their peers get the care they need.”

Trans folks and allies have fought for access to gender-affirming care for generations and have established pathways for uninterrupted care even under harsh laws. For instance, the Trans Youth Emergency Project, a coalition of community leaders and organizations which HRC proudly supports, helps to financially, emotionally and legally support trans youth and their families and connects them with opportunities to safely access gender-affirming care in those states with no ban. 

This, Cooper said, attests to the community’s ability to fight back and take care of our own. 

In Florida, where the state’s infamous ban is still in effect, the legislative crusade against LGBTQ+ equality, spearheaded by MAGA extremist Ron DeSantis, goes beyond the ban. Florida’s “Don’t Say LGBTQ+” discriminatory state law not only threatens the well-being of LGBTQ+ Floridians, it serves as a model for other vile state bills across the country.

Orlando Gonzales, senior vice president for programs, research and training at the HRC Foundation, was living in Florida at the time of the bill’s passing and working in the non-profit sector. He said that like much of the country, the LGBTQ+ community and allies in Florida share a profound sense of shock and sadness after the recent election results.

“Much like others across the country, we approached Election Day with a blend of anxious hope, only to see a disappointing outcome,” said Gonzales. “Floridians have been on the front lines of some of the harshest anti-LGBTQ+ measures, from the 'Don’t Say LGBTQ+' law to bans on gender-affirming care. With DeSantis and a right-wing majority fueling these cultural wars, many saw this election as a chance to break free. A failed abortion ballot initiative, which would have protected access to abortion up to fetal viability, only deepened our disappointment, as it underscored a broader assault on bodily autonomy.”

Still, he said that one of our community’s strengths is in organizing and mobilizing our resources and people.

“Despite the outcome, the LGBTQ+ community in Florida, much like across the country, mobilized in inspiring ways, advocating for pro-LGBTQ+ candidates and demonstrating resilience through direct action. This is the power we’ll need to tap into now. While anti-LGBTQ+ candidates swept the state, there were glimmers of hope where pro-LGBTQ+ candidates won, even amid the red wave. Now more than ever, our community must continue to generate hope — not only as an act of will but as a necessity in the face of likely intensified attacks.”

Florida is no stranger to homophobic, transphobic and discriminatory social environments. During the 1970s, Anita Bryant led a culture war against our community, a narrative that had a resounding impact on a national level. Despite this, LGBTQ+ Floridians and the LGBTQ+ community at large have persevered and persisted.

“Remembering our resilience through past struggles can guide us today,” said Gonzales. “We prevailed then by building coalitions, humanizing our stories, and mobilizing support.”

The amount of work that lies ahead is undoubtedly substantial. And while it is perfectly understandable and reasonable for all of us to disconnect and recharge, the work remains. It will take every single one of us, HRC and its over 3 million supporters, to ensure our future is a more bright and just one. While the work is daunting, our history demonstrates that we are survivors. We are warriors.