ON HONESTY AND ATROCITIES

Thanks for Making It Impossible To Look Away from LGBTQ / Racist Atrocities

Gratitude for the president who finally dropped his mask.

Lisa Jordan

4 min read

Just now

Author’s note: This one’s for

Elle Becker

and

A. L. (Elle) Fredine

, who encouraged me to finish this piece after a weekend Wordsmith’s Weekly Session — to put it out into the world because people needed it. In case it wasn’t apparent early on, for anyone triggered by political commentary, it may be best to look away now.

I’m sitting at my desk, scrolling through another news alert about LGBT rights being dismantled, and I let myself slip into the fantasy. The one where I’m not stuck here, powerless. The one where I march right up to the President — past the Secret Service, past the handlers, past all of it — and I say: Thank you. Thank you for finally being honest about what this is.

Mr. President, what do I mean by all of that? Not to worry. I have a list prepared for you.

Thank you for saying you’ll be the last elected president — this saves us the time and energy of pretending this is still about democracy and the good of the people. At least you’re not coy about it. Most authoritarians gaslight their way into power, slowly boiling the frog. But you? You just cranked the heat…