By Josh Coleman
As we step into 2025, the air feels heavier for many of us in the LGBTQ+ community. Another Trump presidency and an emboldened wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation from state legislatures like ours in Alabama have brought us to the brink of despair. From draconian laws that strip away protections to efforts to erase us from classrooms, healthcare, and public life, the message is clear: we are not welcome. But history shows us that when the world tells us we do not belong, we rise to claim our space—and that is precisely what we will do now.
Over the past few years, the LGBTQ+ community has faced attacks like never before. In Alabama alone, bills targeting transgender youth, drag performances, and gender-affirming care have either been introduced or passed with devastating consequences. These laws do not just hurt LGBTQ people; they hurt families, friends, and communities. They strip away humanity, divide us further, and distract from the real issues—economic disparity, healthcare access, and education—that should unite us.
But we have faced dark times before. The Stonewall Riots of 1969 taught us to fight back against oppression. The AIDS crisis of the 1980s and '90s showed us the power of mutual care and organizing when governments turned a blind eye. And the victories of marriage equality and workplace protections remind us that progress is possible, even when the odds seem insurmountable.
Today, we are called to channel that same resilience. We must support one another through intentional acts of community care: creating safe spaces for queer youth, organizing legal and financial aid for those targeted by discriminatory policies, and amplifying our stories in every corner of this state and country. Our survival depends on standing together, united by the belief that love, dignity, and equality are worth fighting for.
Yes, the road ahead is steep. But the LGBTQ+ community knows how to navigate steep roads. We turn marches into movements, protests into policy, and pain into power. We remind the world that progress is never a straight line—it is a jagged, uphill climb, but it is one we are willing to take together.
And there is hope. I see it in the courage of transgender youth refusing to be silenced, in the allies showing up at school board meetings, in the drag queens defiantly spreading joy despite the hate. I see it in the churches, synagogues, and mosques affirming LGBTQ+ lives, and in families who choose love over fear. I see it in all of you.
This moment demands more than resistance; it demands vision. We must not only protect the rights we have gained but reimagine a future where every LGBTQ+ person can thrive—where acceptance is not contingent on survival, but a birthright.
So, to those feeling hopeless, I say this: lean into your community. Our strength is in our collective power. And to our allies, I urge you to act—not just in words, but in deeds. Join us in this fight, for it is not just about LGBTQ+ rights—it is about the soul of our democracy.
The year ahead may feel uncertain, but we are not without direction. We have each other. And in that, there is light. As Audre Lorde said, “Without community, there is no liberation.” Let 2025 be the year we prove, once again, that the LGBTQ+ community cannot and will not be erased.
We will persevere. We always have.
Josh Coleman is President of Central Alabama Pride, Alabama's oldest and most significant LGBTQ+ pride organization. He also serves as the LGBTQ+ liaison for Mayor Woodfin for the City of Birmingham.