You are valued. You are loved.

Every weekday Melissa McEwan of Shakesville reports on authoritarian news, then invites readers to add similar stories. Today, reader Auntie Thetical wrote about a protest in Edmonton against Bill 8 in the Alberta Legislature. The bill would roll back protections for school kinds wanting to form and participate in Gay-Straight/Queer-Straight Alliances. I love the mental image of the first paragraph. The rest of it is pretty cool too.

I am so glad I went. The outpouring of love and rage was exactly what I needed to be surrounded by. The local Court of drag queens represented, and stood behind the podium, so the speakers were backed up by a row of furious, glaring, six-and-a-half foot tall, drag queens with rainbow umbrellas.

My two favourite moments were:

1. One of the first speakers was a young girl, still in high school, talking about what belonging to her school’s GSA means to her. She started losing her composure, and had to stop, and there was an uncomfortable silence. Then somebody shouted “YOU’RE DOING GREAT!” and we all cheered until she was ready to go on. Which she did, so much stronger. That’s when I started crying.

2. A later speaker was a social worker who works with queer kids who are on the streets because their families kicked them out. She had us chant, for the kids who might see on TV, “You are valued. You are loved. We will keep you safe.” Which is when I f***ing lost it, snotty ugly crying. I realized I was there for my 13-year-old self who never got any of this and needed it so badly but didn’t even know it was a thing that could exist.

I guess the bottom line is: Everything is not OK. But at least we can be not-OK, not-alone.