Why do we have political refugees? Why do people feel not safe in their home state?
I found this story on Furbirdsqueerly a blog by an activist friends who has been out on the streets fighting for our rights since day one. They have a post about an article in CT Voice…
Our stories are the same, I think we all have sat through Christmas morning wishing and hoping to get presents like that (For me my dream did come through some 50, 60 years latter, I got a necklaces and earring set). But where she got the presents was Texas and their pogrom against us, banning our healthcare.Amber Green and her children are political refugees. They are among the tide of families forced from their homes in states that have criminalized gender-affrming care. In fall 2022, they left Fort Worth with all they couldn’t in their van and drove to Connecticut. Although this is a safe haven state, fnancially it’s a hard place for a single mother of three to survive. The family and their pets lived in their van for three cold months until a group of residents banded together to get them settled into an apartment in Bristol just in time for Christmas. Amber blogged about the traumatic experience. Here are excerpts
[…]
Paige, then Max, was always so unhappy and angry. Constantly breaking down and crying, “I just don’t know what’s wrong with me.” But Christmas 2021, that all changed. Paige asked Santa for girl toys, lip gloss and such.
Christmas morning, she was ecstatic to see everything she had asked for–especially a dress and heels. Her smile stretched ear to ear.
But there was a possibility of family strife,
I was worried about my sister, mainly because she and her husband were Trump-loving Republicans. I was surprised when she said she was ok with Paige being her true self. I breathed a sigh of relief.But then her world collapsed around them.
I let Paige’s school know. Her teacher said she would start referring to her as Paige. The principal said the school would support her in whatever way she needed.
June 7, 2022 was the day the knock at the door came. I was sick with Covid. I figured it was my aunt, coming by with soup.She contacted Lambda Legal and joined PFLAG.
Piper (my oldest) opened the door and said, “Mom there’s a man at the door.”
He said, “I’m with the Department of Child Protective Services. We received a call in regard to Maxwell.”
“You mean Paige,” I said.
“Yes, Maxwell,” he replied.
“It’s Paige!” I told him. “And I know why you are here.
Now guess who squealed on them?
… He said the person who filed the report had said I was mentally ill and “making” Paige be a girl. “Do you know anyone in Crowley?” he asked.The East Germany Stasi used to do that, get neighbors, and family members to reports on each other.
I said, “Yes, my sister. Why?”
He replied, “It looks like your sister is the one who made the report.”
My heart sank. How could she do this? I started thinking through everything since I’d told her Paige is transgender. How she was always too busy to spend time with us. How she didn’t want to help Piper with her Girl Scout cookie sales this year. How she was not shocked or upset when I texted her that CPS had been out.
It was August 29, 2022 when the horrible text message came from my sister. “I will take those kids away from you, one way or another.”
I tried to choke back the tears. I was angry. I was hurt, and I was fearful for our safety, because my sister’s husband has several guns. I called my aunt, who said, “Well I am sorry to tell you, but I agree with her, Amber.” I couldn’t breathe. Any support I thought we had was gone.
Sadly they were forced to flee and seek asylum here in Connecticut.
When we were just outside of New York, my lawyer called. He asked how far I was from Connecticut. I said about four hours. He said, “Get your ass to Connecticut now. Don’t make any more stops for anything. Just drive.” He didn’t like the way the new CPS worker was acting.I drove straight through the rest of the way to Connecticut.As we passed the Welcome to Connecticut sign, I pointed it out to my kids. I started to cry as they cheered. We had made it. We were finally somewhere safe.
Is this what we are becoming? A nation divided? The old south becoming a fascist authoritarian states and the northern states democratic sanctuary?
One interesting note that was not found in the on-line version of this story but in the Ct. Voice article was an ending comment by one of the writers for Ct. Voice Jane Latus. Her comment is this: "Safe" is a relative term. When Amber's oldest daughter twisted her leg at a playground Amber took her to the ER. Because the family was living in a van, the hospital called DCF. The social worker accusingly (and rhetorically) asked, "Why did you come here without a plan?" Eventually DCF dropped the case. Although Connecticut is a safe haven state for both gender care and abortions at least for the former it has fallen short on providing support." Ct. Voice, Autum, 2023 print addition.
ReplyDeleteAmazing really. A I asked in articles starting last April and published on furbirdsqueerly, what is the responsibility of the liberal churches, Ct. LGBT groups, businesses, liberals and the state in not only providing a safe haven in name, but assistance to those who must flee neo-fascist states. Assistance for all. This is just another area where reform and passing laws without backup fails. The article answering some of these questions can be found on Furbirdsqueerly. A bold united front in this state can work to provide support for those fleeing. This must be done. Now add the dimension to this of the words spoken to the mother by the worker from DCF. Someone in charge must train these workers to handle cases like this.
Now I will charge Ct. Equality, Ct. Pride in every town, HGLHC, PFLAG, LGBT Chamber, Liberal Churches, unions, left organizations and others who have the mic and spotlight. Get working, do your job to protect the least of these, if you are indeed a safe haven, then you must act now and you must act fully for all.
At our grandchild's birthday part we encountered a "refugee" family from Texas who just did not want their kids raised in the Texan environment. There kids are not trans. They cited the culture of not being supportive of women, trans or not trans. They did not want their son raised in an environment where women's rights are squashed.
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