There is a rare ocean phenomenon called “square waves,” that occurs when two sets of waves traveling at different angles intersect, creating a checkerboard pattern. This unusual occurrence, made up of powerful and unpredictable currents, pulls swimmers in multiple directions at once, making it impossible to escape the chaotic currents. The result: swimmers are pulled out to sea, and boats capsize, wrecked because of the instability.
As our daily lives play out amid a backdrop of endless conflicts between individuals and federal officials, it feels like the chaos caused by square waves is no longer confined to the sea. Not a day seems to go by that we don’t find ourselves living in a constant state of dread, anxiety and terror at what’s happening in the very streets where we live. Indeed, the State of the Union message that we just witnessed was rife with fear-mongering, all to amplify the seeds of distrust and resentment being sown among our communities.
The news is rife with the economic and social challenges we’re all experiencing across the country. For some, it’s the impact of the inhumane actions by ICE agents; for others, a denial of medically necessary gender affirming care, tariffs that made it untenable to maintain a small business, rising costs of housing, food, and the very essential things that create a sense of safety and stability. For more, it’s the stripping of basic constitutional protections like due process or the right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure.
Many of us caught in the middle of this dangerous square-wave-like phenomenon are treading water, and bearing witness to the impact on so many vulnerable communities. As the director of a legal services project that supports unhoused and at-risk young people in the city, I’ve seen young people trying to extricate themselves from this confluence with unfortunate consequences. I’ve seen firsthand how systematic attacks have thrust the LGBTQ+ community into overlapping crises, like housing instability, poverty, and barriers to healthcare. A young gay man tries to escape a violent relationship, only to get investigated and arrested by the police when they attempt to defend themselves. A queer woman from Central America struggles to find stable housing and stay enrolled in school, only to encounter an agency reticent to comply with its obligations under the law. I’ve counseled dozens of immigrant youth on the importance of safety planning because they are constantly at risk of ICE whenever they walk the streets of New York City. Moreover, immigrant transgender youth, many of whom traveled thousands of miles seeking the chance to live a life free from gender-based violence, are now facing intensified attacks, adding more uncertainty and fear to their very young lives.
The current administration’s efforts to strip the transgender community of access to federal benefits, obtain medical care, play sports, attend school, and live authentic lives began insidiously but has evolved to an all-out assault on a vulnerable, and minuscule, group of people that comprises less than 1% of the population in the US. The most frightening example of the lengths this administration is willing to go to in their quest to silence a community came quietly last summer, when ICE began excluding congressionally mandated data on transgender people in immigration detention from its biweekly statistical reports. There is now no way to track how many transgender people are being detained by ICE. One of our clients, a transgender woman from Central America, was detained in New York City, but the administration attempted, almost immediately, to transfer her to an all-male detention facility in Louisiana. Had they succeeded in their efforts, she would have been lost in the proverbial black hole detention system created by this administration. The immeasurable harm that comes from forcing transgender immigrants to be placed in facilities based on their sex at birth, revoking safety measures and access to medical care for transgender prisoners, and hiding the very number of them in custody, cannot be understated. It is steps such as these that make clear that the US is in the early stages of a genocide against trans and non-binary people.
The chilling effect of this cannot be understated or undervalued, as policies such as these will continue to be part of a recurring cycle that this administration will employ as they systematically work to remove rights from other marginalized communities. The dehumanizing effects that stem from systemic erosion of federal protections are intended to make those in the queer community feel less visible, safe, and secure.
How, then, can we keep communities from being swept away by this dangerous wave of terror? Amid our struggles, we look for hope in the form of the local leaders who continue to tell truth to power and fervently push back against the tide. The Mayor of New York City, the Mayor of Minneapolis, and the Governors of Minnesota, Virginia, and California are just a handful of examples of those that are publicly (or in some cases, quietly) standing, David-like, as they face the Goliath of officials in this administration. It’s not lost that these few are not out to sow rebellion so much as to assure and safeguard the well-being of the people in the way that the founders of this country envisioned.
Right now, we need even more of our leaders to step up to enforce state and city nondiscrimination laws, provide funding and support for those in need of gender-affirming medical care, create access to justice funds to ensure legal representation to address critical gaps in immigration legal services, and ensure access to safety-net providers.
Swimmers caught in square waves feel as if they are being pulled in multiple directions all at once, leaving them worn out as they try to tread water, unsure of which direction to swim towards. It’s critical to remember that in those moments, the most important thing is to stay calm, focused, organized, and where we can, find those willing to lead with the compassion and humanity that runs counter to the wave that is trying to overtake us. Encouraging even more leaders to engage in this work alongside their communities will only increase our chances.
I’m reminded that the most successful way to manage a square wave is to focus on finding the safest direction, which runs parallel to the shore, in order to escape the wave’s force. For me, that direction stems from the daily work of supporting LGBTQ+ youth. It comes from focusing my energy on those clients that have come to me for legal assistance.
By knowing that I can focus my direction on their needs, I, like so many others navigating in these treacherous waters, know that we will find our way onto safe, dry land.
