Tomorrow Will Be Different: Love, Loss, and the Fight for Trans Equality

by Sarah McBride

But the president also knew the topic was deadly serious. He outlined the continued work ahead: the need for marriage equality in all fifty states, the lack of nationwide workplace protections, the violence faced by the community, and the continued epidemic of AIDS. “This year, we mark the forty-fifth anniversary of Stonewall,” he proclaimed, referring to the riot against police violence that had launched the modern LGBTQ movement. “And this tremendous progress we’ve made as a society is thanks to those of you who fought the good fight, and to Americans across the country who marched and came out and organized to secure the rights of others.” The president closed by articulating a view of America that frames our greatness not as the product of a bygone era, but rather from our ongoing journey toward a deeper understanding of freedom. “That’s how we continue our nation’s march towards justice and equality,” he told us. “That’s how we build a more perfect union—a country where no matter what you look like, where you come from, what your last name is, who you love, you’ve got a chance to make it if you try. You all have shown what can happen when people of goodwill organize and stand up for what’s right. And we’ve got to make sure that that’s not applied just in one place, in one circumstance, in one time. That’s part of the journey that makes America the greatest country on earth.”