Bearing Witness: Stories, Struggles, and the Fight Against Erasure

In Death of the Author, Nnedi Okorafor a provides poetic narrative from the perspective of artificial beings who have outlived humanity. These entities continue to exist after humans have departed Earth, having fulfilled their programs to heal the planet, and continuing to evolve beyond that orignal purpose.

Zelu, who uses a wheelchair, meets Hugo at a restaurant in Chicago. Hugo appears to use bionic prosthetics. They begin their conversation expressing mutual admiration.

During a later scene, Zelu arrives at a funeral home during a Chicago blizzard, accompanied by Msizi, to view her father’s deceased body. The heavy snowstorm is described as a “true Chicago blizzard” that is “blustery, aggressive, and cold.” Zelu is reluctant to enter the funeral home, knowing her father’s body is inside. She hasn’t seen him since a hospital visit two weeks prior, and appears to be the last of her siblings to arrive.

In Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen, Camel tells Jacob that the train he has jumped is the Flying Squadron of the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. When Jacob asks, “The what?”, Camel breaks out in laughter.

Even more noise than usual comes from the camel car one morning. Otis mentions that they have a fair bit farther to go. When Jacob slides the door open, the flies, maggots, and smell, has him and Otis staggering away a few feet before vomiting.

When the train prepares to depart, Jacob raps on the door of Marlena’s and August’s stateroom, asking if she is there. When he affrims that he’s Jacob, she invites him into the room. Standing by one of the open windows, her eyes are wide and her face drained of blood. Marlena is on the verge of tears.

Jacob crosses the room asking her, “What’s the matter?” Turning back to the window, she presses her hand to her mouth. The progress of August and Rosie making their way noisily to the from of the train is excruciating. Even from the distance, they can see that Rosie is whimpering when August drives the pick end of the bull hook into her shoulder. Marlena clutches Jacob’s hand so tightly it hurts.

When Jacob bursts into the goat room to talk to Walter, Queenie raises her head. Walter asks, “What’s up?” Jacob says he needs to ask a favor. When asked what it is, Jacob responds that his friend “is in a bad way.” Walter asks if it’s the guy with the jake leg? Responding affirmatively, Jacob walks over to his bedroll. When Walter tells him to spit it out, Jacob replies, “I want to bring him here.”

August tells Marlena and Jacob that two weeks prior the livelihood of everyone in the show was in danger. His eyes move between Marlena and Jacob. When Marlena asks why, August replies that it was was because they went into the hole acquiring an animal that was supposed to be the salvation of the show.

Later, when August goes into a rage suspecting Jacob of having sex with his wife, Marlena screams at him to “Stop it!” The noise shocks him into confusion. Marlena asks if he is all right now.

I didn’t make the Living Room Hike this week. By the time I caught up with my TODO list, it was 6:24 pm, and the hike was scheduled to start at 6:30 pm. Meanwhile, I also noticed a slight pain in my hip, so I realize that giving it time to heal would be wise. Plus I noticed it's a four mile hike in the sun, and since my beta blockers make it harder for me to cool down, I'll be looking for something more about a two mile hike in the shade, so I have a better chance of building up my stamina.

In Oklahoma City, in an article published on Vanguard News Group, a challenge to Oklahoma’s ban on gender-affriming medical care for minors was rejected by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. When applying rational basis scrutiny, the government must prove that its law advances a “legitimate” state interest.

Oklahoma State Representative Mauree Turner, the state’s only open non-binary lawmaker in the state was censured and removed from committee assignments, because they offered “a protestor the use of an office in the aftermath of an arrest” so that the protestor could prepare to turn themselves in.

In United States v Skirmetti, which was cited in the case, Chief Justice John Roberts has written that the Equal Protection Clause does not resolve disagreements over “the safety, efficacy, and propriety of medical treatments in an evolving field,” deferring discretion to the states.

In Concord, New Hampshire, a federal lawsuit was filed by advocacy groups and teachers challenging New Hampshire’s law that took effect on July 1 banning diversity, education, and inclusion programs that relate to race, disability, gender identity, gender and sexual orientation in schools, colleges, and public entities. National Education Association (NEA)-New Hampshire President Megan Tuttle, released a statement affirming, “We know diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and initiatives are not only legally required in certain contexts but also create a sense of belonging where all students can feel comfortable sharing their ideas and stories.” ACLU Disability Rights Program Director Zoe Brennan-Kohn states, “Among those potentially swept up in this vague law are students with disabilities, many of whom rely on accessibility and integration programs to succeed at schoool.”

President Trump has decided to federalize the police in Washington D.C. The ACLU is warning its members that this is a gross escalation and abuse of his powers to turn military and federal power against civilians.

I got a pleasant surprise in my mailbox this week. My updated DD-214s with my name change have arrived and I discovered that my record had been updated to reflect two Navy E’s. I guess I’ll have to get my ribbon bar updated.

In Texas, FIRE (the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression) and the ACLU Foundation of Texas, sent an open letter to President Keller of the University of North Texas urging the university to rescind it’s March 28th system-wide “pause” on campus drag performances. This is my youngest daughter's school, where she is pursuing a Master of Fine Arts. It’s also the first college campus I attended from 1983 to 1984. The letter points out that UNT's "pause" is violating the First Amendment, Texas Law, and its own policies.

UNT’s ban follows in the footsteps of Texas A&M’s ban, tying it to the unscientific concept of “promoting gender ideology” in Trump’s Executive Order and the anti-DEI initiative of the state legislature. The “pause” has forced student groups, including GLAD Queer Alliance and UNT Gammas to move their events or cancel them entirely.

On March 24th, the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas enjoined the Texas A&M Board from enforcing their ban. In the decision is the affirmation that the First Amendment to the US Consitution protects drag perfromances, just as it does other forms of theatrical expression. Judge Rosenthal pointed out that banning a drag show “because it offends some member of the campus community is precisely what the First Amendment prohibits.” Our enlightenment forefathers created the First Amendment because they could not stand censorship, and enabling censorship is one of the stepping stones and tools of authoritarianism, which they despised.

In a video going around Tik Tok, David Torrey shares that he was beaten and left paralyzed by a stranger who called him a “crippled faggot.” This is the second time that David was assaulted, and Utah has a hate crime statute that increases the penalty for a crime done with a hateful intent meant to target a class or community in addition to the victim. Without at least recording the testimony in detail, this does a disservice to the LGBTQ+ community in the fact that it should have at least been reported as a hate crime, whether it can be proven or not.

It has come to my attention that when David Torrey was beaten and left for dead that he filed a police report with the testimony that he was called a "crippled faggot," and that because there were no witnesses to corroborate what happened, the police officer on scene left out any mention of this from his testimony.

While I appreciate the hard work of our police officers to keep our city safe, I think this was a critical oversight. Given that this was the second time that Mr. Torrey was subjected to hateful violence, left paralyzed once again, and that we have a state law that increases the penalty for acts like assault when they are done in a hateful manner, it is critical that Mr. Torrey's full testimony is entered for the record, not just the portions that the officer observed. It is a well-known fact that the most accurate statements take place as soon as possible after the incident has occurred.

We should leave it up to a judge or jury to determine if a hate crime did in fact occur, not based on the opinion of our law officers, unless they personally witnessed the threats. In addition, we need to have an accurate count of the number of hate crimes reported, and to not have them erased.

What we read, what we witness, and what we live through are all threads in the same fabric of justice and humanity. From the futuristic reflections of Death of the Author to the gritty cruelty in Water for Elephants, from courtrooms debating our rights to the lived realities of people like David Torrey—each story reminds us that silence and erasure are dangerous. We are called not only to notice, but to speak, to record, and to act. Whether it’s ensuring hate crimes are named as such, standing against censorship, or building communities where every voice belongs, the responsibility is ours. Let us be steadfast witnesses and bold participants in shaping a world where truth is told, dignity is protected, and every person is counted.