On his first day in office President Donald Trump signed a slew of orders. Everything from Leaving the World Health Organization to renaming the Gulf of Mexico to declaring there are only two genders. A strange mix of declarations and announcements.

The World Health Organization tracks emerging diseases. Cutting ourselves off from them cuts us off from the early warning system. Don’t we want to know what is coming? Why would we hurt our own Scientists this way? If the goal is to stay ahead of emerging diseases this action is counterproductive. It is also insane. Sane people plan for the future.

Bird Flu, the H5N1 virus is killing millions of wild birds and millions of domestic birds. It’s responsible for the rise in egg prices, which Trump no longer talks about. Bird flu has jumped from birds to cows and from dairy herds to people. It is just one of dozens of emerging diseases. There are much worse things than Covid out there.

In what way does he imagine the WHO has harmed us? Trump has said they have been unfair to us. I ask “In what way have they been unfair to us? Give examples from the real world. Let’s have some facts to back up these wild assertions of victimhood.”

Renaming the Gulf of Mexico is just nonsense. Does he think other countries don’t have maps? Does he think the rest of the world will go along with this? It is delusional and a distraction from the real harm he is doing.

The statement that there are only two genders is simply not scientifically accurate. Estimates range from 0.05 % to 1.7% of the population is intersex. People who have a range of chromosomal and physical characteristics that don’t fit neatly into either category. That’s millions of people.

To say these people do not exist when they so clearly do is delusional. It is systematic depersonalization. It is a lie. It is important to resist such lies. These people have a right to exist simply because everyone does. If they have no right to exist does anyone else have a right to personhood? This is fundamental to our Government of “We the people” all equal before the law.

Approximately 5.5% to 7.6% of U.S. adults self identify as LBGTQ. Trans people have always been with us. In the past if they could hide it they did because coming out was dangerous. People who came out were treated as freaks. In movies of the past physically assaulting a Trans woman was a joke. A few socially acceptable laughs to see someone get hit, violence for fun. Trump promised his followers we would return to those times.

There was a time when young white men would brag about going on “Fairy Raids” by which they meant going down to the gay bar and beating up people there. I see this kind of violence glorified and I am really afraid for my LBGTQ friends and family.

First they came for the trans kids.

And New York state said, “Not so fast buster!”

We have an equal rights amendment to our State Constitution.

Will that really hold up? People talk about “States Rights” when they want to control women’s bodies or reinstate slavery. How will they feel if we use States Rights to protect our trans kids?

What about all the trans kids in red states? Bishop Mariann Edger Budde spoke directly to Trump in her sermon when she asked for mercy for the people who are afraid. Go online and watch her talk about the people Jesus would have cared for. She talks about the LBGTQ youth in Democratic and Republican and Independent households. Some of whom fear for their lives. She talked about the people who clean our offices and work in meat packing plants.

They may not have documentation but they are our neighbors, our friends, our children’s friends. They are afraid. I ask for mercy

Trump wants her to apologize to him. She is receiving hate mail from his followers. In normal times the consequences might be some threats from his followers and nothing more. We are not in normal times anymore. Republican Representative Mike Collins called for her to be deported. We will see what happens to her for speaking truth to power. For daring to ask for mercy. Trump has just granted pardons to people who killed four police officers on Jan. 6, 2021. Those people are now buying guns.

All the checks and balances that held Trump back last time are no longer there. He has both houses of Congress and the Courts. No Republicans are standing up to him for fear of being primaried. We must stand up for ourselves. Our Democracy rests with us.

Marie Tomlinson is a Fredonia resident. Send comments to editorial@observertoday.com