With the recent news from countries like Brunei regarding backwards attitudes and laws governing the rights of LGBT+ people, I’m sure more than just myself have been wondering what the future of LGBT+ rights will be.

It sometimes seems that we, as a species, are taking two steps forward and one step backwards when it comes to social cohesion, and a big part of this is the prejudice increasingly and unashamedly shown by the powerful few towards people who don’t have the same level of privilege.

So what do we do about this? What do we need for a revolution of acceptance?

I feel, at this time, it’s even more important for us to stick together and love each other, and project that love outwards to everyone else too. We need to be embracing and sharing culture, whether it’s queer culture, spiritual culture or national culture.

We need to be showing the world that “the gays” aren’t scary and demonic, that above else we’re just normal people who want to live our lives without threats of being stoned to death.

This feeling doesn’t just extend to my own community, this extends to every single person on this planet. We should all be showing openness to sharing; in the age of social media we live in, this should be second nature.

I am personally also so thankful that in our modern society, we are becoming better at seeing each other just as human, but I know there is so much room for improvement and clarity. We are all in a time of deep social unease and political unrest.

Changes are coming, and whilst some of these are negative, we cannot let these outweigh the positive ones and blind us. At the same time, we can’t ignore the atrocities that are happening, even within our own countries, and we cannot allow the denial of basic rights to anyone. Now, as much as it ever has been, it is so important to get involved with your community.

The future of LGBT+ Rights is in our hands, right now, and it is hand in hand with the future of the human community. Let’s go forward with hope, and all be everyday heroes for those around us. Let’s show the world how much we care about it, so go out there, help your neighbour, give away that pocket change that’s weighing you down, be a part of your society, represent your culture.

Do it for you. Do it for us. Be your best you, for the good of us all. Break down the barriers between cultures with kindness and consideration.

Where do we go next with LGBT+ rights? We go towards love, for everyone.