As an American living in Germany and studying its history, I find the message of this video still surprisingly relevant:
Last night I had a complicated conversation about leaving.
I was talking about Trump and a German guy said,
“You let one person convince you to leave your home country, a federal country?”
It takes seeing our country from the outside in to realize what a privilege it is to have been born there.
But my nation is so divided. Our president is behaving in a way that validates hate and bias of far right wing ideology.
Leaving has only made me more concerned for those who are still in the USA who have to fight for their rights. I remember what it’s like in The South.
It feels ridiculous even mentioning my own struggle when I know others have had it much worse – yet I had to get out of Tennessee to feel safe.
If I had stayed behind, the stifling nature of The Church would have destroyed me. Before I left the USA, my brother told me,
if I had kids who I ‘raised’ to be gay he would kick their asses.
Anyway. What does this identity mean to you, American?
Do you ever think about it?
—carnelian king
Flommist Carnelian King is a performing artist, product designer, toy maker and nonbinary clown currently living in Berlin. Copyright © 2017 Carnelian King.
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