What Being American and Gay Means to Me

As a child of the 70s, I grew up knowing that America was a melting pot. Where people come to make their dreams come true. I was lucky enough to be born here and have always, well, almost always, known what freedom meant.

When I was four years old, my biological father kidnapped me and took me to Baghdad, Iraq. The minute he got my brother and me onto Iraqi soil, my mother lost all rights. Mom utilized the help of the American Embassy, the FBI, the CIA, and many others to get us back. Our father agreed to send us back on my 5th birthday, March 6, 1976.
Returning home was magical. We celebrated all the holidays missed while we were in Baghdad, followed by a trip to Disneyland. Safety was a feeling that had eluded me for nearly an entire year in Iraq.

As we approached the entryway, we were greeted by archways on either side, promising adventure. We walked under the arch that read, “Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy.”

I knew I would never be ripped away from my mother, ever again. Walking through that small tunnel signified a magical passageway to my safety and well-being. I knew I was finally home, in America, the land of the free.

My heart breaks knowing that the extreme ruling by the supreme court will change the face of this country forever. I grew up in a world where hate didn’t surround us. Perhaps because the 70s were about love since we were on the heels of the war-torn end of the 60s.

In Not My Circus there is a section called Freedom. This chapter discusses my struggles as a gay individual and the eye-opening experiences I endured fighting for our freedoms. In one (or several) recent decisions, the groundwork has been clearly laid out to undermine the progress of the LGBTQ+ community. The extreme biases of this court can swiftly abolish the strides that have been made, taking away all the achievements of the LGBTQ+ people.

Has all of our fighting been for nothing? NO WAY! Actually, this should reinforce the ongoing fight for freedom for our LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters.

This supreme court is lining everything up for Trump to become a true dictator and rule this nation as a king rather than a president. That is unacceptable! For EVERYBODY! Anyone who cares about this country, the values it was born out of, and the principles it has stood for for so many years, it can’t all be for nothing!

Now is the time to join forces and stand united! Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and everyone in-between, regardless of race, sexual orientation, or gender identity, anyone who cares about peace, love, and freedom! We MUST ban together and re-elect Biden as our president who will keep the peace in this nation.

I often ponder what life would have been like if my mother hadn’t gotten me out of Iraq. As a lesbian, I probably wouldn’t exist any longer. I don’t need to remind everyone of the horrific acts Trump has admittedly done. But I do not want to end up in an LGBTQ + concentration camp, which is where it seems this country is headed. The fear is real and people should not ignore the signs that are so blatant in front of our eyes.

I kiss the American ground I walk on because I know that I could have grown up in the war-torn dictatorship of Iraq. Every day, I am profoundly grateful for the freedoms I enjoy as an American, and my patriotism runs deep. However, I feel a growing sense of alarm as I witness these freedoms being eroded bit by bit.

While our freedoms are still intact, they are increasingly under threat. We must recognize the resilience within us to fight against forces like white supremacy that seek to undermine the values our nation was built upon. We are a country born of immigrants, a melting pot of cultures and dreams. It’s time to honor that legacy, respect the land we live on, and appreciate the profound gift of being born in the USA, the land of the free.

Together, we can ensure that America remains a beacon of hope, freedom, and opportunity for generations to come.

Delicia Niami
www.delicianiami.com