The "Right" Way to Fight

We are well past the breaking point. People are being murdered, and the President and his administration call them enemies, say they deserved it, and victim-blame.

They want their supporters to accept without question.

They want their opposition hopeless and afraid. They want us to stop and withdraw, hide and comply.

We cannot do it.

We need to keep fighting the right way.

But… what is the right way?

Doing the “right” thing doesn’t prevent ICE, Border Patrol, and other federal authorities from taking our rights: our right to peaceful protest, our right to due process, and even our right to live.

What is the right thing to do?

The right thing to do is anything that will help make a difference.

My trans friend is moving to Europe soon. He said others have accused him of running away and abandoning the fight.

But we each get to decide for ourselves the way we fight.

My friend is a great writer, and he’s always been fighting in his own way through the stories and characters he writes. His characters are those who are usually sidelined in mainstream entertainment: gay and trans characters, bisexual characters, and minority groups evolving to survive in worlds not kind to them.

That is fucking fighting, too.

And I bet his writing will be even better when he is living in an area that doesn’t force him to justify his existence; where he doesn’t have to worry constantly about his rights and healthcare being stripped away.

He deserves to live somewhere he’s treated with dignity as a human being.

I learned from SURJ (Stepping Up for Racial Justice) that the right thing to do is what energizes you. We need people of all interests and skills joining this fight.

You want to stand and march and protest? Great.

You want to get a legal degree so you can sue the shit out of people who break the law and claim immunity? Wonderful.

You want to draw happy pictures of small animals living in a much friendlier society than ours and share them with your Instagram followers? Beautiful.

All these are great. We need people with various skills making progress in different areas. You may never go to a protest because that is not your strength, or honestly because it is scary or might be dangerous for you — that is valid! There are so many heartbreaking things happening and so many groups of people living in fear.

We need to cling to our own strength, hope and energy. We are in this for the long haul. We must take care of ourselves and help in the ways we can; the ways that feel right for each of us.

I have two children, 10 and 3 years old. I am exhausted and angry and buzzing with the need to fight, but I will not take my children to a protest where we could be attacked, beaten, maimed, or killed.

I can’t fight the way my anger demands I fight.

But I can talk to my 10-year-old truthfully about what is going on. I can admit that I’m scared and I’m not sure what is going to happen next, but I damn well am going to keep helping in the ways I can.

And after learning the details of yet another innocent person murdered by those who feel they are above the law, I decided the best thing to do on the night of January 24, 2026 was: have a family dance party.

We took turns picking songs and danced in the living room until we collapsed onto the couch to rest. The kids still argued, and I was still worried about what the future looks like for Minnesota and our country, but ultimately we were there, dancing and laughing and living.

This is why we fight.

So no one has to live in fear.

So everyone can live with joy.

An incomplete list of ways you can help:

Protest—show up and be loud.

Donate—IF you have extra money, find an organization that aligns with your values.

Defund—vote with your dollar! Don’t spend at places that support this shit.

Read—news from all sources and sides to learn the truth and understand how the truth is twisted to fit a predefined narrative.

Compile—straighten out the facts and share

Talk—call out or question problematic behavior of those around you, gently. People are people and we are ALL being screwed by the power politics and money—even though some don’t realize this.

Soothe—things are scary. Give kind words or bits of hope to those struggling.

Create—stories, songs, poems, comics, drawing, digital art. Funny, melancholy, angry, raw or sad; ALL work as long as they are real.

Laugh with those you love

Remember what we are fighting for.

Remember why.