As a queer person, I sometimes think about cis straight people I know back home (Singapore) who truly think I had no reason to leave home. Even though my country doesn't recognize my marriage, even though there are no immigration benefits that accrue to my foreign same sex spouse, even though there are no anti-discrimination laws that exist to protect me, they think, I can still have a pretty good life as an out queer person. I can have money, and no one is actively wanting to beat me up or hurt me.
That's the problem.
The problem isn't the bigots (because at least I know what to expect), it's the people who think they are not bigots, who believe that I should be thankful and grateful because 'at least nobody is going to beat me up'.
Nobody will beat me up because I have middle class Chinese and cis privilege in that society. It's not the same for other people. It's not because I am accepted or tolerated. Also, that is a tremendously low bar. I expect more of my life. I expect to thrive, not just be grateful to survive.
