Power of protest: safety first… Power and passion always… Your story, your way!

by: Anthony Corona

Dear friends in the blind and low vision community,

In these challenging and powerful times, the call to rise up and speak out rings louder than ever. Across the country, people are gathering to demand justice, dignity, and the change we know is long overdue. And we, the blind and low vision community, are not only welcome in this moment—we are essential to it. Whether you’re someone who’s been in the trenches of advocacy for years, or you’re just now feeling the spark to get involved, this letter is for you. It’s a call to action and a roadmap to ensure that your voice is heard, your power is honored, and your safety is always front and center.

Showing Up In-Person: Safety First, Power Always

Attending a protest can be a deeply moving and empowering experience. But it’s important to do so in a way that centers your access, preparedness, and peace of mind.

1. Make a Plan.

Learn the route and timeline of the protest in advance.
Reach out to organizers to ask if accessibility support or volunteer guides are available.
Wear comfortable clothes and sturdy shoes.
Bring water, ID, emergency contact info, medications, and a mask.

2. Go with a Trusted Person or Group.

Partner with someone who knows your needs.
Establish a meetup spot in case of separation.
Use check-in tools like Find My iPhone or Life360.

3. Bring Tech That Works for You

Keep your phone charged and bring a power bank.
Use apps like Aira Explorer Be My Eyes to assist with navigation or reading signs.

4. Know Your Rights

Learn your legal rights as a protestor and a person with a disability.
Practice short scripts to communicate access needs, like: “I’m blind and need space to move safely.”

For Guide Dog Handlers: Keeping Your Teammate Safe

If you’re a handler and your guide dog is part of your protest experience, your bond is your strength—but preparation is key.

Know your dog’s limits. Loud noises, crowd energy, and high temperatures can be stressful. Trust your dog’s behavior to guide your choices.
Bring water and a collapsible bowl. Hydration for both of you is essential.
Use a cooling mat or vest if you’re in a hot area.
Be mindful of hazards like broken glass or dropped food—keep paws safe with booties if needed.
Know when to leave. If your dog seems overwhelmed, prioritize their well-being and step away. That doesn’t mean your protest ends—it just changes form. Your guide dog gives you independence. Protecting their safety is another form of protest: a powerful act of love and solidarity.

Protest Isn’t One Size Fits All: Alternatives that Matter.

Not everyone can—or should—be out in the streets. That doesn’t mean your voice is any less important. In fact, it may be even more strategic.
Join virtual actions like online teach-ins, livestreamed rallies, and Twitter storms.
Write letters to your local newspaper, elected officials, or organizing groups.
Host or join Zoom-based discussions, advocacy trainings, or creative storytelling events.
Use your talents: whether it’s writing, art, speaking, music, or community outreach—let your gifts fuel your resistance.

You’re not alone. Organizations like the Human Rights Campaign, the American Council of the Blind, the National Federation of the Blind, and Blind LGBT Pride International, as well as countless grassroots organizers, are already paving the way. When you join their efforts—even from home—you’re not only advocating for your rights, you’re helping drive the entire movement forward. Your energy fuels change for our whole community and beyond. Be Seen, Be Heard—In Your Way.

Marching on the National Mall, gathering outside courthouses, or standing on the steps of your city hall is unforgettable. If you have the time, stamina, and support, these moments can be life changing. But protest doesn’t only happen in those places. It can happen in your kitchen, on your phone, through a letter, or behind a microphone. You don’t need permission to be powerful. You only need a little passion, a little creativity—and your truth.

In Closing, you Belong in This Movement. Let no one tell you otherwise: this moment belongs to you, too. Whether you show up with a guide dog at your side, a screen reader in your hand, or your voice echoing through online channels—you are part of the heartbeat of change. You don’t need to see the crowd to feel the power of collective action. You just need to be there, in whatever way is right for you.

With strength, solidarity, and love; with your Community, your Movement, and your Voice; exercising your power to protest comes in many ways in many forms. Safety first… Passion always… Your story and your truth! Collective action is like a grand chorale performance. Every voice is unique, and every voice is needed, but as every voice blends in the harmony, the power bills and the song cannot be ignored!

Yours,
Anthony Corona
He/Him
Host and Producer of Sunday edition

For more information about Sunday Edition, send Anthony a message at sundayeditionac@gmail.com

To know more about what BPI is doing to help fight the good fight, visit us at bpi.gay or send us a message at media@blindlgbtpride.org.

Magda and Muskrats Want Us to React… But How?

By Anthony Corona

The key is distraction, folks. Get us angry. Get us divided. That’s the playbook. We saw it happen just recently—MAGA extremists openly mocked a blind witness at a Capitol Hill hearing. Cruel, juvenile, disgusting—but more than that, it was strategic. They know that when we’re outraged, we’re focused on the offense instead of the bigger picture. They want us tweeting, ranting, and arguing amongst ourselves instead of uniting against the very real policy threats that are happening behind the scenes. Because while they’re putting on this circus, here’s what’s really going on: •

Donald Trump and Elon Musk are forming an alliance that threatens disability rights in ways we’ve never seen before. Musk, handed unchecked power as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), now has access to sensitive government data. He’s pushing policies that put essential disability protections—like Section 504—at risk. • Fourteen state attorneys general have launched lawsuits against DOGE, warning that this overreach could dismantle vital protections. But how much attention is that getting? Instead, the news cycle is filled with reaction clips and partisan bickering. • This isn’t just about the blind community. This isn’t just about one hearing. This is a test run—a way to see if we’ll let anger pull us apart or if we’ll stand together across disabilities, across movements, and across the political spectrum to fight back.

And while this is happening, attacks on transgender and non-binary citizens are escalating at an alarming rate. Laws are being proposed and passed that strip away their rights to healthcare, public spaces, and even their ability to exist legally as their true selves. The Stonewall National Monument—sacred ground in the fight for LGBTQIA+ liberation—is being scrubbed down to just “LGB,” erasing the trans and non-binary leaders who were at the very heart of the movement. The same forces trying to dismantle disability rights are working just as hard to erase queer and trans identities, to roll back reproductive rights, to criminalize Black history, to silence Indigenous voices, to make America a country where only Christian, white, heterosexual, cisgender men hold full personhood under the law. So

here’s the challenge: don’t react to their cruelty—react to their policies. • Support the attorneys general who are fighting against this. Call their offices. Donate if you can. • Reach out to your senators and representatives. Flood their inboxes and phone lines. Demand accountability for DOGE and transparency around Musk’s unchecked influence. • Make noise in the media. Contact journalists, write op-eds, bring the focus back to policy, not personality politics. • Build coalition. The disability community is powerful, but we are strongest when we work together. Connect with other disability advocates. Reach out to civil rights groups. We all have a stake in this fight. •

Join organizations like Blind LGBT Pride International. Organizations like Blind LGBT Pride International are shining a light through the dark, straight at the truth. They spotlight the issues and provide ways—small, large, and in-between—for people to engage in access and advocacy. BPI is the only organization serving the intersection of the blind and low-vision community within the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. Get involved, follow trusted sources of information, and support nonprofits and journalists who are speaking their truth.

You can start by joining the Blind LGBT Pride international family, and movement at www.bpi.gay.

They want to divide us. Let’s show them just how united we can be.

Yours,
Anthony Corona
He/Him
Host and Producer of Sunday edition
sundayeditionac@gmail.com
and
Vice President, Blind LGBT Pride International

Happy Valentine’s Day, LGB—And the Only Tea Is for Trump

By Anthony Corona

Imagine waking up on your birthday and being told you don’t exist. Worse yet, that you never
existed. And moving forward, you won’t have a place here. Imagine visiting the legendary Stonewall National Monument—the site where a courageous rebellion ignited a movement—only to find out that your identity has been erased. That is the Valentine’s Day present millions of Americans are waking up to on a day that’s supposed to celebrate love.
A Systematic Erasure The National Park Service (NPS) has removed references to transgender and queer individuals from the Stonewall National Monument’s website. The site, which previously acknowledged “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+)” individuals, now only refers to “lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB)” persons.[¹] This erasure is not accidental. It aligns with an executive order signed by Donald Trump on January 20, 2025, directing federal agencies to define sex strictly as male or female. As a result, transgender identities are being systematically removed from government documents, websites, and policies.[²] This isn’t just about a website. This is about stripping away identity, history, and rights. The Plan to Divide and Destroy This administration is attacking not just the LGBTQIA+ community, but also the disability community, civil rights protections, and any person or group that does not fit into its narrow, regressive vision of America. Government entities are being pressured to erase transgender, nonbinary, and questioning individuals from existence. Corporations and private entities are being encouraged to do the same. This is a strategy as old as fascism itself: erase identities, pit communities against one another, demonize differences, and encourage hatred and violence. The ultimate goal? To divide, conquer, and consolidate power in the hands of the few. A Theocracy in the Making
For many of us in the LGBTQIA+ community, just turning on the news or opening our phones is an act of horror. Why? Because every day, another piece of our existence is being legislated out of public life, all under the guise of “Christian values” and “purity.” This should horrify all of us. Make no mistake—Trump does not believe in God. Trump believes he is God. And unless you bow to him, you are the enemy.
First, they came for the migrants and the immigrants. Then, they came for the disabled. Now, they’re coming for the LGBTQIA+ community. And next? It’s only a matter of time before women are forced back into the kitchen, barefoot, barred from the workplace, and stripped of autonomy over their own bodies. This administration is laying the groundwork for a tiered citizenship system. Who will be deemed a “true American” next? Will it be determined by skin color? National origin? Religious affiliation? The question isn’t if more groups will be targeted—it’s when.
A Playbook Right Out of 1930s Germany Right-wing politicians and MAGA extremists will deny it, but the truth is undeniable: Trump and his oligarchs are using the same propaganda tactics that fueled the Nazi movement. They are defining an “ideal citizen.” They are erasing those who don’t fit the mold. They are encouraging hatred and division. And they are daring us to look away. Look in the mirror. Shake your ancestry tree. If you are not a Putin, you are not safe. This is the moment to fight back. Because if we allow this erasure to continue, history tells us exactly where we’re headed. And by then, it will be too late.

Media Contact:
Anthony Corona (He/Him)
Vice President, Blind LGBT Pride International
Email: media@blindlgbtpride.org

For more information and to support BPI’s mission, visit www.bpi.gay.