When it comes to national politics, the outlook on equality is dim. Conservatives enjoy a U.S. Supreme Court majority while Congress and the White House are controlled by Republicans, who are more likely than not to be associated with the virulently antigay MAGA movement.

Things are not much better at the state level, where the GOP holds 27 state governorships and controls both legislative chambers in 28 states.

This has led to a considerable backslide in equality. The American Civil Liberties Union has tracked more than 600 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced this year alone. More than 70 have passed into law, compared to 49 that passed in 2024. And in 2023, as hateful bills continued to skyrocket, the Human Rights Campaign declared a “state of emergency” for the American queer community. It remains in effect.

And it’s not just equality that’s at stake, MAGA has declared war on democracy and even the law itself, effectively limiting what has traditionally been our paths to representation and power.

But not all is lost. We still enjoy considerable power in blue states, which have acted to solidify our sense of safety and sanctuary, particularly in coastal urban areas, among the freest, most populous, and most prosperous enclaves in the world.

And we still have an enormous advantage when it comes to ideas and also to their twin, policy. MAGA offers only backlash and resentment. Positive policy proposals addressing real issues affecting us all are scant to nonexistent. The movement seeks only to destroy and sow chaos, leading to the president’s record slippage in polls and recent Democratic electoral victories, pointing to a potential blue wave in the 2026 midterms.

Thus, we are dedicating LGBTQ Nation‘s December Issue to the world of ideas, interviewing the prominent authors of some of the year’s best LGBTQ+ books, asking about their solutions to the assault on equality – and on dignity itself.

So cozy up in front of the fireplace this December, and read the views of the queer authors who are paving the way for a better future. All is not lost.

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