You Have a Future
One of the things I love the most about the queer community is that we are writing our own script. The script that was given to us didn’t work, so we are inventing something new. We are authors, explorers, and revolutionaries composing songs that have never been sung, creating art that’s never been seen, and writing stories that have never been read. We are overcoming fear with self-authorization—claiming our identities as moral and worthy. We are to transforming ourselves into creators.
I couldn’t always say this, but I love being queer. I’m peculiar, unique, abnormal, biologically atypical, gender-weird, and just as worthy as the person standing next to me. I’m not afraid of my queerness anymore. Part of letting go of my fear was knowing I’m not alone. We’re in this together. While there are hard days filled with insecurities and rejection, there are also brilliant days filled with love and compassion beyond anything I imagined. Even with the hard days, the trials, the pain, the suffering, I’d do it all of over again if given the chance. It is in those formative moments that I learn how to love when loving isn’t easy. Being queer has taught me how to love divinely.
By no means am I perfect at loving during times of suffering, but when our queer manta is “Love Wins” I take those words seriously. I believe in them. I believe love will win and triumph over ignorance, fear, anger, hate, and even death. Love has the power to transform trials into opportunities. Love has the power to make an enemy a friend. Love has the power to make a mere human a savior. Love winning also includes me loving myself as I am, and you loving you as you are. “Love Wins” isn’t something that happens without effort on our part. “Love Wins” means we learn to love bravely and fearlessly when loving is hard.
Each of you has the power to make “Love Win.” You aren’t in this alone, you have people here who love you and are ready to help you. You are writing your own story, right now. With each passing moment you are the creator of your future. You have already begun to claim your power as a worthy author to create a future of your own making. Your queerness is not a hinderance to the future. Your queerness is an asset if you so choose. Your queerness puts you in a unique position to show the world what love looks like.
Today, I want to do an exercise with you. I want to create a future with you where “Love Wins.” I have a lot of ideas about what that might look like, but I am far more interested in hearing you dreams and visions of the future. I want you to show me what “Love Wins” looks like.
On a piece of paper, I want you to write or draw your thoughts about what your future, a future where “Love Wins,” looks like. This can include your family goals, school goals, career goals, or friendship goals. Your dreams can be as outrageous or practical as you like. You can cure cancer, write an epic book, start a company, raise a family, be an artist, or fly to Mars in a future where “Love Wins.” Let your imagination run wild—dive into a world of science-fiction if it pleases you. Tell me the story of a future where “Love Wins.”
You have a future, and you get to decide what it look like.
Blaire Ostler is a Board Member of the Mormon Transhumanist Association and Christian Transhumanist Association, and one of the leading voices on the intersections of Mormonism, feminism, and transhumanism. She presents and writes on many topics, and speaks at conferences promoting Mormon Transhumanist ideals. Blaire holds a BFA in Design from the International Academy of Design and Technology-Seattle. She is pursuing a second bachelor’s degree in Philosophy with an emphasis in Gender Studies. She is passionate about esthetics, religion, human sexuality, queer theory, philosophy, and art. She and husband Drew reside in Utah with their three children. She presented this speech at Encircle’s Ignite LGBTQ Youth Summit on 1 December 2018 in Lehi UT.
