A Declaration of Independence from Oppression

Paula Sadler
Jul 4
2 min read

July 4, 2025From the People to the Powers That Be

To the United States of America, to the Government, to the World, and to All Who Seek Truth, Love, and Justice:

On this Independence Day, we do not celebrate with blind allegiance. We write today as people of faith, people of conscience, and people who refuse to be erased.

We, the marginalized and the misrepresented—transgender people, LGBTQIA+ people, immigrants, working-class families, disabled bodies, truth-speakers, and healers—hereby declare our independence from oppression.

We reject:

The criminalization of gender identity and the human experience.
The dehumanization of transgender children and their families.
The targeting of medical providers who save lives.
The demonization of immigrants, of Democrats, of healers, of parents, and of queer people—especially transgender women, men, and non-binary siblings.
The attempt to erase our existence through law, propaganda, or violence.

We affirm:

That our lives are sacred.
That our bodies are not political pawns.
That our identities are divine and non-negotiable.
That our families, our children, and our elders deserve dignity, protection, and celebration.

Let it be known: We will not be erased.

Vision 2025: A New Independence

As the far-right pushes Project 2025—a dystopian agenda rooted in elitism, white nationalism, religious extremism, and theocracy—we, the people, offer Vision 2025:

We declare:

That religious freedom belongs to all—not just the few.
That our faith affirms gender-affirming care as sacred, not sinful.
That when government-backed healthcare is stripped away, we will build our own: faith-based, community-run clinics and networks that serve with love.
That when the state bans us from serving in the military, we will honor our own heroes—through awards, art, writing, music, storytelling, and sacred recognition.

We will not ask permission to exist. We give ourselves the authority to thrive. We will empower our own people, fund our own nonprofits, employ one another, build safe spiritual homes, and raise our children in dignity and joy.

To the Oppressors: Hear This

You may silence us in Congress, but we will speak louder in churches, mosques, temples, and online. You may try to bury our truth with lies, but it will bloom like wildflowers through the cracks in your concrete empires.

Your cruelty will not define our future. Your laws will not override our sacred truths. Your hate will not erase our light.

We call on every person of conscience to rise:

To fund what heals, not what harms.
To build inclusive communities, clinics, and congregations.
To elect leadership with vision, not vengeance.
To lift up transgender voices, honor transgender lives, and protect our youth with ferocity and love.