Walk to the Southernmost Point in Key West, stroll to the end of the pier at the end of Duval Street, and you’ll see nothing but ocean. Ninety miles away is Cuba, but it’s 90 miles. At most, you’ll see the occasional boat—otherwise, it’s water as far as the eye can see. Turn around and walk all the way back to Mallory Square, and you will find more water and a nice view of Sunset Key.

For the most part, both horizons are calm and stretch forever. I’m not counting the times Carnival or another giant cruise ship docks at Mallory Square. Those days are often quite hectic. However, even then, you can find a vantage point along the shoreline to gaze out into the water and think about what is on the horizon.

Which strikes me as an apt description of the first few days of every year. The world is gearing back up after a bit of holiday slumber. Some of us are enjoying the last moments of a much-needed vacation, and we aren’t quite sure what to expect in the new year.

Except this year felt different. This year, we knew the queer community would be looking at a hurricane or two moving in our direction. To stand in Mallory Square and watch an actual hurricane or any storm come in must be an amazing experience. But I’m worried there won’t be anything amazing for us—other than amazement that people continue to use the queer community as a punching bag.

How’s that for depressing? Or is that accurate?

Following Trump’s win in November, the question came up over and over about how we (the queer community) were feeling. Stunned was a good word. Anxious was another. Unsure certainly fit the bill. Unfortunately, as the months have progressed and as we get closer to the inauguration, that hasn’t changed.

I wanted to be optimistic following the election and wait to see what actually happened. Maybe the rhetoric was just that—something to get voters riled up but would be dialed back later on. Or that cooler, more moderate heads would prevail in Congress and temper some of the worst intentions.

Optimistic.

Instead, right out of the gate, we had Nancy Mace ranting and raving about the new transgender House Representative from Delaware (or any trans woman) not being allowed to use the women’s restroom. That rule was snuck in by the Speaker of the House. Now, we have the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act that would ban transgender girls from participating in girls’ sports. Not trans boys. Just girls—because they are apparently unable to protect themselves without the help of Republicans.

Not a good sign or a good way to start the year. Add to that news that companies are pulling back on DEI initiatives and all the tech giants have traveled to Mar-a-Lago to kiss the ring, and 2025 is looking like a challenging year.

Certainly not what I was hoping to see on the horizon. But then again, I didn’t expect to see anti-gay crusader Anita Bryant finally shuffling off this mortal coil. So maybe there’s some good news still out there. And if there isn’t, we’ll have to do what we can to make our own. Because I can’t go back to Key West at the end of this year, look out from the Southernmost Point, and worry about what else might be on the horizon.