Introduction
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 July 2026
Summary
The Introduction explains how queer and trans survival is inextricable bound to the future of American democracy. While acknowledging the flawed history of American democracy, it outlines the inherently liberatory values of our democratic system and the importance of democratic longevity, especially to queer and trans people. The Introduction examines the bellwethers of an authoritarian slide and explores that ways that queer and trans people are uniquely situated to help stop the slide and effect meaningful change as members of an expansive transformative, pro-democracy or democratic resistance movement. It cautions that although history does not repeat itself, it does rhyme, and our challenge is to learn from the gift of hindsight.
Keywords
Information
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- A Queer Guide to Saving American Democracy , pp. 1 - 8Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2026
Accessibility standard: WCAG 2.0 A
Why this information is here
This section outlines the accessibility features of this content - including support for screen readers, full keyboard navigation and high-contrast display options. This may not be relevant for you.Accessibility Information
The HTML of this chapter
conforms to version 2.0 of the
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
(WCAG), ensuring core accessibility principles are addressed and meets the basic
(A)
level of WCAG compliance, addressing essential accessibility barriers.
Content Navigation
Table of contents navigation
Allows you to navigate directly to chapters, sections, or non‐text items through a linked table of contents, reducing the need for extensive scrolling.
Allows you to navigate directly to chapters, sections, or non‐text items through a linked table of contents, reducing the need for extensive scrolling.
Index navigation
Provides an interactive index, letting you go straight to where a term or subject appears in the text without manual searching.
Provides an interactive index, letting you go straight to where a term or subject appears in the text without manual searching.
Reading Order & Textual Equivalents
Single logical reading order
You will encounter all content (including footnotes, captions, etc.) in a clear, sequential flow, making it easier to follow with assistive tools like screen readers.
You will encounter all content (including footnotes, captions, etc.) in a clear, sequential flow, making it easier to follow with assistive tools like screen readers.
Structural and Technical Features
ARIA roles provided
You gain clarity from ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) roles and attributes, as they help assistive technologies interpret how each part of the content functions.
You gain clarity from ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) roles and attributes, as they help assistive technologies interpret how each part of the content functions.