In Georgia, a mother was dragged out of a school board meeting by four police officers.
One word: “Cowards.”
That's all Lena Kotler, mother to a trans daughter, a nonbinary child, and a neurodivergent child, said before the system made its move.
Four police officers lifted her from her seat at a Decatur school board meeting and carried her out like a threat.
Not for violence. Not for disruption.
For speaking.
I'm not resisting. And this is what fascists do!
She told the truth.
They responded by proving it.
Lena Kotler, a mother of three, had come to the City Schools of Decatur Board of Education meeting to oppose the dismantling of the district's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. What followed wasn't just an overreaction. It was a warning shot from a country sliding into authoritarianism.
I'm practicing my rights as a parent. I'm in no way resisting.
The Vote Went On. So Did the Erasure.
Once Lena was gone, the board did exactly what she came to oppose.
They voted to remove equity protections.
They stripped out ADA references.
They erased the words that once meant her children — trans, nonbinary, autistic — had a place in that district.
Policies were changed to remove words such as "equity" or "ADA" — the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities.
This is not a misunderstanding. It's not a misstep.
It is a message: if you're not quiet, you're not welcome.
This Isn't the System Failing. It's the System Turned Fascist Working Exactly as Intended.
Don't wait for jackboots. Don't wait for declarations.
This is how it looks now: quiet votes, administrative erasure, selective enforcement, and public punishment for dissent.
It's not new. It's not original.
It's the same playbook used in Hungary. In Russia. In Florida. Now in Georgia.
- Erase the language of inclusion.
- Punish those who defend the excluded.
- Call it “order.”
- Enforce it with officers.
And punish those who defend the excluded.
They Want Us Gone. We're Still Here.
Lena stood. They dragged her out.
That's the risk we all face now — for speaking, for existing, for refusing to back down.
But she's not gone. And she's not alone.
They want to demoralize you.
They want you exhausted.
They want you to believe that no one will come next.
They're wrong.
We don't rise because it's easy.
We rise because there's no other choice.
If they remove one of us, it's not ten more who automatically rise.
It's ten who decide they won't be next to sit down.
That's the difference.
That's the line.
No Illusions. No Despair. Just Forward.
This is where we are.
- They are organized. So are we.
- They are determined. So are we.
- They are testing how far they can go.
Let's give them their answer.
We don't flinch.
We don't scatter.
We don't forget.
We stand.
And when one of us is taken — we make damn sure it doesn't happen quietly.