From the perspective of the LGBT community it's never been a safer time to be open (which in no way implies it's not full of challenges and danger). But significant progress has been made.
And while America is still deeply structured around racism, the dialogue has never been more open and the problems have never been made more clear to a broad swath of the population, which when polled generally agrees that core problems like income inequality and unfair police enforcement / incarceration need to end now.
That is not to paint a rosy picture of the entire affair. It's a mixed bag. America's foreign policies have been troublesome in many ways. And yeah, surveillance and speech rights are a sore spot for some people. I don't disagree there are issues.
But sitting here telling me I've never had it worse won't work. I assure you 5 years ago it was substantially worse for me.
I need to keep an eye out so if nothing else, I know when I need to leave the country.
Perhaps, but I'm sure there's a better way than sifting through piles of BS that is news. (If you can't tell, I hate the "news"). Maybe the ACLU should set up a monthly email alert with a barometer reading. But I agree with OP. Avoiding the news will make you a more sane person.
I see no reason to retreat into a bubble because the news isn't happy. The things that nearly drove me to self-harm were real people, not an overcooked headline.
Every American should be concerned about the idea of making it legal for police to selectively enforce law based on "moral convictions" about marriage and lifestyle. If you're not concerned about that kind of legislation then I'm not prepared to debate you on such a fundamental tenant on a mobile keyboard. Suffice to say: I'm opposed fundamentally.
As for why know about it: be real. We've got a lot more influence than you imply we do. I've got comparatively enormous financial resources to back certain people, along with the ability to finance a defensive emigration attempt.