I wrote yesterday about supporting my neighbor through hip-replacement surgery last week. The experience was quite stressful for both of us, for different reasons, and I'm thinking about a moment just after we arrived at the hospital while I was wheeling her toward surgical registration.

A young medical professional in scrubs was walking towards us. They were obviously/proudly trans or nonbinary. I met their eyes and gave them a warm smile of recognition. They returned it with a sort of consciousness that reminds me of how Black folks in the U.S. talk about "the nod."

We live in a very conservative part of the U.S., and just seeing that queer worker's out, proud presentation helped me feel safer and more welcome.

I figured that if that worker felt safe enough to be who they are, then I could drop my mask a little too.

That's the feeling you're describing, I think, when you describe the power of the rainbow badge scheme. If that sort of inclusion and sensitivity is "woke," then "woke" must be a very good thing indeed.