THE time around Hogmanay is, for me, a period of reflection, sorrow and optimism. These next few days are a chance to think of those we lost this year, and those we found too. It’s a time to acknowledge the events of the past 12 months before coaxing our minds back to the present, letting go of whatever we’ve dragged with us through the dark of winter.

This year has been a difficult one, but I firmly believe there’s plenty to be optimistic about. Here are five things to look forward to.

One: Donald Trump is leaving the White House – the reign of the Tango Tyrant is over.

Trump will be remembered as the worst president the United States has ever had the misfortune of electing, and the fact that he is a bitter man obsessed with status and winning above all else only makes that truth all the sweeter.

I remain of the opinion that Joe Biden’s middle-of-the-road approach won’t actually fix any of the problems that led to Trump’s ascendancy in the first place, but even a brief moment of respite is welcome from the rise of global right-wing populism.

Trump was a beacon to repressive regimes across the planet. His loss is a victory for equality, solidarity and peace in a fight that will continue on. Now America will have the time it needs to reckon with the actions of their soon-to-be-former president; a man who blithely targeted minority groups, oversaw the avoidable deaths of hundreds of thousands of US citizens and tore families apart at the border, perhaps permanently.

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Two: The vaccine is coming.

Obviously, stepping from the threshold of 2020 into a bright new year won’t brush away the remnants of the last, and the coronavirus pandemic will remain for some time yet.

However, there is light.

A vaccine exists, and it marks a countdown to the new “new normal” – and that can be pretty meaningful if we choose it to be.

The 1920s was a decade of change for the West; a booming result of the war coming to an end and restrictions from the influenza pandemic being lifted. It’s not unreasonable to see a similar period in our near future, when a hug or a handshake will no longer feel like it takes place while holding a firework that could go off at any moment.

We are sociable creatures, and a return to being able to share and love freely will be a time of real joy where we can find great delight in the commonplace. More than that, we are on the cusp of a period of self-reflection of our own. The pandemic brought many things into perspective. The patronising moniker of “unskilled labourer” became “key worker” overnight and that should not be forgotten. So, this new year, let’s raise a glass to the frontline staff who keep us healthy, fed, moving, educated and cared for – and show them the respect they deserve in 2021. That means more than just ringing a bell or applauding once a week. Pay them.

Three: The light, the light.

I miss the warmth of the sun on my skin. I miss the grass underfoot. The shallow daylight of winter is ending. Every day grows a little longer. In more ways than one, I hope that every day of 2021 will be a little brighter than those of the year that came before.

Four: The fightback against anti-LGBT forces steps up.

It’s been a difficult year for the LGBT community, particularly trans and non-binary folk like myself. We’ve seen progress grind to a halt and faced a constant barrage of misinformation and demands to justify our lives, all in the face of a hostile media that seems happy to publish comments comparing healthcare for young trans people to support for paedophilia. However, as with identical rhetorical attacks on the gay community in the 1980s, this too shall pass.

Projects such as the Legal Defence Fund for Transgender Lives, a grassroots fund that will be used to defend the hard-won legal victories of the trans community, could make a tangible difference in the lives of people across the UK.

In one court case earlier this year, the absolutist worldview held by anti-trans campaigners was found to create such a hostile and degrading environment that it was ruled to be “not worthy of respect in a democratic society” – something that I suspect will be reflected in future rulings. For that reason, my hope is that 2021 will be a victorious year for social justice and the rights of minority groups.

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Five: Independence has never felt closer.

An endless series of consecutive polls showing a majority of those living in Scotland now support independence would suggest the constitutional question is not as settled as the Tories want to believe.

Despite all of Boris Johnson’s bluster, there does appear to be occasional glimmers of acceptance at Westminster that a second referendum is on the cards in the near future – particularly with the upcoming Holyrood election likely to deliver a decisive pro-independence majority once again.

Even if there isn’t an independence referendum in 2021, I suspect that at the very least a path will be set for how another vote will take place and that’s something to be excited about.

I don’t think it would be fair to call 2020 a wasted year by any means. It’s been without doubt a difficult period. However it has also been a time when our communities have broadly rallied together, re-evaluated priorities, and set the groundwork for recovery.

I was given a beautiful print by someone I met during the pandemic that sums up how I feel about this Hogmanay quite perfectly. It reads: “We gently leap from the ache of this year into newness.”

I have hope for 2021 and the myriad changes and challenges ahead. So let’s leap together.