This is only one narrow element but: discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10...

Hey, I've valued your views. And I value you. Take care of yourself in whatever way you need to.

I think you answer your own question to an extent. A country such as Poland, for historical reasons, has had compulsory ID cards since beyond living memory, path dependency etc. Notably the Nordics, also with high trust in government, do not have compulsory ID cards.

You are probably aware but if not: www.rmhistoricalsociety.org/ourbooks

This was good in the sense that it was a reflection of acceptance, but weakened community and made us more vulnerable when that acceptance was walked back. Not that I am a deep expert in this stuff.

Not American, so can't comment from that perspective. But from this side of the pond, when I was a youth Queerness had an associated (alternative) aesthetic, if you wanted to be out and proud you embraced it. As Queerness became more mainstreamed, the aesthetic association weakened.