Reclaiming Joy
Mike Doughty, April ‘25 Newsletter
This month’s article might be on the shorter side, but I think it’s important for those of us in the community to remember to reclaim and embrace joy, and for our allies to help uplift or protect us when they can.
With summer and Pride season coming very soon, there will be a big spike in LGBTQ+ visibility, events, and a feeling of queer joy. These feels are incredibly important, especially right now when the current administration is attacking the rights of LGBTQ+ people every day, along with the rights of other minority groups. I’m not going to focus on the negative and scary that is happening, but instead want to remind folks to lean into their community, find their groups and friends, and celebrate your joy. You can be worried and stressed and be doing allyship to pushback and resist the chaos and bad being thrown at us, but also give yourself permission to embrace the joy and community around you. The stronger those communities become, the harder it will be for us to be removed or silenced.
Even if your joy isn’t directly or obviously related to your queerness or transness, bring others in and share your joy with them. Lean in and congratulate friends on successes, praise their art and creativity, allow yourself to be vulnerable with the people in your community and find your chosen family and the neighbors you can turn to when you need a pick-me-up. Do everything in your power to push back against the feelings of isolation or wanting to hide away and let yourself embrace Pride season in whatever way that means for you. Go to the pride festivals (Cortland Pride is July 19th!), go to drag shows, relax with your friends and have at home potlucks, share what makes you feel joy and be proud in claiming that for yourself.
The same goes for allies who read this – if you get invited into queer spaces, embrace the joy and uplift the people in your life. Share your own joy as well and let your friends see that vulnerability from you, to show that you are willing and able to be on the same level as the queer and trans folks in your life. Be the support or protection for the folks in your life when needed, but when you are brought into queer and trans spaces, embrace those moments. Lead with curiosity if it’s something new and allow yourself to see what it can bring to the person you know, the space you are in, the strangers also participating in whatever it is.
Pride started as a riot, and was and is a symbol that LGBTQ+ people will fight back and resist. Pride is also joy and community, and being able to hold both at once and now just lean fully into one extreme can bring us that much closer together.