A divisive political movement is designed to exhaust you, but it doesn’t need to defeat you. While it’s easy to feel like the only way to cope with the constant stream of negative news and new policies attacking LGBTQ+ people is to disengage, apathy is not the answer. Rest, unplug, logoff, whatever it takes – but don’t just accept this as the new normal. Make looking after yourself a political act, and engage with offline work which empowers you. That can be community building, reading, even visiting your local library. Your voice matters, so look after it.
Have At Least One Hobby That Isn’t A job
After-school clubs don’t need to end at 18. You also don’t need to spend every spare moment on a “hustle”. Try and join at least one group activity that encourages you to put your phone down and do something simply for joy, like pottery, choir or dance class. The London LGBTQ+ Centre and London Friend run plenty of free groups. You don’t even need to be good at it.
Let Art Radicalise You, Not X
Go to an exhibition or permanent gallery to remind yourself that political resistance through culture has always existed and always will. For example: The Fashion & Textile Museum’s exhibition on Leigh Bowery’s radical 80s nightclub Taboo, on until March.
Use Your Local Library, Or Lose It
Council spending in real terms on public libraries in England fell by almost half between 2009/10 and 2022/23. Show governments you want to maintain access to free books by using libraries. These rare free third spaces are a precious resource we cannot afford to lose.
Touch Grass (Non-Pejorative)
With the climate crisis being steadfastly ignored, connecting with nature has become a political act. Just 20 minutes in nature a day can improve your mental wellbeing (WWF). Gay Outdoor Club and Gay Sunday Walking Group are both supportive LGBTQ+ walking groups in the UK.
Rest
In the neoliberal hellscape of the modern world, it’s easy to undervalue sufficient rest. But our brains are not designed to understand the onslaught of information and imagery we have grown accustomed to. The Nap Ministry provide plenty of resources to help you reject modernity, and nap instead.
Buy a Newspaper
We need fact-checked journalism and investigative reporting now more than ever. While social media can be valuable for visibility, don’t make it your primary news source. Turn your phone off for a bit, and read a real newspaper. No distractions; just news, features, and horoscopes.
Read a Book Which Republicans Have Tried to Ban
In the 2023-2024 school year, the number of banned or “challenged” school library books under Republican state laws tripled to 10,000, disproportionately affecting stories told from LGBTQ+ and POC perspectives. So: read them. There’s a reason they think they’re a threat.
Banned Books Reading List:
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
Looking For Alaska by John Green
The Perks Of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Sold by Patricia McCormick
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Crank by Ellen Hopkins
Identical by Ellen Hopkins
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
US Top 10 Most Banned Books of 2023-2024, PEN America
Words by @iamhelenthomas
