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Op-Ed from Queer Asterisk Mental Health Services: Club Q Tragedy

Op-Ed from Queer Asterisk Mental Health Services: Club Q Tragedy

Queer Askerisk

Resist complacency. That little voice in your head that starts to say it doesn’t matter, or that you don’t matter, or that things will never change. Anytime you start to hear that voice, remember this one: Queerness is sacred. Be who you are. We want you here.

Safety is a serious issue. So much of our psychology as humans is oriented toward staying safe, staying alive. When someone’s beliefs, words, or actions disrupt that safety, it has a ripple effect on all of us.

The reality is, as many of us know in our bones, there will always be people whose agenda does not take our safety into account, or even whose agenda thrives on our oppression. Anyone who has been targeted because of their self-expression, the color of their skin, their religion or their class knows this.

And it can be very scary. Your fears—our fears—are not unjustified; even in this place and time of hard-won safety and tolerance. Fear can mobilize us into action. It can let us know what we care most about, and what we hold precious.

The problem with fear is that when we’re afraid, we sometimes feel frozen. Stuck. Alone.

And nothing could be further from the truth.

Love is a force that wants you here. Care is a force that wants you connected. Resist the illusion that you don’t matter, or that kindness doesn’t matter. It still does.

Be brave… find out what being brave means to you. Whether it’s taking the first bite of a nourishing meal, answering the phone when a loved one is calling to check on you, or maybe not answering the phone when you’re busy tending to yourself. It’s OK to feel uncertain, and it’s okay to take things one moment at a time.

We all want Colorado to b e a safe place, a loving place for our children and families. But the reality is, as we’ve seen with the violence at Club Q, we still have a ways to go

Until our community becomes the place we want it to be, organizations like Queer Asterisk are here to help fill the gap. Queer Asterisk offers groups, counseling, and educational training in service of collective liberation.

Please follow us on Instagram @queerasterisk if you’d like to learn more or to support our work.

Be well, and take care of each other.

Photo courtesy of Queer Asterisk

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