Queer Safety

Is there something specific you think when you think of “Safety”?

For me, I think of physical and emotional safety.

There are various ways to stay safe physically. Making sure you are with friends and you have a rendezvous point of things go sideways.

There’s also emotional safety! Choosing who we spend our time with. Who we cherish and bring into our lives is extremely important!

One can start by making their inner worlds safe. Consuming media that is safe. Practicing neutral or positive self talk. Once your inner world is safe, you can target your external world. And sometimes these are interconnected!

I always am a big proponent of chosen family! Your family can be biological, contain friends and partners, or just be people you vibe with in the community. BUT it is important that you feel safe and seen when around them. No one wants to walk around hiding parts of who they are from loved ones. And that doesn’t mean you should come out and live authentically especially if that endangers your safety! But that does mean we should aim to find accepting people in our lives. It is important to find those supports or else you’ll be isolated and lonely.

I would never want someone in the community to feel that way. Especially with the high rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide within the queer community.

So how does one find these people? By reaching out, exploring, taking chances. There are risks to being vulnerable with others but it’s a risk worth taking.