Affirming Queer Joy Is Resistance
There is A LOT (gestures wildly) going on as we prepare for this pride season. We find ourselves in a strange cultural moment where queer people are both the most visible and societally accepted they may have ever been, at the same time as anti-LGBTQ+ and transphobic legislation are being introduced at alarming rates. We can’t ignore that it is a scary time to be loud and proud, and that doing so may not be safe or accessible to everyone. Our current climate also presents particular challenges for folks who may be questioning their sexuality or questioning whether they belong in queer spaces.
Let’s be abundantly clear that any form of engagement with queerness, even if you’re unsure of your place, is an act of resistance. Resisting a heteronormative system that would rather keep queer people underground, isolated, and afraid. Resisting a capitalist system that profits from queer identity on the surface while actively working against queer rights behind the scenes. The queer community exists in the in-between space, and it can be scary and intimidating for folks who feel drawn to the spectrum but may not know where they land.
Questioning is valid, full stop. Not ascribing to a label is valid, period. The LGBTQIA+ acronym is there to give name to a plethora of experiences, including the experiences of people who are just unsure! Additionally, some people may not be questioning their place on the LGBTQ+ spectrum but may just be questioning what queer spaces align with their lifestyle and values. This post is here to encourage you to find space that feels affirming to YOU. A giant rainbow parade is not everyone’s cup of tea hunny. Not wanting to attend a massive pride parade for any array of reasons does not make your queer or questioning identity any less valid. There are plenty of ways to show up and show out as queer, questioning, and/or allied people! So let’s explore together the array of celebratory options throughout the Chicagoland area for folks who are questioning what queer spaces feel good to them.
Sapphopalooza
Sapphic film festival highlighting classics and indie films focused on women loving women! At The Music Box May 9th - 31st
Pride and Provisions Market
Free Queer Makers Market on June 7 hosted by Center on Halsted - “Come ready to shop, connect, and celebrate queer economic empowerment in a space designed to feel as good as it looks.”
Queer Nerd Meet Up
2nd Friday of every month 6pm-8pm at Goblin Market and Manga and Manga Curiosities. Check it out during Pride Month on June 12th!
Morton Grove: Pride in the Park
June 18th at 5 pm; learn more here.
Chicago Queer History Walking Tours
Public and Private Queerness on Saturday, June 13th at 1 pm
The First Chicago Pride Parade on Saturday, June 27th at 1 pm
Chicago Pride Book Fest in Tinley Park
Indoor/outdoor event featuring 30+ queer authors and vendors at Soundgrowler Brewing Co. on June 27th at 12 pm
You get to decide how you take up space.
Let this post be a reminder to take up space in a way that feels good to you. Your identity is unique and labels are not a requirement for tapping into queer joy. Also, self-acceptance is a practice. We exist in a world with so much mixed messaging around who we should be and how we are supposed to act as well as what we should look like, and who we should love. Actively choosing to affirm and accept that you just may not know, can shift your internal narrative and that is a form of resisting the system. Accepting that we as humans are forever evolving and don’t have to have all the answers right now is growth in action. People often fear the unknown and try to avoid it at all costs. However, sitting with discomfort and uncertainty while simultaneously affirming that this current unknown is okay, can move us just that much closer to acceptance of not only ourselves but the reality we live in.
In the therapeutic world we often speak of the “both/and” meaning that multiple things can be true at once. We can live in a heteronormative society AND not ascribe to its tenets. We can question our sexuality AND join in on queer celebration. Labels can exist AND we can be okay not ascribing to them now or at all. Allow yourself the space to accept all possibilities and let this pride season be an opportunity to get curious about what queer joy can look like for you.
Interested in working with Rachel? Connect with her at RKaffey@RoomToBreatheChicago.Com!