Good Queer News: Joy Means Moving Forward
Major wins in Montana and New Jersey, and some thoughts on the role of joy post-election.
Hello, lovely readers!
This week we hit a milestone: 1,000 subscribers! Shortly after that, we passed the 1,500 threshold!!! This is a truly eye-watering number of people. Knowing that you all trust me to be a source of joy and hope for you each week is a privilege and honor that I do not take lightly. Thank you.
For all those who joined us in the last week, welcome! I'm so glad you're here. If you're not already a subscriber, come join us!
Before we jump in, a quick resource reminder: I'm hosting a free virtual event next Monday, December 16th, to talk about resource-mapping and resilience building for LGBTQ+ people and allies before Jan 20th. Anyone who RSVP's will get a copy of the recording, even if you can't attend!
Crystallizing purpose
Yesterday, I began a speaking event by talking about why joy is such a central part of the work I do as a speaker, an advocate, and as a human. The short version: while fear, anger, or righteousness might be highly effective at starting your engines, they will not sustain you. Joy is the gas in the tank, joy is the map, joy is the road ahead, and joy is the destination.
I center joy because joy does not ask what we run from, it asks where we are going.
After I gave my litle shpiel, someone raised their hand and asked if the recent election had changed my approach or outlook at all. My answer: not at all. In fact, it's only crystallized for me that this is the right approach.
Seeking out joyful news and human kidness is my strongest defense against fearmongering.
Building joyful practices in my life is my strongest defense against giving up and despairing.
But above all else, joy continues to ask me where I want to go. I refuse to allow the people who seek to erase me to define my dreams. When I ask myself what I want, what I'm fighting for, what the world I want to see looks like, it is not shaped by what I don't want. It does not take the shape of "not him" or "no more of that"—their imagination is far too limited for my tastes. Centering joy reminds me that I am marching steadfastly towards something, not just away from something.
I can assure you that joy does not mean sticking my head in the sand. I am a visibly transgender political advocate living in Missouri—we don't have any sand left here even if I wanted to bury my head in it. But staying reasonably informed does not mean that I need to make myself miserable 24/7, nor does it mean that I have to take the world-is-burning fearmongering of most headlines and fundraising texts at face value. This is all a balancing act.
I hope you'll try to choose to look for joy, too, reader! Here are a few collected news stories to make that easy for you :)
Joy is here if you decide to look for it!
First, a huge one! The Montana State Supreme court ruled to uphold the injunction on the state's gender affirming care ban. This is the first state supreme court to rule in our favor, and because they are weighing different arguments, this ruling stands regardless of the ruling in the Skrmetti case. Gender affirming care remains safe, legal, and accessible in Montana!! (AP, 12/11/24)
Speaking of the Supreme Court, they refused to hear a case about an inclusive school policy in Wisconsin based on issues of standing. Short version: a common right-wing legal strategy is to bring arguments based on the idea that someone could theoretically be impacted by these laws, and they come to the courts based on imagined situations that would interfere with their religious freedom or what have you. The Supreme Court refusing to hear this case is a rejection of this strategy (albeit by a slim margin). For more brilliant analysis of this case/what this means, check out Law Dork’s article on it!
The governor of New Jersey has banned book bans at public schools and public libraries. Talk about an uno reverse card! (NBC, 12/9/24)
A federal judge approved a landmark class-action settlement for LGBTQ+ couples denied fertility coverage by Aetna! If you or someone you love has been denied fertility coverage by Aetna, check this out. This is the same ruling that will force them to cover fertility treatment regardless of LGBTQIA+ identities. (NBC, 12/7/24)
A quick example of what I mean when I say choosing to look for joy:
I know many of us have also been very frustrated at the likely passage of the defense budget bill, which includes provisions banning gender affirming healthcare coverage for under-18 children of service members. 81 Democrats in the house voted to pass the bill, which is an infuriating betrayal, but those aren't the numbers I am choosing to focus on.
More than likely, those 81 democrats voted "yes" as a result of significant pressure applied from their republican colleagues and certain media narratives about abandoning trans youth. I don't bring this up to excuse those 81 representatives of their cowardice. Rather, I bring it up to note that they were not the only ones under that level of pressure. It was likely applied to all democratic representatives, but 124 democrats resisted that pressure and voted no. 124 representatives who are willing to stand strong and protect trans rights. That's huge, folks.
Yes I want to put pressure on my representatives who voted yes (though I have a sneaking suspicion that Josh Hawley doesn't care much what I have to say), but I also want to send gratitude to my representatives who voted no, to encourage them to keep fighting the good fight and to know it means something to their constituents. This is the way forward.
Okay, folks, that's all for this week's edition! As always, thank you so much for being here. It is such an honor to be a source of joy for so many. If you hear of a good news story worth celebrating, please let me know in the comments! Nothing is too small or too local—everything is worth celebrating.
With love and strength always,
Ben
I love your focus on Joy! Acceptance with Joy and Curiosity are what I am using for fuel in my tank. Thank you for pushing for the positive.