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An archive of all past Queerly Embodied emails is now available. Simply scroll down to “Archive” on my website.
"We struggle and fight for our joy — an unreserved and unapologetic joy that springs from our ability to live as we are. It's a joy worth fighting for and it's this joy that links all of our struggles together." - Lady Phyll
Our queer, trans and gender expansive bodies are holding and absorbing so much right now. You may feel like you need to hide parts of your transness when you walk out the door. You may be noticing your hypervigilance on an uptick, trying to assess for safety. You might also be noticing your body powering down, seeking safety in shutdown and dissociation. All these responses are valid. Our nervous systems are trying to keep up and keep us safe the best ways they know how. And they deserve a balm.
Balms don’t aim to fix. After all, there’s nothing about the way your nervous system is responding that needs fixing. You make sense, as does your body’s responses to the current political climate. Instead, balms soothe. Balms create a buffer when we have a wound that’s in pain, they ease inflammation, and they protect what’s tender.
In today’s newsletter, I’m discussing the balm of queer and trans joy, and introducing a new T4T recorded meditation to access in moments when your body deserves soothing. But first, a bit of background: In a world that is actively removing the rights and safety protections of queer, trans and gender expansive folx, queer joy is resistance, and is a practice that sustains and connects us. Historically, queer joy has been a powerful and palpable way that the community has survived and sustained throughout countless oppressive movements. Queer joy is also rooted in the BIPOC community, who have accessed joy as a means of loving and being in community in the midst of a world that has sought to erase and silence. In engaging in queer joy practices, we also honor the intersection of BIPOC, queer, trans and gender expansive ancestors who have cultivated this practice and woven it through the generations.
T4T Meditation: Embodying queer, trans joy
Click here to access a meditation on embodying queer, trans joy. As always, these practices are invitations. Take what’s helpful in them, compost the rest, and adapt them so that they fit your unique body.
Trauma-informed tip: Allow your body to take in sips of joy at a time. Even though joy is something we may want to access, feeling joy at full intensity can sometimes kick up trauma responses and intense emotions. The metaphor of taking a sip at a time is a way to gently access joy in a way that’s accessible and sustainable for your nervous system. Maybe you can take in a big gulp of queer joy. Maybe your body can handle a couple small sips. The goal is to start small, see how it feels, and check in with yourself each step of the way.
If you have a hard time accessing joy, you’re not doing anything wrong. It just means your body needs support and time in trusting that it’s ok to tap into a little joy. Queer and trans joy is a collective practice. So practicing the above meditation in community, even if it’s just one other trusted friend, is great way to support your body, and feel into some safety of connection while tapping into joy.
Some other ways to access and tap into queer joy: Create a queer joy playlist Create and collect art that represents queer joy Dance and move your body in ways that express your joy Read about the history of queer joy and learn about our queer, trans ancestors, in particular our BIPOC ancestors, who have created a lineage of this practice
And here is a tiny slice of more resources to learn about joy as resistance and liberation: For more T4T mindfulness practices, visit my T4T meditations SoundCloud page. More will be added regularly.
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