Joy As An Act of Resistance

(Illustration by Tricia Hersey)

In light of the heaviness surrounding current events, now more than ever it is imperative for the well-being of the individual and the greater community to remember the significance of joy as an act of resistance. Yes, these are unprecedented times in many ways. Yes, every day feels like it brings new reasons to fear what the next day might bring.

But that is the point.

If you are living in fear, exhausted, and struggling to find peace internally or externally, then your resources are too depleted to fight back. What is happening is an intentional targeting of your sense of safety from a power that believes it is capable of controlling you through that imbalance.

Therefore, finding ways to recuperate and heal with your community, to remember that life is more than just the political stress and turmoil trying to consume all of your attention and leave you feeling drained, is a vital means of fighting back.

Joy is Activism

If you search, “joy as resistance”, you find a plethora of articles and posts referencing the power of celebration in the face of authoritarianism as a propulsive force, claiming joy as an act of resistance, and the many ways this can be embodied. For example, the ACLU’s Freedom to Be campaign is described as showing “transgender people and their families from across the country finding joy and community, grounded in the basic principle that we all deserve the freedom to control our own families, bodies, and lives”.

Joy is Resilience

In Nyle Biondi’s Joy as Resistance: Reclaiming What Was Always Ours, he says:

“Joy is what makes resilience possible. It connects us to what we’re fighting for—not just what we’re fighting against. It reminds us that we are more than our trauma. That we are worthy of goodness, softness, celebration.”

Connecting with our communities, embracing the parts of life that remind us what we are fighting for, and holding onto the activities that fill us with light are necessary. Having memories of good times and events to look forward to give us the strength to push through what might otherwise feel unbearable.

Joy is Vital

One cannot pour from an empty cup.

This is something that is often said, but can be difficult to understand and even harder to fully incorporate into our every day lives. Especially right now, when it feels necessary to pour everything we have into fighting for the rights and safety of our communities and ourselves. Growing up in a world of exploitation that does not value boundaries only increases that difficulty.

However, it is a logical conclusion that, if a cup is empty, nothing can pour out of it. If you do not have anything left to give because you have not been able to care for yourself, you will not be able to offer support to others, no matter how much you might want to.

It is a service to your community to take care of yourself so that you can show up fully.

Remember Joy

So when everything starts to feel overwhelming, remember that taking time to heal and recover is a part of this process. Remember we are in this together, you are not fighting alone, and when the darkness passes, we can all look forward to celebrating in the light together again.

Until then, find joy where you can, when you can.

Let it be a light in the darkness.

For Peace and Love

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