in light of this news, I do wanna say this for anyone who needs it: staying informed/in the loop and doomscrolling are two different things, and it’s important for your mental health to know what that difference is for you.
it’s essential now more than ever to make sure that we’re in the loop with current events and politics. this post is absolutely not advocating for ignoring the news, especially considering factors such as privilege. if you’re able to, please do try to stay informed. but there comes a point where information can become too much (particularly when you belong to a marginalized group), causing stress, anxiety, and burnout. being an informed citizen shouldn’t come at the expense of your wellbeing.
right now, please ask yourself: am I checking the news to stay up to date, or am I checking it because I’m scared? am I following current events to enhance my understanding, or am I following it because I’m too anxious to tear away?
if you feel rising panic, dread, and anxiety that’s spiraling, it’s time to step back. being an informed citizen doesn’t mean agonizing over things you can’t control. when that happens, it’s time to reign yourself back in.
consider this post a checkpoint, especially if you’re an American, black/a person of color, a marginalized identity (be it religious, gender/sexuality, or disability), or any combination thereof. it’s alright to step back and care for yourself.
allow yourself room to breathe. it’ll be okay. you’ll be able to step back in when you’re ready.
Green Peacock Moth, 1889, by Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)
catch me in the tattoo shop after this bullshit
daughters who get told they look like their fathers need to unionize
i do not identify as a boy or girl, i identify as a nuisance. an irritant. a fool and a problem
how many celebrities turning out to be majorly disappointing will it take for people to stop investing all their hopes for social justice in individual millionaires from the entertainment industry. just wondering
*suddenly realizes i’m horrifically lonely and haven’t done anything meaningful with my life and don’t know what i can do to change that at this point while in the line at the grocery store*
this made me cry, so i have to share it. i can’t tell you how much of this feels like it was about my childhood.
“Some nights, always alone, I go out in stolen makeup and women’s clothes with an ID I found in a lost wallet. I never feel more male than on these nights”
this has been fucking me up for a minute
there is too much that i want to quote here and not enough to convince you that this will be one of, if not the, most important pieces you will read this year.
“I hate that the only effective response I can give to “boys are shit” is “well I’m not a boy.” I feel like I am selling out the boy in baseball pajamas that sat with me on the bed while I tried to figure out which one I was supposed to be, and the boys who I have met and loved from inside my boy suit—who believed they were talking to a boy. I feel like I am burning the history of the naked body that sits on the floor of my shower. The body that went to prom in a boxy tuxedo and coveted the gowns.”
Everybody should mandatorily have to read this article before they claim to be an ally to trans women.
