Dear friend,

Recently, I took an acting class and the teacher gave me this note:

You use joy as armor.

And damn, if that wasn’t completely spot on for how I’m dealing with the world right now.

To be openly gay in the face of fascism is a radical act.

If you think calling the Trump administration “fascism” feel hyperbolic, might I suggest reading this.

The America that the alt-right MAGA lovers long for is the one I sadly grew up in – and not one I’m keen to return to.

We’ve had joy as armor longer than we’ve had legal protections.

As things get worse and worse in my country, all I want to do is get more and more gay.

In every sense of the word.

Because when we lose the love and we lose the joy then we lose the battle.

And I refuse to let those hateful fuckers win.

With joy in the face of it all,

Lauren

P.S. While joy is wonderful, it’s also not enough. If you need legal support, or have energy to support LGBTQ causes right now, check out the National Center for LGBTQ Rights. I know their work intimately and can vouch for how important and powerful it is.

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