Our world is full of heartbreak and rage right now. It is hard not to be overwhelmed by the loss of Nicole Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Keith Porter in Los Angeles, and the pervading fear that more lives will be stolen by fascism. The constant attacks on trans folks’ right to live a full and flourishing life and the constant threat of war coming from our blatantly authoritarian administration make it difficult to sleep at night. It feels like every day there is a new horror, and that nothing can ever change it.
Alice Walker says that resistance is the secret to joy, and I think we all can understand that. As people of faith and conscience, not resisting is hard to imagine right now, but it can be just as hard to figure out how to resist. The good news is that the inverse of Alice Walker’s quote is also true. Joy is the secret to resistance. Fascism and authoritarianism want us to be afraid and disconnected. They fear our joy because it is infinitely bigger than the boxes they want to put us in. So practicing joy in moments like these is resistance, and it is essential.
We can look to past struggles to see how true this is. Dan Savage, writer for Seattle’s The Stranger, says, “During the darkest days of the AIDS crisis, we buried our friends in the morning, we protested in the afternoon, and we danced all night. The dance kept us in the fight because it was the dance we were fighting for. It didn’t look like we were going to win then and we did. It doesn’t feel like we’re going to win now, but we could. Keep fighting, keep dancing.”
Please know that when I say practicing joy is resistance, I don’t mean ignoring the reality we are in. Joy is not the same as happiness or comfort. Joy has room for grief and fear: joy just knows that those aren’t ever the only things. Joy recognizes that there can still be beauty, community, solidarity, silliness, and more, even during the toughest times. They are just harder to find, and because of that, even more rewarding when we do.
Dr. Tanmeet Sethi, author of the book Joy is My Justice, says, “I do not mean that you should accept inequity or injustice as unchangeable truths. Just the opposite. When you find your own joy and create a personal path to justice – which only you can forge – you are better able to right unfairness in the world because you have risen into your own power first.”
This is the key. We must find small and large ways to rise into our power. We must focus on what we are struggling for so we don’t get overwhelmed by what we are struggling against.
UUSC’s partner, the Pink Haven Coalition, is practicing joy as a way to create justice. So much of the trans experience in this country right now is scary. People receive death threats and experience violent attacks while also being dehumanized and criminalized by our government. Yet, the Pink Haven Coalition helps so many trans, 2Spirit, and gender expansive folks relocate to safer places and connect with welcoming and loving communities.
An example of practicing joy in the toughest of times was when a Pink Haven family let us know that they had received death threats and been doxxed (had their personal information publicized). With very short notice, we were able to connect with folks in the city they were relocating to. These individuals welcomed the Pink Haven Family to their new home with balloons, signs of love, and welcome gifts so that they knew not only were they safer, but they were loved. It may seem small, but we heard from that family that they had never felt so loved and welcomed before.
Again, these acts of joy are not to be confused with toxic positivity, which would tell that family once they arrived that everything was okay, to forget about the trauma, and to move on. Those welcoming trans folks and their families know that it will be tough even once people arrive. That their new homes will not be perfect, and that we can’t fix the world for them, even if we really want to.
Instead, our practice of joy is a refusal to give up on love.
So what can we all do to maintain that practice and resist dehumanization and authoritarianism? We need to stay aware of what is going on that is harming those most vulnerable, but we also need to share the joyful ways people are already resisting and have always resisted oppression.
We need to keep the vision of the world we want close, hold it together, and imagine ways we can start living into it in the here and now. Spark gender joy in our trans and gender expansive beloveds by working hard to get their pronouns right. Be the person who says their own pronouns without being asked so that others can feel more comfortable sharing their own. Get to know your neighbors. Show up for your community by joining an ICE Watch initiative or contributing to your local food bank. Join UUSC’s Resistance Network and take part in action and advocacy opportunities.
Find ways to bring more joy into your own life so you can stay in the struggle and be the best version of yourself while you resist. Do art, take naps, play, keep dancing—because that is what we are struggling for, the dance. And I think we can all admit that a dance battle is a lot more fun than any other kind.
Amen, ashe, and may we keep dancing.
