06/03/2022
For those of you who I have not had the chance to meet yet, my name is Jess. I am q***r, trans and a trauma therapist, somatic coach and consultant who finds great satisfaction in exploring the deep places of life with my amazing clients.
As we are entering the month where we recognize PRIDE I have been struggling to find a way feel the spirit of celebration. Folks, I am tired, and I am hurting and the cost of being q***r in our world is weighing crushingly heavy upon my shoulders.
Friends, the fear of either being physically pushed around or having the cops called on me anytime I have to use the restroom is growing heavy.
Sitting with clients who are bullied and mistreated for being gay grows heavy.
The constant misgendering by those who know me and who have been corrected many times, grows heavy.
Fighting for access to healthcare and fighting biased medical systems grows heavy.
Grieving with my friends and clients as they are denied medical care by gatekeepers grows heavy.
The emails and texts of accusation and hate from the Christian community grows heavy.
Holding space for clients who have been kicked out of their homes and removed from their families for being q***r grows heavy.
Regularly fighting with the school system to resist their homophobic and transphobic acts against our family and the friends of our kids grows heavy.
Hearing regularly in the media how trans folks are subhuman, not worthy of basic respect grows heavy.
Listening to so many counselors claim to be LGBTQIA+ friendly to gain clients while they have not done the work to educate themselves or work through their internal biases, so they keep doing harm, grows heavy.
Folks- I want to celebrate, but right now I am having a hard time drying the tears from my eyes. If you don’t like q***r folks I would beg of you to please choose kindness to your fellow humans. If you consider yourself to be an ally, I would beg of you to do your internal work and to use your voice to elevate and defend q***r voices. Q***r folks, lets support each other, love each other and give each other grace.
One day, I believe, one day the weight will be lessened and q***r folks will be treated as human. But today, under the weight, we cry, we fight and yes, we dance.