Happy New Year from the Queer Community Alliance! For all our returning students, we hope you had a relaxing winter break. And for our new students, welcome to the School of Social Work!
Many of us seem to be off to a slow start this semester. Returning from winter break feels like having our hibernation cut short. Going through a master’s program while the world is metaphorically on fire takes a lot of energy. Navigating grad school as an LGBTQIA+ person presents us with unique challenges too.
But good news: you’re still here! You can be proud of making it this far with the world in this state. Give yourself a pat on the back, make a nice cup of tea. Not to sound like a social worker, but it looks like some self-care is in order for all of us. For everyone under the rainbow, part of that may mean honoring your identity. Give yourself a gay pat on the back. Make a nice cup of gay tea.
Here are some of our favorite ways to practice self-care that honor our LGBTQ+ identities:
Put on some nail polish, enjoy a bath, do a face mask (those ones from the Before Times). Get a fancy shaving kit. Our hygiene practices can be a great venue for gender affirmation or just generally hyping yourself up.
Gender-affirming clothes. Put together a nice little outfit that makes you feel like the most handsome man/the most beautiful woman/the most wonderful nonbinary human you can be. If you can’t deal with your body today, that’s fine - pull out that beloved Dysphoria Hoodie™ and be your best, coziest self.
Read books by and about us. Gender Outlaw from Kate Bornstein feels like getting a hug from your grandma, if your grandma was a queer, trans, kinky witch. Gender Failure by Rae Spoon and Ivan Coyote hugs tighter than your binder. Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby is like a hug from the proverbial drunk girl in the club bathroom, now with extra bisexuality.
Watch media by and about us. Steven Universe is full of nonbinary femmes, by a nonbinary femme. She-Ra is queer ladies by a queer lady. It’s a Sin (upcoming) is gay men written by a gay man (be prepared for tragedy though--it’s set in the 80s).
There’s also the non-fun but equally important self-care: answering emails, staying on top of bills, talking to a therapist, etc. Sometimes self-care means being your own parent and making yourself do things you don’t want to do. You can always give yourself a little sticker in your planner for doing a good job.
Use this time before the semester kicks into high gear to engage in some extra self-care and pencil it into your calendar for the future. And while you’re there, pencil in QCA’s meetings too, 5:00 pm on the last Friday of every month. Email us for more information at:
SSWQCA@ssw.umaryland.edu
Edgar Fields
he/him or they/them pronouns
&
Jennifer Blue
she/her pronouns
Co-Chairs, QCA