Holding steady, holding each other- April Newsletter
Dearest Out in the Open Community,
For so many of us, the world is a totally different place than it was when I last wrote you all almost four weeks ago. For so many of us, this present reality is not so different from the one we were living in February. With the veil having been pulled back to reveal even more clearly the lack of justice, equity, and access to power and resources so many of us have been screaming about for far too long. It has been a painful few weeks. And as my therapist so wonderfully reflects when I come to her saying "I am not sure I can handle this (whatever the "this" is at that present moment). She says, "You are handling it. This is part of you handling it." We are collectively handling this time even when the supports we were told existed have fallen flat and we're collectively and individually left searching for a solution.
When I last wrote you all, I was feeling a lot of grief. I am still having many periods of grieving right now but the prevailing things I'm experiencing presently are a strong desire to stand together, support each other, and love each other through this struggle and beyond the next one. It's what we as LGBTQ folks have always done and what we as rural people have always done.
It's why Out in the Open continues building community and support structures outside of the State even through the best times. So that we're already here for each other in the worst. Because in times like these, we need each other. And while we've witnessed and participated in an incredible ability for webs of support and mutual aid to spring up so quickly right now, having existing trust and relationships with folks helps immensely and allow us to come together more quickly in times like this, when we need to. The only way through this is through this together.
And I promised you all an update on or around April 6! So, with all of this in mind, we will be continuing to balance both holding community close and keeping shared public health at the forefront. Some updates:
We're joining with some collaborators from around Vermont to continue pushing for protections all of us need in this time. Read the letter and sign on here.
We will be continuing with online-based programming for the foreseeable future and will be in touch when we are ready to return to in-person gatherings. Find the many wonderful things that are going on here.
We know that many of our rural folks don’t have reliable internet access. You can access Zoom just with a phone if you do not have internet access. We will always provide a phone/call-in option for these gatherings. Any questions, please reach out.
Join our rural LGBTQ online community. This is a space to connect, build relationships, reach out for support, and share in rural LGBTQ community. Unsure about how Slack works? That’s okay! Get on and try it out and reach out to Eva for support. Keep your eyes open for some videos walking you through how it works soon!
We will continue providing regular updates and adjust this plan as needed.
Repeating my refrain from a few weeks ago because it still feels so relevant: love each other, care for each other, love yourself, care for yourself, ask for and seek help when you need it, continue making choices that contribute to community health and safety. We are doing this.
With solidarity and love,
HB & Out in the Open
Remember when we used to be able to gather in groups like this? It will happen again! <3