Somatic Aliveness

  Taking pride in our journeys of growing up and discovering our queer essence involves honoring the full diversity of our community. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ family, I cherish this diversity and hold space for those who may not claim the word queer as their own. As a cisgender gay man, I have spent more than three decades gathering the stories of other cisgender gay and queer men—stories woven with sorrow, defiance, tenderness, and fierce love. Through them, I’ve learned that we are a people of resilience, fearless hearts, and boundless compassion. It’s from this well of shared experience that I write. And still, no matter how you name your beautiful essence, may these words remind you to honor the quiet, unyielding courage it took to carry your spirit through the fires of becoming. In previous articles , I’ve written in depth about the trauma of growing up in a homophobic and transphobic world—a world that often failed to honor our true essence—and the profound impact that h...

  You are not alone. Across the globe, hearts and minds stir in response to the political winds sweeping through the U.S. In my conversations with Americans and voices from distant shores alike, I hear a shared unease about democracy's fragile future. No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, it’s hard to escape the weight of a world in turmoil. Your nervous system inevitably reacts to the upheaval. The threads of mental health and political tension are intricately woven together, especially for marginalized communities—people of color, women, and LGBTQ+ individuals—who bear the brunt of discrimination and the steady erosion of freedoms. Taking a somatic approach to navigating the current political tensions involves recognizing the role of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS, a key part of the central nervous system, governs our fight, flight, or freeze responses, and plays a central role in our sense of safety, connection with others, and ability to recover fr...