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by Zefferin LLamas Therapy is one of the most effective tools we have in establishing positive mental health. However, LGBTQ+ people often face discrimination in the therapist’s office due to a general lack of therapists who are culturally informed about the lived experiences of minority groups. This ignorance can result in therapists making erroneous assumptions or even offending their patients. The last thing a person needs when they go to a therapist is to feel misunderstood or judged, so it is important that LGBTQ+ people screen potential therapists before hiring them. Tolerant vs. Affirming As queer people, we experience a lot of discrimination, so we may be satisfied with a healthcare provider simply tolerating our sexuality or gender identity. However, we deserve more than just tolerance, we deserve understanding and affirmation. A potential therapist needs to demonstrate that they are familiar with the lived experiences of queer people. For example, an affirming therapist is aware of the ways that minority stress (the long-term stress of dealing with stigma & prejudice experienced by minority groups in society) affects a queer person and will take this into account as they provide mental health services to their queer patients. Below are a few more examples of the difference between LGBTQ+ tolerant care vs. LGBTQ+ affirming care: Tolerant: I’ve never heard the term genderqueer. What is that? Affirming: I’ve heard people use the term genderqueer. What does that mean to you? Tolerant: It sounds like your relationship is really complicated. Affirming: I admit, I’m not familiar with the dynamics of an open relationship. Before our next session, I will seek education so I can better support you. Tolerant: I had trouble remembering to use your pronouns in the beginning, too. Affirming: That must have been painful for you to be misgendered. Questions to ask while interviewing a potential therapist: How long have you been in practice? What experience do you have in working with LGBTQ+ people? What experience do you have working with the issue I’m coming to therapy for (i.e. depression, anxiety, grief, sexual orientation/gender identity, etc.)? What experience do you have in working with people who practice relationship models other than monogamy? Your provider should not: Focus on your sexual orientation or gender identity unless that is why you sought care. Assume that a negative experience made you LGBTQ+. Expect you to educate them about LGBTQ+ identities, cultures, or experiences. Ask invasive questions about your body Additional note: Providers are not perfect and also have their own personal history. If a provider is making you feel uncomfortable in some way and you decide that their intention is not malicious, it is okay to just let them know that something they said made you uncomfortable or was inappropriate. If they respond with grace and thank you for your feedback, that is a good sign. If they get offended or defensive, that’s a red flag. Additional Resources Find an LGBTQ+ affirming therapist at AASECT (The American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists) RPYA’s list of LGBTQ+ affirming therapy services in Southern California Much of the information in this article is drawn from CA LGBT Health & Human Services Network , a program under Health Access CA providing excellent resources & services to queer people. Como encontrar un terapeuta que afirma la identidad LGBTQ+ La terapia cuenta entre las mejores herramientas para cultivar una buena salud mental. Sin embargo, las personas LGBTQ+ a menudo se enfrentan con la homofobia o la transfobia en sus sesiones de terapia debido a una escasez de terapeutas capacitados en el tratamiento de minorías. Dicha ignorancia puede hacer que un(a) terapeuta termine haciendo suposiciones erróneas o incluso comentarios ofensivos. Lo último que ocupa uno dentro del contexto de su terapia es sentir que alguien le esté juzgando, entonces es importante que tomemos medidas para buscar y contratar a un(a) terapeuta que afirma la identidad LGBTQ+. La diferencia entre la tolerancia y la afirmación Como personas LGBTQ+, experimentamos la discriminación con frecuencia, entonces puede que uno esté satisfecho con que un(a) terapeuta tolere su género o identidad sexual. Sin embargo, merecemos más que mera tolerancia, merecemos comprensión y afirmación. Un(a) potencial terapeuta tiene que demostrar que comprenda algo sobre la comunidad LGBTQ+ además del contexto cultural en el que las personas queer viven. Por ejemplo, un(a) terapeuta alentador(a) está consciente de las maneras en las que el estrés de minorías (el estrés crónico experimentado por minorías que tienen que lidiar con prejuicios y estigmas de la sociedad) afecta a una persona queer, y lo tomará en cuenta al proveer servicios de salud mental a sus pacientes queer. Veamos un par de ejemplos más que demuestran la diferencia entre la tolerancia y la afirmación: Tolerancia: Nunca he escuchado el término genderqueer. A ver, que quiere decir? Afirmación: He escuchado el termino genderqueer. Que significa para ti? Tolerancia: La relación que tienes con tu pareja me parece bastante complicada. Afirmación: Admito, no estoy muy familiarizado con el concepto de una relación abierta. Voy a investigar sobre el tema antes de nuestra siguiente sesión para poderte apoyar mejor. Tolerancia: A mí también me dificultó usar tus pronombres al principio. Afirmación: Debió haber sido difícil para ti que alguien te malgenerizara. Preguntas al entrevistar a un(a) potencial terapeuta: Cuanto tiempo llevas practicando? Tienes experiencia trabajando con personas LGBTQ+? Que experiencias tienes tratando al problema por el que vengo a terapia (p.ej. la depresión, la ansiedad, el luto, la identidad sexual, identidad de género, etc.)? Que experiencia tienes trabajando con pacientes que tienen un modelo de relación que no sea monogamia? Tu proveedor(a) no debería: Enfocarse demasiado en tu identidad sexual o género a menos que sea la razón por la que buscabas terapia en primer lugar. Suponer que una experiencia negativa te hizo LGBTQ+. Esperar que tú le eduques sobre cuestiones de identidad, culturas o experiencias LGBTQ+. Hacerte preguntas innecesarias o invasivas sobre tu cuerpo. Nota adicional: Proveedores de salud no son sin defectos y no pueden saberlo todo. Si un(a) proveedor(a) te esté incomodando de alguna forma y percibes que su intención no es maligna, vale la pena decirle que algo te incomodó o que fue imprudente de su parte. Si te responde con gracia y te agradece tu retroalimentación, todo bien. Si se ofende o se vuelve defensivo(a), entonces es un mal indicio. Recursos adicionales AASECT es una coalición de terapeutas capacitados en el cuidado de personas LGBTQ+ (EE.UU) Aquí en RPYA recopilamos una lista de recursos de terapia y salud mental en el sur de California. La mayoría de la información que contiene el presente artículo se encuentra en el sitio web de CA LGBT Health & Human Services Network , un programa de Health Access CA. Es una buena fuente de recursos y servicios para personas LGBTQ+, los cuales están disponibles también en español. TClick es un servicio de terapia en línea para personas de habla hispana basado en Colombia. Ofrecen sus servicios a un precio bastante reducido comparado con semejantes servicios de salud mental en EE.UU. #mentalhealth #therapy

by Zefferin LLamas Asexuality and aromanticism are not very well researched and, as a result, not very well understood. Lack of understanding can contribute to stigma to which asexual (or ace) people are already subjected.  Ace Week  is an annual campaign to raise awareness about asexuality, build community, and create change around the world. Last Friday on Meet the Community, we spoke with Dr. Megan Carroll , Professor of Sociology at CSU San Bernardino. Dr. Carroll is a pioneer in the field of asexuality research. To learn more about Dr. Carroll’s findings and ongoing projects, watch the full interview on our Facebook page! Dr. Carroll provided us with some great ACE resources/recommendations as well: ACEWEEK.org Events and information about Ace Week Refusing Compulsory Sexuality: A Black, Asexual Lens on Our Sex-obsessed Culture by Sherronda J. Brown A Black queer feminist exploration of asexuality–and an incisive interrogation of the sex-obsessed culture that invisibilizes and ignores asexual and A-spec identity. AVEN (Asexuality Visibility & Education Network) Livestreams on Youtube Videos of panel discussions from AVEN’s recent Asexuality Conference in September 2022 ACE Los Angeles A meetup and outreach group for asexuals in Southern California Martin, Akaya, and Lennart share their stories on DW Sex? No, Thanks – Asexual People Speak Out What does it mean to live without sexual desire? Can you have children? Can you find a partner? Is it possible to be in love? Check out this great, 12-minute human interest piece from DW about asexuality.

This year’s Palm Springs Pride celebration was themed “Say Gay,” as a response to rising anti-queer and anti-trans extremism in the USA today, especially legislation that jeopardizes the livelihoods of queer and trans youth. We asked some of the vendors and organizations present at the festival: if they could give one piece of advice to queer youth, what would it be? Below are there responses. Advice from Adults to Queer Youth at PS Pride Mark & Max from MISTR Mark (left): "Stay true to yourself - don’t hold back!" Max (right): "Don’t be afraid of the power that you have and the power that you know you can give to the world." Paulina from the  Transgender Health & Wellness Center : "Find an ally; find an adult ally who can help support your gender journey. I would say take the time to find out who you are and know that you’re never stuck … also, you don’t have to grab a label. Do what feels right along the course of your journey … take time, be patient with yourself, be willing to learn, and follow your heart!" Fernando, creator of  Kraven Comics : "Never give up on your dreams. Some people may not see what you see … and may advise you to do something else. My experience with creating Kraven Comics has been a challenging journey, but I never gave up. I don’t get discouraged by the numbers or by likes on social media; I just focus on what I believe, which is to create representation. Follow your heart. Be focused and dedicated. Follow your dreams, because without dreams, we’re not alive. " Arwyn tabling for  Christy Holstege , Outgoing Mayor of Palm Springs: "Believe in yourself!"

by Zefferin LLamas Dr. Toni D’Orsay  is a sociologist and psychologist, a veteran, and a recognized expert on trans lives. It is fitting that Dr. D’Orsay should be awarded the honor of  Advocate of the Year  for this year’s Palm Springs Pride. We took a minute with Toni at PS Pride to listen to some of her reflections at this point in her journey leading society towards a future that centers trans visibility, health equity and civil equality: I’m just getting started. Having this recognition encourages me to move further and farther than what I’ve done so far. It’s a big honor.  Unlike any other year in the last 20 years that I’ve been doing this, there’s never been this much discussion about trans people’s experiences and trans people’s lives. And while a lot of it is focused on attempting to harm youth, what’s fascinating is the number of people who are standing up for trans youth (and trans people in general) in a way that’s never been done before. So, in one sense, we can thank our haters for the amount of effort they’ve put into hating us because it’s showing us who are actual friends are. Often times, they are people we never thought would be friends.  The biggest win I can think of is that now we’re at a point where we can make significant changes on a level that we had never been able to reach before because now so many more people are aware of us, our challenges, and what we need. For those of us who have been doing this for so long, it’s like “wow, now we have a chance to  really start the work!” And we’re old and tired [laughs], so if you’re young and want to be an advocate, find a mentor and go for it!

by Zefferin LLamas In January of this year, Governor Newsom introduced a plan to allow all California residents (documented or not) of all ages to access full coverage MediCAL services (if they qualify; eligibility is based on income).  This was approved by the legislature  earlier this month , and will go into effect no later than January 1, 2024,  making California the first state in the U.S. to provide universal access health coverage , emphasizing the State’s commitment to healthcare as a human right.  As of May, 2022, all California residents over the age of 50 who qualify for MediCAL can access their services, whether or not they are documented. This is a big step forward both for California and the US in terms of advancing health equity and immigrant rights.

text & illustrations by Zefferin LLamas The trauma we experience as children is not our fault, but as adults it is our responsibility to heal so that we show up more authentically for ourselves and the people in our lives. Read our complete zine on the topic of cultivating positive mental health in our Digital Zine Library! Childhood trauma affects how we develop behaviors No one escapes childhood without some trauma. As children, we adapt to our environments and develop our long-term behaviors accordingly. Often, these behaviors, which were adaptive in childhood, are no longer adaptive in adulthood, and can even limit us. Trauma can be healed and behaviors can change for the better Luckily, despite childhood trauma and inherited generational trauma, we can cultivate resilience & positive mental health practices as adults that will help us end negative patterns and show up more authentically & responsibly in our lives. This process can look like: Recognizing the roots of our trauma Developing a sense of awareness around how we respond to stress Cultivating positive ways to cope & heal Seeking help when we need it In this article, we will take a closer look at this process. Let’s start with taking a closer look at childhood itself. LGBTQ+ childhood is uniquely challenging: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) LGBTQ+ people suffer Adverse Childhood Experiences (also known as ACEs) at higher rates than straight people due to anti-queer sentiment that can be felt and heard at all levels of society, often beginning in the home, at school, or in religious contexts. Common examples of early trauma include: Abuse : Children who display gender non-conforming behavior tend to be chastised, reprimanded, and even become the targets of abuse. Social norms of a heterosexist society are complicit in this kind of mistreatment of young queer people. Inadequate Healthcare : The healthcare system currently lacks a general capacity for LGBTQ+ affirming care, affecting queer people from a young age. Rejection/Neglect : LGBTQ+ youth are significantly overrepresented among homeless youth , due in large part to rejection from family. Religious Trauma : This happens when a family values discriminatory religious dogma over the wellbeing of their queer child, and/or anti-queer messaging coming out of the religious institution with which the family affiliates cause a queer child to feel like who they are is fundamentally a problem. Bullying : This can be experienced at school and/or in the home. Often, a queer child’s first bully is a family member. Isolation : Rejection, abuse, and bullying can lead a young person to isolate due to the ensuing development of a negative self-image and/or for fear of further abuse. Chronic Stress : Constantly anticipating danger creates a demand on the brain’s regulatory system that can be damaging over time. Minority Stress : The long-term stress of dealing with stigma & prejudice experienced by minority groups in society. How trauma affects us As human beings, connecting with others and developing relationships within which we feel safe is key to our mental health. As children, if a parent or caregiver abuses you emotionally or physically, you may think, “I’m an awful person. I must be, otherwise why would anyone treat me like this?” Chronic childhood trauma means that, even as adults, we will continue to organize the world in our minds as if the trauma were still going on. This disrupts the development of positive mental health like being able to connect with others, developing a positive sense of self, and being able to regulate stressful emotions. Stress responses Recognizing our own trauma and the patterns that develop as a result is the first step toward cultivating positive mental health. So, let’s look at some common ways that a person responds to conflict with others who they might see as dangerous or a threat due to their past trauma: Fight: Facing any perceived threat aggressively. Flight: Running away from danger. Freeze: Unable to move or act against a threat.   Fawn: Immediately attempting to please an aggressor to avoid conflict. Do you notice any of these responses in yourself? Read more about stress responses on WebMD. The trauma we experience as children is not our fault, but as adults, it is our responsibility to heal. Our lives are constantly changing, and we are always adapting to new circumstances. Once we start to recognize the roots of our trauma, we can slowly make positive changes that help us to heal and adapt to the stressors of life. Progress is not linear; it will involve ups and downs, setbacks, and breakthroughs. Once a person decides to begin the journey of healing from their past, there are many approaches that have proved useful. These approaches can be organized in two broad categories: top down and bottom-up. Top-down approaches A top-down approach refers to healing the rational, cognitive brain; the part of our brain that helps us to understand the world around us, to reach our goals, manage time, and so on. Top-down approaches to mental health will include things like: talk-therapy cognitive behavioral therapy mindfulness exercises. Bottom-up approaches A bottom-up approach refers to healing the emotional side of the brain, as well as the way the body reacts to and stores stress. Bottom-up approaches to mental health will include soothing and regulating the body’s response to stress, and can look like: developing a meditation practice a movement routine grounding exercises Grounding Being “grounded” involves a coming together of the outer and inner world, and means that you can sense your body, perceive the subtleties of your environment, and recognize what is going on around you and within you. Resources A combination of both top-down and bottom-up approaches to mental health will yield the best results. Remember, cultivating positive mental health is a process and a practice. No one is perfect and we all deal with the struggles of life. Many of life’s challenges are out of our control. But there are some things that we can control to make the challenges of life less severe, like learning to manage stress, developing healthy behaviors, and surrounding ourselves with loved ones. Below are some resources that can help us move toward that end. CA LGBTQ Health & Human Services Network A program under Health Access CA providing excellent resources & services to queer people. Unity Hope/CalHOPE Unity Hope’s crisis counselors are LGBTQ+ affirming, racially diverse, and live throughout SoCal. Call the CalHope Warmline at (833) 317-HOPE (4673) and ask to speak to a counselor from your community. ZocDoc Free online service that helps users find healthcare easily depending on their insurance and individual needs. RPYA’s list of LGBTQ+ affirming counseling services in SoCal AASECT Find an LGBTQ+ affirming therapist at The American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists. More information about Top-down and Bottom-up approaches to healing trauma and cultivating positive mental health #mentalhealth #therapy

by Zefferin LLamas *Initial note: Indigenous Peoples Day forms part of a broader cultural reckoning with the history of European aggression against Native American peoples, which included genocide and slavery. Read more about this history as it relates to the history of California specifically in a piece called, “Involuntary Servitude, Apprenticeship, and Slavery of Native Americans in California.” (2022) The story of Indigenous People’s Day as a federally recognized holiday is part of a journey that US society is undergoing in which we cast off oppressive colonial ethos that once taught us to celebrate things like Columbus Day and instead work toward the development of a culture that celebrates Native American peoples, nations, cultures, and their contributions to society. The cultivation of this culture is underway and will continue to take shape over many more years to come. For the purposes of this article on this Indigenous People’s Day, 2023, we offer a few suggestions about how you can celebrate and learn about the Native heritage and histories of the Inland Empire and Coachella Valley region, home to 13 federally recognized tribal groups. This is by no means a comprehensive list, rather a jumping off point for getting to know a bit about what is going on in the region. 1. Learn about the land you inhabit We posted an article about the Native Peoples of the Inland Empire Region recently. Check it out here ! 2. Attend Events The Inland Empire and Coachella Valley is one of the most culturally diverse regions in the country and is rich with Indigenous cultural events. Many Powwows are held throughout the year. Powwows are cultural events and serve a dual function of (1) providing an opportunity for tribal groups to gather, and (2) as a showcase of cultural expression, such as traditional song and dance, for Natives & non-Natives alike. The Cabazon Band of Mission Indians will hold a Powwow event November 24-26. Learn more here. The Twentynine Palms Band of Mission Indians hosts The Winter Gathering Powwow in Coachella and is a celebration of the Indigenous peoples of USA, Canada, and Mexico. 29palmstribe.org The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians are ramping up for a big winter season. Friday, November 3 is the grand opening of the Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza, a cultural center in the heart of Palm Springs. The following day, November 4, they will hold their Kewet Learning Day and Market in Palm Springs. Agua Caliente’s Singing of the Birds takes place in January and is a showcase of the Tribe’s bird songs, sacred histories of the Cahuilla people that tell their stories of creation, migration, and ancestral wisdom. Find out about all these events at aguacaliente.org The Morongo Band of Mission Indians hold a Powwow event every September, drawing crowds from all over. morongonation.org 3. Support Native Business The Malki Museum The Morongo Band of Mission Indians have an ethnobotanical garden and interpretive center called the Malki Museum, containing art and artifacts from Indigenous peoples of Southern California. It is well worth the visit and located adjacent to the Cabazon Outlets and Morongo Casino, just a few miles past Banning, CA going east. Malki Museum : California’s First Museum founded by Native Americans Quiet Quail Bookseller Quiet Quail is a bookseller based in the Inland Empire whose mission is to connect and collaborate with communities throughout Southern California and promote Indigenous authored publications. Check out their website , Instagram , and catch them at tabling events around SoCal. Temalpakh Farm A small-scale farm providing farm boxes and locally grown produce. Temalpakh is run by sisters and council members of the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, based out of Coachella. Read more about their incredible journey here. Meet Ronnie and Amanda Vance, sisters from the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, who are bringing their mother’s dream to fruition with Temalpakh Farm. 4. Follow accounts that teach about and celebrate Indigenous culture News from Native California A quarterly publication devoted to cultural and social justice causes for Native Californians. Their website includes resources, a calendar of events, an active blog, and more. First Nations Development Institute The First Nations Development Institute is a 42-year old, Native-led nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Native American communities and economies. One initiative of this organization is The California Tribal Fund , which was created to support California-based, California-Native-led nonprofits and tribal programs in controlling and protecting their food systems, water, languages, traditional ecological knowledge, and land. Check out their Instagram Accounts to Follow There are so many great Native accounts to follow. We’ve picked just a few excellent accounts that embody the many causes that Native and Indigenous peoples throughout the Americas are leading today, including environmental activism, decolonization, the revival of ancestral wisdom and tradition, modern understandings of indigineity, and the challenging of gender norms. Gerald Clarke is a Cahuilla artist and educator who was featured in Desert X this year. @coloralamexicana An ethical fashion brand promoting Mexican indigineity and culture. @kendrajessie Cree/Ukranian dancer @indigenousunited A page devoted to the decolonization of the mind, encompassing Indigenous expression and culture throughout the Americas. @micorazonmexica A Chicano artist devoted to the revival and reinterpretation of the ancestral wisdom of Mexico using the surviving codices of the Aztec and Mixtec people. @wildquetzal An educator and promoter of ancestral ways of living. @mujeresamazonicas Native, ecological activists protecting the Amazon rainforest. @EarthDaughters Uplifting Transnational Indigenous women & LGBTQ2S+ through Mutual Aids & Sustainability @nuestrasraicesverdes Environmental Justice Storytelling @IndigenousClimateAction Indigenous-led • Supporting Youth Leaders • Research & Training • Divestment • Healing Justice • Just Transition @queerquechua A “trans native mutant,” of Quechua and Turkish decent @che.jim Diné/Nishnaabe/Chicano making entertaining and informative Tiktok content @notoriouscree Cree dancer and educator Do you follow other accounts like these? Post them in the comments! Happy Indigenous Peoples’ Day today and always. #indigenouspeoplesday

by Zefferin LLamas Note: “Hispanic” literally means Spanish and is a term that was invented by the US government for the purposes of census data surveys to classify the US population based on race. It should be noted that Hispanic people are most often of mixed Indigenous, Black, and European ancestry, what in Latin America is recognized through the use of the terms mestizo and afro-mestizo. What we know today as Latin America is culturally, ethnically, and linguistically a lot more diverse than the term “Hispanic” suggests. For the purposes of this blog post, however, we will use the term Hispanic.   Hispanic Heritage Month is a federally recognized period in which to recognize and celebrate the achievements, culture, and heritage of Hispanic people. It began as a week-long celebration thanks to the efforts of Latin American communities in Los Angeles in the 1960s. By the 1980s, it had become a federally recognized, month-long celebration beginning on September 15 and ending on October 15. For over 300 years, much of what is now known as Central America and México was governed by the Spanish Empire and was known as New Spain ( Nueva España ). On September 16 of 1810, México declared its independence from the Spanish Empire, and a nation was born. Today, the night of September 15 is celebrated as the night of El Grito de Dolores (known simply as El Grito ), a symbolic and literal affirmation of independence from colonial rule, first declared by Miguel Hidalgo, a Mexican founding father, so to speak. In México, September is known as el mes patria, lit. “the month of the homeland.” 11 years after Mexican independence, most of the countries that now comprise Central America, including Guatemala, Costa Rica, and El Salvador, would declare their own independence on September 15 (1821). Two more Latin American nations, Chile and Belize, also declared independence from the Spanish Empire in the month of September. October is a significant month in Latin America for many reasons, including October 12, which is known as El Día de la Raza (in the US, this day is known as Indigenous People’s Day, formerly Colombus Day). This is a celebration that recognizes the mix of ethnicities, languages, and cultures (Indigenous, European, Black, among others) that form Latin American identity. To delve deeper into the rich, unique, and complex landscape that is Latin American culture through a queer lens, below are a few book and movie recommendations: Books Disidentifications: Queers of Color And The Performance Of Politics by José Esteban Muñoz (University of Minnesota Press) This book looks at how those outside the racial and sexual mainstream negotiate majority culture and construct identity. Unforgetting: A Memoir of Family, Migration, Gangs, and Revolution in the Americas by Roberto Lovato (Harper) “An urgent, no-holds-barred tale of gang life, guerrilla warfare, intergenerational trauma, and interconnected violence between the United States and El Salvador.” Spanish titles El vampiro de la colonia Roma (English title: Adonis Garcia: A Picaresque Novel) A fictional account of the life of Adonis, a male sex worker in 1970s Mexico City. México se escribe con J by Miguel Capistrán & Michael K Schluesser (Penguin) This book is about the construction of gay identity in México. Movies about Latin American and LGBTQ+ identities Callejón de los milagros (Midaq Alley) (1995, México): An intimate portrait of the lives of several families in a neighborhood in México City that examines issues of homophobia, classism, and immigration. The film was also Salma Hayek’s breakout role. Watch trailer Contracorriente (Undertow) (2009, Peru): A married fisherman struggles to reconcile his devotion to his male lover in a Peruvian village. Watch trailer El baile de los 41 (The Dance of the 41) (2020, México): A historical drama about a clandestine, queer society of men meeting during México’s pre-revolutionary period. Watch trailer Sueño en otro idioma (I dream in another language) (2017, México): A film about a researcher who must bring two men together who haven’t spoken in 50 years in order to study a native language that is at risk of extinction. Watch Trailer #hispanicheritagemonth #latinidad

Illustration y texto por Zefferin Llamas El trauma que experimentamos en la infancia no fue nuestra culpa, pero de adulto a nosotros nos toca sanar para vivir la vida más auténticamente. Los traumas de la niñez afectan al desarrollo del comportamiento Nadie se escapa de la niñez sin haber sufrido algún trauma. De niños, conforme nos vayamos adaptando a nuestro entorno desarrollamos el comportamiento habitual. En muchos casos, estos comportamientos que nos servían en la niñez ya no nos sirven de adultos, hasta nos pueden limitar. Se puede sanar del trauma y los comportamientos se pueden cambiar para el bien A pesar del trauma de la niñez y de los traumas generacionales que vamos heredando, de adultos podemos cultivar la resiliencia y prácticas de salud mental positiva que ayudan a acabar con ciclos negativos para así vivir de manera más autentica y responsable. Este proceso puede tomar la siguiente forma: Identificar el origen de nuestros traumas Desarrollar consciencia sobre la manera en que reaccionamos al estrés Cultivar medidas positivas sanar y lidiar con los traumas Buscar apoyo En este artículo hablaremos de este proceso de sanación. Primero, veamos en más detalle la niñez en sí. La niñez LGBTQ+ es un reto único: Las experiencias adversas infantiles Las personas LGBTQ+ sufren experiencias adversas infantiles (ACEs por sus siglas en inglés) a mayor medida que sus iguales heterosexuales debido a un sentimiento anti-queer que se puede percibir y escuchar en todos los niveles de la sociedad, incluso en el hogar, la escuela, y en contextos religiosos. Ejemplos comunes de dichos traumas incluyen: Abuso: Niños que se comportan de manera no convencional en cuanto al género suelen ser sujetos al castigo o incluso el abuso. Las normas sociales de una sociedad heterosexista son cómplices en el maltrato de los jóvenes queer. Insuficientes servicios de salud: Hoy en día el sistema de salud carece de una capacidad general para un cuidado médico que afirma la identidad LGBTQ+ , lo cual afecta a los jóvenes queer desde temprana edad. Rechazo/abandono: Los jóvenes LGBTQ+ son significativamente sobrerrepresentados entre jóvenes indigentes, debido en gran parte al rechazo por parte de la familia. Trauma religioso: Esto pasa cuando la familia valora más el dogma discriminatorio de una religión que el propio bienestar del niño queer. También pasa por los mensajes anti-LGBTQ+ de instituciones religiosas que provocan que el niño queer se menosprecie. Bullying: Esto se puede experimentar o en la escuela y/o en el hogar. En muchos casos, el primer bully de un niño queer termina siendo un familiar. Aislamiento: El rechazo, abuso, y bullying pueden hacer que un jóven se aisla debido al desarrollo de una resultante autoimagen negativa y/o para evitar más abuso. Estrés crónico: Anticiparse un peligro constante va creando una demanda sobre el sistema regulatorio del cerebro, lo cual puede ser dañino a largo plazo. Estrés de minorías: Los efectos a largo plazo de tener que lidiar siempre con los estigmas y prejuicios como minoría en la sociedad. Como el trauma nos afecta Como seres humanos, la conexión con otros y el desarrollo de relaciones en las que nos sentimos seguros es de suma importancia para la salud mental. Si un papá o guardián te abusa emocionalmente o físicamente, puede que pienses, “Soy mala persona. Tiene que ser, de otro modo porque me tratarían así?” El trauma crónico de la niñez implica que, aún de adultos, seguimos conceptualizando al mundo en la mente como si el trauma siguiera pasando hoy en día. Tal trauma interrumpe el desarrollo de una salud mental positiva como la habilidad de conectarnos con otros, el desarrollo de una buena autoestima, y la capacidad para regular fuertes emociones. Respuesta de estrés agudo Reconocer el trauma propio y los patrones de comportamiento que surgen como resultado representa un primer paso hacia el cultivo de una salud mental positiva. Entonces, veamos las maneras más comunes en las que una persona responde a estrés o cualquier conflicto que percibe como peligro debido a pasados traumas. El trauma que sufrimos de sufrimos de niños no fue nuestra culpa, pero como adultos a nosotros nos toca empezar el proceso de sanacion. La vida siempre está cambiando y siempre tenemos que adaptarnos a nuevas circunstancias. En cuanto reconozcamos el origen de nuestro trauma podemos hacer cambios progresivos para poder sanar y adaptarnos mejor a los retos de la vida. Lucha: Enfrentarse con una percibida amenaza de manera agresiva. Resistencia al peligro. Huida: Evitar una amenaza huyendo de ella. Alarma. Congelarse: No poder responder a la amenaza. Adular: Intentar complacerle a la persona peligrosa. El progreso no es linear; va a haber altibajos, contratiempos y avances. Pero ya tomada la decisión de sanar de las heridas del pasado, existen varias estrategias que pueden ayudar a avanzar esta meta. Dichas estrategias se pueden dividir en dos grupos generales: de arriba-abajo y de abajo hacia arriba. Estrategias de arriba-abajo La estrategia de arriba-abajo se refiere al sanar la parte racional y cognitiva del cerebro; la parte que nos ayuda a entender nuestro entorno, cumplir nuestras metas, gestionar el tiempo, etc. Las estrategias de arriba-abajo para cultivar la buena salud mental incluyen: terapía verbal terapía conductista cognitiva practica de mindfulness Estrategias de abajo hacia arriba La estrategia de abajo hacia arriba se refiere al sanar la parte emocional del cerebro. Estrategias de abajo hacia arriba para cultivar la buena salud mental buscan regular la manera en la que el cuerpo almacena y reacciona al estrés, y pueden incluir: empezar una práctica de meditación una rutina de movimiento (ejercicio) ejercicios de grounding El grounding El grounding se refiere a la unión del mundo exterior y el mundo interior, lo que quiere decir que logras sentir tu cuerpo, percibir las sutilezas de tu entorno y darte cuenta de lo que pasa tanto por dentro que por fuera. Recursos de salud mental Es indicado abordar el cultivo de la buena salud mental con una combinación de las estrategias que acabamos de subrayar. Estamos hablando de un proceso y una práctica. Nadie es perfecto y todos tenemos que lidiar con los retos de la vida. En muchos casos no podemos controlar lo que nos pasa. Pero si hay cosas, como las que mencionamos en este artículo, que podemos poner en practica para poder enfrentarnos mejor con los mismos retos tal que nos vamos dirigiendo hacia dónde queremos llegar. AASECT es una coalición de terapeutas capacitados en el cuidado de personas LGBTQ+ (EE.UU) Aquí en RPYA recopilamos una lista de recursos de terapia y salud mental en el sur de California. CA LGBT Health & Human Services Network , un programa de Health Access CA es una buena fuente de recursos y servicios para personas LGBTQ+, los cuales están disponibles también en español. TClick es un servicio de terapia en línea para personas de habla hispana basado en Colombia. Ofrecen sus servicios a un precio bastante reducido comparado con semejantes servicios de salud mental en EE.UU. Tenemos otros artículos sobre la salud mental, entre ellos, La prevención del suicido y Como encontrar un(a) terapeuta que afirma la identidad LGBTQ+. #español #mentalhealth

We sit down with legendary drag performer, Mayhem Miller, to talk about mental health What support did you need as a queer child? As a queer child I would say I was always supported. Growing up in a religious family in a conservative town wasn’t easy because my feelings contradicted my environment. But I don’t fault anyone because it was a different time. I always felt loved and supported. I eventually found my path. How do you take care of yourself? How does drag play into your self care? Omg lol. Drag plays a huge roll in my self care routines. Drag is my career and source of income. I’m a workaholic and rarely turn down a gig. As much as I like to entertain, I had to learn the hard way that you can’t be the best if you’re not feeling your best. Forcefully, I have to check in with my body and my mind. Silence the noise and get still with myself. When you’re constantly going it’s hard to know when you need a break. Mondays are a mandatory day off. That’s when I catch up on sleep and have my “self date” day. Lunch, a movie, dinner, a massage, a pedi. shopping for “Dequan” not Mayhem. I make sure to treat myself good for all the hard work I put in. I try to plan little get away or trips to unplug. I have to remember the character I created isn’t the only thing about me that should have all focus and attention. My true self deserves time to enjoy the fruits of my labor. Looking back at your childhood, how has drag played into your development? I was always supposed to be an entertainer. I remember always loving the stage and showing off for anyone who would watch me. Secretly playing in my grandmothers wigs and jewelry, my mom’s heels lol. Drag has always been with me. It just took adulthood to come in order for me to truly blossom into the queen I always was. How did your queerness play a role in your development? Being gay and aware of it at a young age helped me learn quickly the harshness the real world could be. I learned to have a thick skin. I learned to adapt to my environments. To become a chameleon. All tools that helped me maneuver the world acutely as an adult. What is one piece of advice you would offer a teenager growing up today? I would say, don’t be afraid to be who you are. The world is a much different place now. Less scary. But most of all learn your history! Educate yourself of the people who came before you and honor their legacies. Too many young people today have no clue how hard it was for some of us. And they take for granted the privileges they have now.

Here at RPYA, we strive to support the communities with whom we work in part by creating resources that broaden access to health, wellness, and harm reduction. We have the privilege of working with wonderful artists and amazing writers who create these resources. Thanks to their efforts, we recently made an online catalog of our educational and informational materials in the form of RPYA’s Digital Zine Library. What is a zine? That’s a fantastic question! Originally, the term zine was used as shorthand for any independently published maga zine . Activist zines use a design format that lends itself to spreading information in a concise and accessible way, and contains content that is often ignored by mainstream and institutional publishers. For example, during the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 1980s, governments and institutions had turned their back on the LGBTQ+ community, seeing HIV as a queer problem. As a result, queer activists had to find a way to inform the public about HIV in order to fill in the gaps in public knowledge, raise awareness, and promote harm-reduction practices. That is where zine making not only came in handy, but became life-saving within the LGBTQ+ community. Since they are often tools used in grassroot efforts to spread public health information, zines are usually DIY, printed on plain paper, bound by hand, and distributed in places like community centers, art galleries, and independently-owned bookstores. Thanks to the internet and more widely accessible printing methods, zines have seen a major resurgence in recent years. RPYA has adopted the format in order to make LGBTQ+ related information free and accessible in the IE and Southern California more broadly. Over the past year, we’ve created zines about sexual wellness, becoming better allies, HIV harm reduction through PrEP/PEP, and party safety! All of these zines are available in person through our tabling events or digitally on our website under “Zine Library”. CHECK OUT THE CATALOG HERE!

The week before Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20, people and organizations around the country participate in Transgender Awareness Week to help raise the visibility of transgender people and address issues members of the community face. This is a week when trans people and their allies take action and educate the public by sharing stories & experiences, and advancing advocacy around issues of prejudice, discrimination, & violence that impact the Community. Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) , is an annual observance on November 20 that honors the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence that year. The Transgender Health & Wellness Center is hosting an event in Palm Springs this Saturday, the proceeds from which will be donated to the Center’s LGBTQ+ programs. For tickets, click here . For local resources and/or if you’d like to donate to the cause, check out these great transgender advocacy organizations: The Transgender Health & Wellness Center THWC has offices in the Coachella Valley, Riverside, and San Diego. They provide emergency services to LGBTQ+ abused foster children seeking new placement, LGBTQ+ youth who have been kicked out their homes for who they are, transitional clothing, name & gender change assistance, emergency hygiene supplies, pet & human food, free mental health services, mortgage & rent relief, and much more. Find them on IG:  @transhealthandwellnesscenter Email: info@trans.health The Trans Community Project Trans Community Project is a 501(c)3 grassroots organization based in the Coachella Valley that encourages community engagement, education, advocacy, and peer support on trans issues. Trans Community Project acts as a conduit for strategic organizing to emerging trans-related actions and events. Executive Director: Paulina Angel IG:  instagram.com/transcommunityproject Email: info@transcommunityproject.org Phone (760) 537-0444 Trans Lifeline Trans Lifeline provides trans peer support for the Community that’s been divested from police since day one. Trans lifeline is run by and for trans people. The trans peer crisis support hotline is now up and running in the U.S. You can reach Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860. Please share with anyone you know that needs help.