Joy Within Heartbreak and Trauma

I wrote this post weeks ago, but I needed to let it simmer. Given the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the ongoing gun violence and lack of adequate gun control, and the attacks on trans children I feel ready to share it again. If these incidents seem disconnected to you, all of this violence involves toxic masculinity and removing body autonomy from those who are not white cis men. I am not here to trauma dump, but to provide the context in which I am still finding evidence of joy, communal love, and liberation.

The past 2 months have been a blur.  In May I visited my family in California, the first time in 4 years.  It was filled with so much joy and laughter and FOOD.  I ate tacos and Filipino food every day.  It just doesn't hit the same on the East Coast.  I surprised my sister for her birthday and my family finally got to meet the love of my life in person.

The pandemic started a little over two years ago, but I haven't flown out to LA in four.  I love travel, but I hate TSA.  If you are reading this and you are trans/non-binary/gender expansive, you know why, #travelingwhiletrans.  The flight to LAX was fine.  The return flight rapidly descended into a nightmare when my partner and I arrived at our layover at JFK.  Our connecting flight had been canceled and we spent the night on the airport floor.
In retrospect there were many comical points to this story, but I am going to skip to a quick summary of the scary part.  

Full article available on Patreon.

CW: anti-trans violence at the airport