National Coming Out Day

 

Today is National Coming Out Day. 

A day to celebrate wherever we fall in the gender, sexual, and romantic multiverses. For some of us we are in safe spaces, and can publicly share who we are, sometimes for the first time, sometimes for the millionth time. For others to "come out" would be dangerous or simply something not ready to be shared. It does not matter how you celebrate or don’t celebrate, how you share or don’t share where you fall in the gender, sexual, and romantic multiverses, all that matters is you remember you are not alone, you are beloved and loved, you are absolutely amazing exactly for who you are.

National Coming Out Day

By Dreaming Ace 

National Coming Out Day

A day to celebrate your truth

Ace, Aro, Bi, Gay, Lesbian, Pan et al.

Day celebrating all places in the

Romantic and sexual multiverses

National Coming Out Day

A day to celebrate your truth

Trans, Non-Binary, Gender-fluid et al.

Day celebrating all places in the

Gender and gender identity multiverses

National Coming Out Day

A day to celebrate your truth

Known world wide by many

Known only in your deepest heart

Known by your people, or a stranger

National Coming Out Day

A day to celebrate your truth

In a manner that is safe for you

Shouting from the rooftops

Or taking but a moment with yourself

National Coming Out Day

A day to celebrate your truth

You are absolutely amazing

You are absolutely loved

You are absolutely never alone

World Mental Health Day 2021

 

Today October 10th is World Mental Health Day. This is a day to build awareness about the struggles of those of us who have mental health challenges. As a reminder no matter who you are or what you are experience know that you are important, worthy and loved and no matter how you might feel you are never alone. No matter what mental health struggle you are dealing with there are uncountable others who are struggling with a similar issue across the globe.

As the World Health Organization states:

The overall objective of World Mental Health Day is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health.

This year the focus is on: Mental health care for all: let’s make it a reality. 

As the World Health Organization States:

The health argument: 

• Close to one billion people have a mental disorder and anyone, anywhere, can be affected.
• Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide and is a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease. Globally, it is estimated that 5% of adults suffer from depression.
• Globally, one in seven 10-19-year-olds experience a mental disorder. Half of all such disorders start by age 14 years but most are undetected and untreated.
• People with severe mental disorders such as schizophrenia tend to die 10-20 years earlier than the general population.
• One in every 100 deaths is by suicide. It is the fourth leading cause of death for young people aged 15-29 years.
• The COVID-19 pandemic has had a considerable impact on people’s mental health.

The care gap

• Despite the universal nature and the magnitude of mental ill health, the gap between demand for mental health services and supply remains substantial.
• Relatively few people around the world have access to quality mental health services.
• The serious gaps that still exist in mental health care are a result of chronic under-investment over many decades in mental health promotion, prevention and care.
• Stigma, discrimination and human rights abuses of people with mental health conditions remain widespread.

The economic cost

• The lost productivity resulting from depression and anxiety, two of the most common mental disorders, costs the global economy US$ 1 trillion each year.

The investment deficit

• On average, countries spend just 2% of their national health budgets on mental health. This has changed little in recent years.
• Despite an increase of development assistance for mental health in recent years, it has never exceeded 1% of development assistance for health.

The good news

• Some of the most common mental health conditions, depression and anxiety, can be treated with talking therapies, medication, or a combination of these.
• For every US$ 1 invested in scaled-up treatment for depression and anxiety, there is a return of US$ 5.
• For every US$ 1 invested in evidence-based treatment for drug dependence, there is a return of up to US$ 7 in reduced crime and criminal justice costs.
• Generalist health workers can be trained to diagnose and treat mental health conditions.
• Regular health checks of people with severe mental disorders can prevent premature death.
• The quality of life of people living with conditions such as autism and dementia can be greatly improved when their caregivers receive appropriate training.
• The rights of people living with mental health conditions can be protected and promoted through mental health legislation, policy, development of affordable, quality community-based mental health services and the involvement of people with lived experience.

A Halloween Walk:

Here are several Halloween themed pictures I have taken on various walks over the last few weeks. I hope this is a nice pause from any work or stress that is challenging right now for you. May the colors of the season bring a bit of joy to your day, and warm your spirit since this week has been pretty gray and grim outside.

This Tour As A Video 

October Knocking

Happy Happy October. Welcome to a new month of new possibilities. I hope you have a wonderful month. This month is a month of magic/prep for Halloween, in addition to being LGBTQ+ History Month. (And don't feel bad if your first thought is I thought that was in June. June is LGBTQ+ pride month which is related but different than LGBTQ+ history month) In honor of both of these, my plan is to do one "Halloween" and one "LGBTQ+ History" related activity each day. If you like the idea of doing one item each day too here are a sampling of possibilities.

• Many streaming services have curated lists of Halloween inspired TV and movies. You can find lists of scary movies as well as lists of lighter kid friendly shows/episodes you can watch.
• There are many different playlists you can listen to this season such as Classic Dark and Spooky, Horror Film Soundtracks, Halloween Party Music, or Relaxing Halloween Music.
• If you don't mind blending your holidays there are a wide range of Halloween Theme Yule Logs.
• If you are into the history of Halloween or of Horror there are many options online such as
• A History of Horror with Mark Gatiss, or BBC In Search of Dracula with Mark Gatiss
• You can also find a whole range of individuals reading classic spooky poems or stories or authors reading their own stories such as Neil Gaiman reading his "Click Clack the Rattle Bag"

• For LGBTQ+ History Month you might consider watching an LGBTQ+ film or documentary. For example Hulu has a whole list which I explored parts of for Pride month.
• You might consider reading a book by an classic LGBTQ+ author such as James Baldwin.
• You might listen to a playlist of LGBTQ+ Music

Banned Books Week 2021

Books magical gateways

Into the past, present, future

Pathways to new possibilities

Pathways to new What if?s

Pathways to new ways of seeing

But some do not want us to

Walk these many pathways

They fear looking at the world

With honest eyes, with truth

They fear what they don't understand

They struggle with identity

Racial Identity, Cultural Identity

Identities around Gender, Sexuality, Love

The complexities of intersectionality

The pain too many experience living

All too often books are banned

Because some fear looking critically

At life with all its brightness and grayness

And take that fear to mean

That no one should be exploring this issues

But this banned book week

Is a reminder like every year

That books will always be there

Showing the world as it is and might be

So go forth a read a banned book this week.

This week their are a wide range of events for banned book week. If you want to join check out your local library, or simply do a google search for events happening near you. If you want to celebrate by reading banned books here is a list of American Library Association’s Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2020

• George by Alex Gino: Challenged, banned, and restricted for LGBTQIA+ content, conflicting with a religious viewpoint, and not reflecting “the values of our community”

• Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds: Banned and challenged because of author’s public statements, and because of claims that the book contains “selective storytelling incidents” and does not encompass racism against all people

• All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely: Banned and challenged for profanity, drug use, and alcoholism, and because it was thought to promote anti-police views, contain divisive topics, and be “too much of a sensitive matter right now”

• Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson: Banned, challenged, and restricted because it was thought to contain a political viewpoint and it was claimed to be biased against male students, and for the novel’s inclusion of rape and profanity

• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie: Banned and challenged for profanity, sexual references, and allegations of sexual misconduct by the author

• Something Happened in Our Town: A Child’s Story About Racial Injustice by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard, illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin: Challenged for “divisive language” and because it was thought to promote anti-police views

• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: Banned and challenged for racial slurs and their negative effect on students, featuring a “white savior” character, and its perception of the Black experience

• Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck: Banned and challenged for racial slurs and racist stereotypes, and their negative effect on students

• The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison: Reasons: Banned and challenged because it was considered sexually explicit and depicts child sexual abuse

• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas: Challenged for profanity, and it was thought to promote an anti-police message

And if none of those catch your eye here is a list of Top 100 Most Banned and Challenged Books: 2010-2019 you can check out:

1. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
2. Captain Underpants (series) by Dav Pilkey
3. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
4. Looking for Alaska by John Green
5. George by Alex Gino
6. And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
7. Drama by Raina Telgemeier
8. Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James
9. Internet Girls (series) by Lauren Myracle
10. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
11. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
12. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
13. I Am Jazz by Jazz Jennings and Jessica Herthel
14. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
15. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
16. Bone (series) by Jeff Smith
17. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
18. Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan
19. A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss
20. Sex is a Funny Word by Cory Silverberg
21. Alice McKinley (series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
22. It's Perfectly Normal by Robie H. Harris
23. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
24. Scary Stories (series) by Alvin Schwartz
25. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
26. A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
27. Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin
28. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
29. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
30. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
31. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
32. It's a Book by Lane Smith
33. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
34. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
35. What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
36. A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer
37. Bad Kitty (series) by Nick Bruel
38. Crank by Ellen Hopkins
39. Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
40. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
41. The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby by Dav Pilkey
42. This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman
43. This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki
44. A Bad Boy Can Be Good For A Girl by Tanya Lee Stone
45. Beloved by Toni Morrison
46. Goosebumps (series) by R.L. Stine
47. In Our Mothers' House by Patricia Polacco
48. Lush by Natasha Friend
49. The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
50. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
51. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
52. The Holy Bible
53. This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson
54. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
55. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
56. Gossip Girl (series) by Cecily von Ziegesar
57. House of Night (series) by P.C. Cast
58. My Mom's Having A Baby by Dori Hillestad Butler
59. Neonomicon by Alan Moore
60. The Dirty Cowboy by Amy Timberlake
61. The Giver by Lois Lowry
62. Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
63. Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
64. Draw Me a Star by Eric Carle
65. Dreaming In Cuban by Cristina Garcia
66. Fade by Lisa McMann
67. The Family Book by Todd Parr
68. Feed by M.T. Anderson
69. Go the Fuck to Sleep by Adam Mansbach
70. Habibi by Craig Thompson
71. House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
72. Jacob's New Dress by Sarah Hoffman
73. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
74. Monster by Walter Dean Myers
75. Nasreen’s Secret School by Jeanette Winter
76. Saga by Brian K. Vaughan
77. Stuck in the Middle by Ariel Schrag
78. The Kingdom of Little Wounds by Susann Cokal
79. 1984 by George Orwell
80. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
81. Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher
82. Awakening by Kate Chopin
83. Burned by Ellen Hopkins
84. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
85. Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
86. Glass by Ellen Hopkins
87. Heather Has Two Mommies by Lesle´a Newman
88. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
89. Madeline and the Gypsies by Ludwig Bemelmans
90. My Princess Boy by Cheryl Kilodavis
91. Prince and Knight by Daniel Haack
92. Revolutionary Voices: A Multicultural Queer Youth Anthology by Amy Sonnie
93. Skippyjon Jones (series) by Judith Schachner
94. So Far from the Bamboo Grove by Yoko Kawashima Watkins
95. The Color of Earth (series) by Tong-hwa Kim
96. The Librarian of Basra by Jeanette Winter
97. The Walking Dead (series) by Robert Kirkman
98. Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
99. Uncle Bobby’s Wedding by Sarah S Brannen
100. Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

Good News Friday

Today I am participating in "Better" | A STORY 2021 Intensive which is exploring the power of stories to shape the future, our future, and the future of our wider communities. There is a lot of interesting content around the power of stories and how to use this power effectively. 

But since I am at the virtual conference all day this blog post will be a bit shorter. One resource that was shared this morning was www.goodgoodgood.co which shares real good news, not just feel good news. 

So to set you up for a good weekend here are a few good news stories:

• The Population of Endangered Mountain Gorillas Has Grown by 71% In a Decade
• This Innovative Fridge Will Make the COVID-19 Vaccine Accessible to All
• North Carolina Just Opened Their First Peer-Run Respite Center as an Alternative to Hospitalization for People in Mental Health Distress
• This Social Worker Is Using Sports and Streetwear to Reach People
• Meet the World's First Carbon-Neutral Soccer Club
• These 3 Energy Storage Technologies Can Help Solve the Challenge of Moving to 100% Renewable Electricity
• Pollution to Products? Recycled Carbon Emissions Are Coming to Consumer Shelves
• Hair Stylists Are Using Hair Clippings to Clean Up Oil Spills
• Paving a Path for Justice: 7 Runners Making a Difference to Follow on Instagram

Happy Autumn Equinox, Happy Mabon

The Autumn Equinox is finally here. For some reason this year I have been yearning for fall for a while as my roommates can attest. (Maybe because it was a hot summer and getting all sweaty when I went for my daily walk was not cool?) 

According to a few sources this is a perfect time to let go of things that no longer serve us. 

As the sisters enchanted state:

Mabon is named for the Welsh God, Mabon. Mabon falls on the Autumn Equinox, marking the beginning of the dark months. Mabon also marks a time of rest. The harvest is now over, and with the coming dark months, there is less work to be done.

Instead, preparation for the cold is now at the forefront. This is a time to complete projects and let go of things that are no longer serving you so that you may feel at peace during the chilly winter months.

I am taking this time to take a physical, mental, and spiritual inventory of what I have, and what I should use up or discard before the new year. Since I am starting now when the end of Dec rolls around and I am running around doing a whole list of activities I will already be ready.  Plus I can do some trial runs and see what resolutions might work for next year. 

This inventorying includes practical things like tossing ripped clothing, using up old bath and body products, and sorting items that can go into my gift drawer. This also includes some aspirational things like considering where I want to go in 2022 vocationally, health wise, etc. and spending the fall figuring out what pre-steps I need to do first. 

For example:

• I want to do more freelance work so working on a portfolio of my previous projects. 
• I want to do more art projects so doing an inventory of what art supplies I have.
• I want to open some space in my life so thinking about what I need to leave behind

In addition the fall is a long enough season where I can calmly and unhurried look through categories and determine if items are serving me, can serve me, or have become a "should" that simply stresses me out. "I "should" keep it for x, y, or z reason instead of it actually being useful or bringing joy." I also find if I give myself enough time I can recognize items that once served me, but no longer do and would do better being shared with others. 

I wish everyone a Happy Autumn Equinox, and Happy Mabon. May this be a season where you get everything lined up so come winter you can spend more time curled up all cozy, with a hot beverage, enjoying a book or listening to music.