QUEERANTINE Community Survival Guide: Resources for the COVID-19 Moment
*This resource originally appeared on the QRC Newsletters (This Week at the QRC) from 3/24/20 to 4/27/20 as part of the Center's response to the COVID-19 Crisis. The resources were collected with community input, as well as guidence from the QRC Staff.
DEAR COMMUNITY (Abridged)
I know this is a peculiar, difficult, and tumultuous time. I want to encourage us all to offer each other, and ourselves, ample grace, flexibility, and leniency as we try to adapt to our moment. Take a break, craft, listen to music, make food, drink water, call a friend and/or just breath! We got this- together. It is often hard for us LGBTQ+ folks to navigate housing, jobs, families, forms of care we offer to them, and finding care for ourselves in the best of times. Given that reality, I must stress that it is essential that you reach out for help or support if you need it....
Whether it is to just chat, ask for support, advice, or just to say hi, I'm happy to make it happen! If you have any thoughts or suggestions on how best the QRC can support the community, whether its a program or resource idea, reach out as well! Feel free to email me at jsmartin@amherst.edu to schedule a time or share your thoughts!
Keep updated on communications from President Martin, Dean Agosto, and the College at large on the college's COVID-19 website.
Please make sure you're taking care of yourselves! Wishing you all good health and safety in the coming weeks.
Sincerely,
Jxhn
they/them
jsmartin@amherst.edu
413-542-5964
Every week, the QRC staff will be bringing you articles, web resources, and more to help us all get through each week (especially for those of us stuck with people who don't see us/ can't see us in our full truth and/or are otherwise hostile to LGBTQ+ people). If you know of stuff you'd like to have us feature here, feel free to email your sugestions to qrc@amherst.edu. Check out the few things we collected so far below:
Calgary Queer Arts Society | Queerantine Corner
https://www.calgaryqueerartssociety.com/qeerantine-corner
A crowd-sourced collection of music, tv shows, movies, podcast, and performers. Though still under construction, its collection of podcasts are pretty good!
Them.us | 15 Stress-Busting LGBTQ+ Films and Shows to Watch During Coronavirus
https://www.them.us/story/lgbtq-films-tv-streaming-coronavirus
A fantastic list (one of many floating around out there) of LGBTQ+ things to watch! Check it out!
Them.us | 9 Strategies for Quarantining in a Non-LGBTQ+ Affirming Environment
https://www.them.us/story/9-strategies-for-quarantining-in-a-non-lgbtq-accepting-environment
A fantastic enumeration of various ways to find grounding/connection/strength when you're stuck in hostile spaces! Also has a list of other articles talking about LGBTQ+ life and the effects of COVID-19!
Instragram | @Justaroacethings
https://www.instagram.com/justaroacethings/?hl=en
Instragram | @alokvmenon
https://www.instagram.com/alokvmenon/?hl=en
Beth E. Richie | Arrested Justice: Black Women, Violence, and America's Prison Nation
https://nyupress.org/9780814776223/arrested-justice/
Octavia E. Butler | Kindred
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/643834/kindred-by-octavia-e-butler/
C. Riley Snorton | Black on Both Side: A Racial History of Trans Identity
ttps://www.upress.umn.edu/book-division/books/black-on-both-sides
Pop's Schitt's Creek (2015-2020)
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/schitts_creek
Netflix/Pop's One Day at A Time (2017- present)
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/one_day_at_a_time
Netflix's Sex Education (2019)
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/sex_education
QRC | My Collective Guide to Surviving Fabulously, Version 1
https://bit.ly/acqrcsg1
A collection of coloring book pages, self-care activities, and reminders curated by past QRC Staff. Originally release at the end of Fall 2017, this guide is well suited to our current situations. Look out for future iterations!