August 4, 2021

In Search of Queer Joy (Part 4)

This is it. Today is the day. The time is now.

For today's newsletter, I'm going to list (in no particular order) as many joyful queer moments and places and pieces of media as I can.

• In 2019, E and I saw Janelle Monáe in concert at Columbiahalle here in Berlin. Her performance was amazing and I remember a lot of moments fondly, but I want to share two in particular: 1. When Janelle Monáe came out wearing pants like the ones in the PYNK music video and I gasped excitedly to E, "the pussy pants!" 2. When the concert was over and E and I decided to walk home instead of taking the bus and we recounted all of our favorite parts of the show and I felt bouyant happiness.
• The Princess Prom episode of She-Ra
• Earlier this year, I had a videocall with RJ (my older brother's partner, who has also been a good friend and role model to me since I was a teenager) where we watched But I'm a Cheerleader together. This campy, queer classic is one of RJ's favorites, but I'd never seen it before. So, while it was an absolute delight, the best part was that RJ wanted to share it with me.
• Also earlier this year, my best friend Lisa texted me that she was reading a book called Cantoras , which she thought I would like and wanted to mail to me when she was done with it. She sent me the paperback, along with a handwritten letter, and they arrived right around my birthday. The book was stunning and moving and sad, but ultimately joyful, and I'm so grateful to Lisa for sharing it with me.
• Other Nature: my favorite sex shop here in Berlin, which became a worker-owned collective this year
• Hayley Kiyoko's music - RJ first introduced me to this artist with the song "Gravel to Tempo." Since then "Curious" and "Feelings" have also become favorites.
• In 2018, I went to the Christopher Street Day parade, which is Berlin's Pride. I wore a floral print romper and a baseball cap that said, "Love Muffin" on it. At that point, I was only really out to myself and E, but that was enough, more than enough. It was my first Pride when I was out to myself!!

I'm sure I will think of more joyful queer nonsense after I send out this newsletter. And I'm sure I will experience and cultivate more queer joy over the coming days, weeks, months, etc.

So, I doubt this is the last installment of the "In Search of Queer Joy" series. And, if any of these bullet points piqued your interest, please let me know, and I'm happy to write more about them! After all, they do bring me joy :)