During these shorter days and cold, long nights, many of us are spending our evenings getting cozied up in our sweaters or blankets and possibly thinking about the upcoming holidays. While some of that might give you the warm fuzzies, thinking about the holidays can also stir feelings of stress and anxiety. Whether dinner parties, company events, or family dinners with not-often-seen family members, these opportunities can be a great time to connect and feel the holiday spirit. Annddd they can also open us up to difficult people and difficult situations that can cause us to feel overwhelmed or even lead to emotional shutdown at a time of year we might like to otherwise enjoy.
Read MoreAs a queer person who has worked in a touch-centric industry for decades at this point, I can assuredly say that my relationship with touch was not always a simple or positive one.
The challenges faced by the queer community, which often go unnoticed by a heteronormative society, deserve attention and understanding. The narratives presented in stories, movies, advertisements, religious teachings, friendships, literature, and societal norms perpetuate the notion that there is a singular correct and acceptable storyline for people's lives, dismissing any other experiences as deviations to be concealed or left unspoken. Without counterbalancing messages to combat these pervasive feelings of exclusion, many of us have grown up with an inherent sense that our very essence as individuals is fundamentally flawed.
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