Queer Ancestor Spotlight: Willem Arondéus
Willem Johan Cornelis Arondéus was a Dutch artist and author who was part of the Dutch anti-Nazi resistance movement during World War Two. He used his art and direct action to help protect Dutch Jews. He was openly gay and his last words before his execution were “Zeg de mensen dat homoseksuelen niet per definitie zwakkelingen zijn.” (“Tell people that homosexuals are not cowards.”)
Personal: Magical Thinking Won’t Stop Fascism
I’m writing this blog post after driving to work listening to a podcast that just made me more and more frustrated. I’m not going to say which podcast it was because I’ve spent my entire adult life on the internet and the current social media culture doesn’t exactly allow for nuanced critique. The episode was about taking care of yourself in this larger socio-political global moment and navigating the feelings of shame, guilt, obligation that come up when feeling like you need to prioritize your own safety and sanity. This is something that deeply resonates with me right now and I was hoping for a few “A-ha!” moments, and instead I got a greatest hits of what I can only call privileged magical thinking.