Queer activism is exhausting — self-care is vital

In the words of Audre Lorde, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”

Emotionally speaking, queer activism can be back-breaking work.

I often find myself finishing a panel, submitting copy, or clicking ‘send’ on an email and having to pause to let out a deep, deep breath.

As an activist and journalist, I share my lived experience to educate others and help them better understand what it means to be a queer Muslim. I make myself incredibly vulnerable in the process, without realising in the moment the toll that can take in the long run. It’s like a papercut — you might not even notice in the moment that you’re bleeding, but later on, you’ll feel that sting, and it hurts.

Then I see the latest on the news, and the stinging worsens. Whether it’s another delay on the conversion therapy ban or alarming findings about the public’s attitude towards sportswashing in Qatar, each day brings more impending doom, signalling a bleaker future for my people.