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Let’s Write Tales of Resistance: Queer People Need These Stories Right Now!

Joy is Radical, a Form of Resistance for LGBTQ People and Others

We are family. Get up everybody and sing.

Rand Bishop
Prism & Pen
Published in
7 min readJan 7, 2025

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Photo by Ilia Bronskiy on Unsplash

Seventy-five years of life has enabled me to observe and identify a consistent human pattern:

Chronically dissatisfied, unfulfilled people tend to resent anyone else who refuses to share their gloomy outlook. In fact, narcissistic, egocentric sad sacks will frequently go to the extreme of — consciously or not — actively attempting to drag everyone else down to their level of discontent.

You can almost hear the thoughts churning in their bitter brains: How dare anyone else tap dance when I’m stuck in the muck?

Religious wet blankets…

This attitude is not the exclusive province of the self-pitying set.

Religious fundamentalists, too, have always been experts at throwing wet blankets over other people’s pleasure and good cheer.

I’m reminded of the 1984 film Footloose, an allegory in which a small Midwestern town declares rock music and dancing illegal. Of course, city elders justify this draconian measure by explaining that it’s meant to “protect” young…

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Prism & Pen
Prism & Pen

Published in Prism & Pen

Amplifying LGBTQ voices through the art of storytelling

Rand Bishop
Rand Bishop

Written by Rand Bishop

Bishop's latest book, the semi-autobiographical novel, Long Way Out, is available in e- and print editions through most major online booksellers.

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