First Aid Kit for Queer Family Holidays

Dear Family,

For all the excitement around “going home” over break, the end of the quarter can also be an incredibly lonely, stressful, and painful time for LGBTQ+ and queer-identifying folks as gender, sexuality, and identity overlap with family dynamics and the observance of holidays that celebrate colonization. As queer people who have been through our share of difficult winters, we want you to know that it’s okay to feel sad or anxious or nervous about navigating the upcoming break. It’s okay to not want to “go home.” It’s okay to spend this time with friends or chosen family. It’s okay to not celebrate at all.

In this first aid kit, you’ll find advice, numbers for shelters and hotlines, links to affirming holiday messages from queer content creators, and step-by-step guides for administering emotional self-care. Whether it’s your first queer holiday at Stanford or your last, know that you’re not alone -- reach out if you want or need to talk anytime.

We’re listening.

With radical love, Jay Liu (they/them/theirs) & Vianna Vo (she/her/hers), Weiland Health Associates