Joyful Resistance: How Action Can Make a Tangible Difference

[Dandy Rawhole. Photo credit: Sarah Malone]

In times of humanitarian crisis and in the face of war, one can feel utterly helpless. It’s easy to spiral down. 

Having been an activist for the majority of my life (close to 40 years), starting with reading David Suzuki at age 8 and being that person in my family who demanded everyone turn off the lights when not using them (nothing has really changed), I’ve learned that spiralling down is a sure-fire way to become disempowered and out of action. Rendered helpless.

The truth is that you and I are not helpless. We can feel helpless at times. That’s a normal response, but staying there will make no difference at all. We can’t suffer enough to end someone else’s suffering. We can’t get sick enough to make sick people well. We can’t be impoverished enough to end someone else’s poverty-stricken circumstances. That’s not how life works.

If anything, the world needs you to be liberated, bigger than your circumstances, empowered, and in action. Action is what makes a tangible difference in reality.

Being bigger than your circumstances
It’s up to us to not let life’s circumstances make us smaller or helpless. Yes, sometimes life throws us a curve ball. Sometimes one after the other. For queer people around the world dealing with human rights abuses, like our LGBT refugee friends living in Kakuma, Kenya, being a demonstration of what queer liberation looks like matters. It demonstrates that it’s possible to be queer and joyful. Queer and happy. Queer and satisfied. 

Being empowered
No one can stare suffering in the face, getting into the detail, the nuances and the pain and not be impacted at some point over time by what they are consuming. If what you need to do to be empowered is take a break, not look for a moment, then do that. What matters is that you stay empowered so that you can take action and make a real difference. Doona diving does not make a difference in the world so don’t make it a hobby. Don’t invalidate yourself if you doona dive once in a while, but just know it’s not an action that will fulfill on the difference you are committed to in the world. Move your body. Roll out of bed. Have a shower. Then take action.

Being in action
True resiliency is getting back up again and taking the next indicated action. The next inspired action. Action does not have to be of any particular size or shape. An action could be big. It could be a tiny action. It could be a micromovement. But movement in the right direction will result in momentum. Movement in a spiralling down motion will also result in momentum. So choose your direction wisely.

Uplift yourself and each other
Kings of Joy is a community that uplifts each other. This Thursday 16 November is our end-of-year reunion and performance night, Drag Kingdom. Over 30 Drag Kings from the Kings of Joy community will be taking to the stage in boi bands, groups, duos, and solos. When queer people gather, it’s powerful. 

Together we will bring joy, entertainment, and full self-expression.  We will surround ourselves with like-minded people in a place where we don’t have to try to fit in, but where we can belong. This matters. Drag Kingdom is fun. And it’s a chance to demonstrate that you can have fun and make a difference at the same time. 

10% of all proceeds from the night go to Block 13, our LGBT refugee friends with whom we speak once a fortnight on Zoom and have a long-standing relationship. Many of them have been stuck in the refugee camp in an unsafe environment for 4-5 years and when we first met them, they felt like they were the forgotten queers of the world. And that nobody cared about them. Knowing that we, as a community, are standing for their asylum in a safer country and supporting them in surviving the camp has made a massive difference to them. 

Any other proceeds will go back into the Kings of Joy Pay It Forward program to support future Kings to participate in the Kings of Joy Gold Stars program. No one left out.

Please join us in a night of fun and making a tangible difference. 

Drag Kingdom

Thurs 16 Nov

The Red Rattler

Click here to grab your tickets.

Xx

Danica Lani

The King Coach

P.S. Wanna be a Drag King? Click here to join the waiting list for Kings of Joy

Hello handsome, 🌈 I'm Danica Lani, also known as The King Coach, here to empower you in your exploration of gender, sexuality, and performance. I have proudly mentored, choreographed, and produced 89 first-time Drag Kings since December 2020. Welcome to the joyous community of Kings of Joy, where we uplift and celebrate each other every step of the way! 🎉🤩 Let's embark on this Drag King journey together, embracing our true selves and cheering each other on! 🤗💖 #KingsOfJoy