Queer resilience is often seen as an individualistic response to external pressures, but it also involves the creation of alternative social structures that enable collective resistance against oppression. By examining how queer people build communities of support and challenge normative assumptions about gender and sexuality, this article explores how queer resilience can be understood as a form of ethical flourishing, creative engagement, and relational sustainability.
The concept of "ethical flourishing" suggests that individuals have the capacity for moral growth through their actions, relationships, and interactions with others. Queer resilience provides an opportunity for ethical flourishing because it requires individuals to consider how they respond to the world around them and work towards creating more just societies.
Queer activists who organize protests or events that promote awareness and understanding of LGBTQ+ identities are engaging in acts of ethical flourishing by working towards a more equitable society.
Creativity plays an important role in queer resilience because it allows individuals to create new ways of expressing themselves and challenging dominant narratives. This includes both artistic expression and everyday practices such as creating safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth, developing new ways of interacting online, and building community-based networks of support. Creative engagement also involves recognizing how identity intersects with other forms of oppression, such as racism or classism, and finding ways to resist these systems.
Queer resilience is inherently relational, as it requires individuals to cultivate connections with one another and develop strategies for survival. By forming communities based on shared experiences, interests, and goals, queer people create spaces where they can build meaningful relationships and find strength in solidarity. Relational sustainability refers to the ability to maintain these connections over time, which often means adapting to changing circumstances while staying true to core values.
This article has argued that queer resilience is more than just an individual response to external pressures; it is a collective practice of ethical flourishing, creative engagement, and relational sustainability. By examining how queer people build communities of support and challenge normative assumptions about gender and sexuality, we can understand how queer resilience can be a source of empowerment and social transformation.
How can queer resilience be theorized as a practice of ethical flourishing, creative engagement, and relational sustainability?
Queer resilience has been conceptualized as an embodied practice that emerges from marginalization, oppression, and resistance to structural barriers. It is a form of political and social agency that enables individuals to thrive in diverse contexts by developing skills, strategies, and relationships that enhance their quality of life (Eyler & Gutzmann, 2017).