The U.S.'s political landscape - and our daily lives - are increasingly shaped by repression and violence, amplified by a media cycle designed to keep us fearful in the present, uncertain about the future, and depleted. Exhaustion is not a side effect of this system. It is one of its core tools. Last year, I wrote that Donald Trump's attacks were designed to exhaust us. Over the past year, I've watched communities build movements and adapt their organizing under this reality.
This year, our committee knew that we needed a speaker who could hold space for our students who are navigating grief and loss, experiencing emotional burnout and mental health crises and struggling to show up for themselves and for others,
Sharing knowledge & culture is community care. Our book swap series is back at Town Bar & Lounge - and every other month after that. The Swig: Come and get a drink token for a free glass of bubbly from the bar. (Refills or other drinks are on you, though). The Swap: Bring a book that has meaning to you, gave you joy & escape, changed your mind, or offered knowledge about the world.
For its participants, Openhouse + On Lok Community Services is more than a day center. It is the place where they feel safe, supported, and seen. Over the past year, all of us at Openhouse + On Lok Community Day Services have taken time to deeply listen to LGBTQ+ seniors-to understand what people are feeling, what they are missing, and what they need to stay healthy, independent, and connected to the community they love.
Earlier this year, a CNN story featured a Japanese prison that looked more like a nursing home. The story was striking: Some older adults in Japan are so lonely that they intentionally commit minor crimes to gain access to regular meals, healthcare, and companionship behind bars. This poignant example is not an anomaly. It signals a profound global challenge: how societies care for an aging population.
My friend David Enoch, who has died aged 99, made his greatest mark as a campaigner for humane mental health care and was a founding fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. In the 1960s he served as a medical adviser to Barbara Robb, the psychotherapist who exposed neglect and abuse in long-stay NHS psychiatric wards and, through her controversial book Sans Everything (1967), pushed for major reforms.
The Sussex Beacon, a Brighton-based charity supporting those living with HIV, has announced it is set to become the UK's first-ever dedicated hospice for the queer community in Sussex.
