roswell-newton-vargas:

Some great information from their Instagram that just launched.

You can also check them out at https://www.queerappalachia.com/

glutenwitch:

Here to add that the lovely folks at Queer Appalachia have recently started an additional Instagram account (and do real work in their communities) providing resources with helping with harm reduction for queer folk who use drugs.

roswell-newton-vargas:

*kicks down the door* AND ANOTHER THING.

It’s shocking how many people pride themselves on their advocacy for marginalized people – POC, LGBT individuals, mentally ill individuals, disabled individuals – and then turn around and have absolutely no sympathy for those struggling with addiction, as if addiction isn’t a huge fucking problem that widely and often disproportionately affects the very people they claim they’re fighting for.

roswell-newton-vargas:

And giving addicts this level of understanding doesn’t even mean that you have to forgive people for the horrible things they may have done while they were using. You can accept that a person has grown and changed and want them to get better, and still not want them in your life. These aren’t contradictory statements.

roswell-newton-vargas:

And you know what else? You can’t claim to support the “good” addicts in recovery, the ones whose pasts are years behind them, if you’re going to demonize people currently using and systematically deny them help.

You can’t claim to love someone and be proud of them and also believe that there was a point in their life when they deserved to die.

roswell-newton-vargas:

I’m not conflating being LGBT with being an addict; I’m just saying anybody could be in recovery or currently using without you necessarily knowing it. Addicts are people. They’re your loved ones and your neighbors and your cashier at the grocery store and people you’d never suspect, and they matter.

roswell-newton-vargas:

People will be like, “It’s so ignorant and telling when people who genuinely like me but don’t know I’m gay will be openly homophobic in front of me. It’s like they’ve never considered that anybody could be gay,” and then like two conversations later start talking about how drug addicts and alcoholics are morally reprehensible, irredeemable fuck-ups who don’t deserve sympathy or healthcare.