Navigating Uncertainty and Building Resilience
In a world that often feels uncertain, how do we build safer, more inclusive places to work and connect? How do we care for ourselves and each other while continuing to advocate for meaningful change? These are questions that were asked during the GLMA webinar yesterday—questions that don’t always have easy answers, but definitely deserve honest attention.
I want to give an enormous thank you to Wednesdae Reim Ifrach, REAT ATR-BC, ATCS, LPC, NCC, RMT, CLAT (they/them) from GLMA, Ken Miguel (he/him) from NLGJA, Gavin Alexander, JD (he/him) from LGBTQ+ Bar, and Jackie Wong, MBA (he/him) from ROMBA for responding to these questions so thoughtfully, along with Alex Sheldon, MA (they/them) from GLMA for moderating the session mindfully.
How can we build more inclusive and safe spaces to work in?
First and foremost, we need to listen to each other. Not the kind of listening where you’re just waiting to speak, but truly attentive listening. The type of listening that helps you understand where someone is coming from, even when their experience is not the same as your own.
We also have to be more present outside of our own comfort zones. Inclusivity doesn’t happen in echo chambers. It happens when we choose to show up, even when it’s unfamiliar or uncomfortable. Join that meeting, attend that event, introduce yourself to someone new. Those small moments of connection matter, because connection makes change. While we certainly don’t want to put ourselves in places that are unsafe, we don’t want to sit in fear to the point that we don’t make new connections.
Remember: everyone’s role in our work ecosystems is vital. Lawyers fight the harmful legislation, business leaders bring in capital that can be donated to our causes, journalists share our stories to the masses, healthcare workers do the research that supports the reason we are fighting. It’s all connected. No role is more or less essential than the other. Whatever you are doing, it matters.
And yes—ask for support. But let’s go beyond just venting or commiserating. Peer support can and should also be about queer joy. We need spaces where we can laugh, celebrate, and dream alongside each other—not just survive.
What does capacity look like for you when facing uncertainty in systems?
Systems are uncertain and imperfect—and often unjust, we are seeing a blatant display of it lately. But taking a moment to reflect on why you’re doing this work, especially when things feel overwhelming, can help you realign your priorities.
Ask yourself: What is my why? Why do I want to be an ally, a leader, an advocate? If the answer is obligation, that’s a red flag. The work must come from passion and purpose, not guilt. If it is not coming from an internal call, you are more than likely going to face burnout.
And remember: you don’t have to be at 100% every day. Some days, you’re going to be at 50%. When that happens, ask yourself and your team—is that enough for today? We have to normalize these check-ins, not punish ourselves for being human.
We also need to get real about what’s actually in our control. You might not be able to directly impact national policy tomorrow, but you can influence your local bar association, community board, or workplace culture. You can influence your group of friends or co-workers. Small-scale beginnings have large-scale effects.
PLEASE—don’t doom scroll past your capacity. If headlines and news cycles are filling your mind with more than you can emotionally absorb, step away, walk away, lock your phone in a cabinet. Stories are powerful, but they take up space, and we need to give ourselves permission to disengage and protect our peace.
Lastly, a reminder that feels both sobering and strangely hopeful: what’s happening to our communities is not new. It has happened before, and we have survived. The attacks against our rights—even as they harm—also acknowledge our existence. Twisted as it may be, they affirm that we are here, and we are not going anywhere. We’ve always been here, and we always will be!
What practices do you have to stay grounded and motivated?
One of the things that keeps us grounded is being in community with others who truly understand what it means to show up authentically. Organizations like GLMA and other queer-centered spaces are powerful for that reason, it brings like minded people together who share the same morals, ethics, and beliefs.
A speaker also mentioned that they turn to queer history and art—reminders that our existence spans centuries, that our joy and pain and resistance have always been present. In the existentialist tradition, they try to remember: this moment of suffering is temporary. It will pass.
Above all, I reflected on the idea to seek out and honor the wisdom of our community elders. Their resilience is a map, their stories a reminder that the long road we’re walking has been walked before.
How do you utilize your power to advocate for structural change, while still protecting your well-being?
The biggest message that I needed to hear from the webinar- we are allowed to quit. That might sound radical, but it’s true. If you’re burned out, if your well-being is suffering, you are not obligated to keep pushing through. Sustainability in advocacy is everything. If you’re feeling a resistance or that you’re just not hitting the mark the way you’d like to, maybe your efforts are better invested in a different space.
That said, when we are in a position to engage, we need to ask: Are we reaching across lines of difference? If you’re white, are you joining or supporting Black- or Indigenous-led professional groups? Are you showing up to events where you’re not the default demographic? That kind of allyship matters. We should not be minimizing our groups or efforts, we need to band together.
It’s also essential that we practice what we preach. That means advocating not just for our own communities, but for all marginalized groups, and being willing to have real conversations with the so-called “moveable middle.” Not everyone on the other side of the spectrum is unreachable. Extremists may never change, but neutral parties often will—through human connection and honest dialogue.
You don’t have to live by the norms others have set. Celebrate your queer self!
At the end of the day, the most powerful resistance might just be showing up in your full, authentic identity. You don’t have to squeeze into the boxes society built for you. You don’t have to perform professionalism, activism, or allyship in a way that drains you.
Celebrate your queerness. Find joy. Make space for others to do the same. That’s how we build inclusive and safe spaces—not just to work, but to live.
Core Clarity Co (LLC) 
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