Check out G&STC Clinical Director Nicole Davis and Therapist Cindy Ramos talking with HuffPost about the importance of protecting queer spaces and communities

Check out G&STC Clinical Director Nicole Davis and Therapist Cindy Ramos talking with HuffPost about the importance of protecting queer spaces and communities right now. 

On making space for queer joy

“‘These kinds of affirming communities aren’t just about safety — though that is essential. They’re about being seen in your fullness and not having to water down your personality, said Cindy Ramos, a therapist at the Gender & Sexuality Therapy Center in New York City.

‘It’s where we can break free from the constant strain of having to perform or conform,’ she said. ‘It’s essential to be able to share pain and challenges, but it’s equally important to experience joy, real, unburdened joy.’”

On finding comfort and meaning

“With the Trump administration already taking steps to end multiple policies protecting LGBTQ+ rights, safe spaces are vital to the community’s safety and viability, said Nicole Davis, who works with Ramos at the Gender & Sexuality Therapy Center, where she serves as clinical director.

‘Breaking isolation, refusing to give into despair, and giving yourself permission to find joy or comfort or meaning is what will carry us through this time,’ Davis said.”

Read the full article here.

More from G&STC therapist Cindy Ramos on this topic:

On why queer spaces are so important right now

For me, spaces like these are absolutely vital right now because they offer something many of us, especially in immigrant, LGBTQ+, or marginalized communities, don’t always have access to acceptance and understanding without judgment. Growing up in a single-parent, lower-income household, I had to navigate a lot of systems that didn’t always cater to my needs, whether it was educationally or socially. Add in being neurodivergent and coming from an immigrant background, and those feelings of being an outsider get even more intense.

These spaces, whether it’s a queer knitting circle, a Dungeons and Dragons group, or a community bar, are important because they give us the room to be who we are without compromise. It's where we can break free from the constant strain of having to perform or conform. It's essential to be able to share pain and challenges, but it's equally important to experience joy, real, unburdened joy. Pleasure activism is a reminder that joy isn’t a luxury, it’s an act of survival. It's how we fight back against a system that often demands our labor and struggle without recognizing our right to simply exist and thrive.

We need those moments of celebration whether through creativity, connection, or shared experiences as much as we need the moments of vulnerability and healing. These joyful experiences are where we build strength and resilience to continue advocating for ourselves and our communities.

How to find like-minded people in isolating times

If you're in a less liberal or more isolated area, it can feel extra tough, but there are still ways to connect. I would say don’t underestimate the power of small actions. Start by reaching out to anyone who feels like they get it, even if it’s just online at first. There are online communities that center neurodivergence, LGBTQ issues, and immigrant experiences sometimes, it’s through these virtual spaces that people find their local community. Reddit, Discord, and even Instagram can be great places to start.

Sometimes, it’s about finding that one person or group that’s doing the work, whether it’s a local activist group, a book club, or even something like a mutual aid group that intersects with these identities. These may seem small or insignificant at first, but they can become pillars of support that help you find the like-minded individuals you need.

And if you don’t see something already in place, there’s no harm in creating your own group or space. Whether it’s a Zoom meeting, an informal meetup at a coffee shop, or just reaching out to others through social media, it’s about building those bridges and showing up for each other.

On being seen for who you are

I think what’s often overlooked is the intersectionality that comes into play and at the same time adds unique layers of complexity. But it’s also what makes finding these spaces so crucial. Community isn’t just about safety—it’s about being seen in your fullness. You want to be able to show up with all parts of you without feeling like you have to hide or water down parts of your identity.

It’s easy to forget how much our stories shape who we are. When you’ve spent so much of your life balancing multiple worlds—immigrant, neurodivergent, queer and etc. you begin to realize how important it is to create spaces where your entire self is allowed to exist without apology or fear.

Building these safe spaces isn’t just about survival, it’s about thriving. Allowing yourself to exist, to be messy, to make mistakes, to find joy in the little things, and to build a community where we can all take up space and breathe freely. That’s what we need right now.

On resilience and thriving in spite of the political climate

Something that’s always on my mind is how communities, especially LGBTQ and immigrant communities and many more are often built from a place of resilience. When you’re forced to be strong because of oppression, it can also lead to a deeper sense of connection to others who share that experience. It’s not just about surviving the hate or the struggles of living in marginalized identities, but about embracing the power of collective joy, creativity, and love.

These spaces are vital not just for surviving the current political climate but for thriving in spite of it. When you create a space to be yourself, fully, in the face of everything trying to tear you down, you’re actively rebuilding the world you want to live in. That’s what makes these safe spaces so invaluable; they allow us to reimagine what a community can be, where love is not conditional, and where every part of us is worthy of celebration.

More from G&STC Clinical Director Nicole Davis on this topic:

On the importance of LGBTQ+ community

LGBTQ+ folks, out of necessity, have historically always found ways to build community by creating our own safe spaces, when the dominant culture forcefully rejected our presence in mainstream locales. Over the last few decades we have made a lot of progress in being more openly “Out, Loud and Proud,” in mainstream settings, and also in our ability to feel safe with the increased visibility of our queer-specific gathering spaces.

Those spaces are vital to our community’s strength, safety and viability now more than ever since the turn of the 21st century. Finding and building community, being with others and knowing that you are safe and understood, these are things that many of us have come to take for granted in recent history, but they are no longer a given.

On finding connection where you can

Finding joy is wonderful, when we can find it. But even if that feels elusive at this moment, finding and building a sense of connection with others is absolutely essential. For some that might mean dancing all night at a club. For others it might mean joining a cycling club or taking up pickleball. The activity itself is not important, nor is the number of other people there. Breaking isolation, refusing to give into despair, and giving yourself permission to find joy or comfort or meaning is what will carry us through.