By: Jerry P. Abraham, MD MPH CMQ
Photos by: Martinmark | Dreamstime.com
When the world feels uncertain and when laws threaten our existence, when hate becomes policy, and when our identities are politicized, staying safe and connected becomes urgent. For our people, safety isn’t just about personal survival. It’s about preserving culture, building community, and protecting one another.
Now is the time to return to the basics, not just for health, but for power. Reclaiming our food, our movement, our rest, and our mental clarity can be ways to stay grounded, alert, and connected. These tools are not luxuries, they are defenses.
Food as Protection and Connection
In hard times, food becomes more than nourishment, it becomes a safe space. Cooking our own meals helps us take control of what we put in our bodies when so much else feels out of our control. But even more, sharing food builds community.
When we gather around pozole, pupusas, or arroz con frijoles, we’re doing more than eating, we’re reinforcing identity, tradition, and trust. Cooking together, organizing community potlucks, or delivering meals to friends in need are quiet ways to keep each other close.
If resources are tight, local mutual aid groups and queer-friendly food pantries can be lifelines. Sharing food is an act of resistance to isolation.
Movement as Visibility and Defense
Staying physically active isn’t about fitness goals, it’s about staying ready, staying alert, and reclaiming space. Whether it’s walking with a friend in your neighborhood, dancing to release tension, or practicing self-defense moves, movement can keep you connected to your body and your surroundings.
Group activities like queer-friendly Zumba or walking groups don’t just build health,they build presence. Moving together makes us visible, and visibility, on our terms, can be powerful. And when safety feels threatened, movement also helps manage stress hormones like cortisol, which build up when we’re constantly on edge.
Rest as a Shield
Burnout is real, especially when you’re navigating racism, xenophobia, homophobia, and transphobia on a daily basis. Sleep is recovery from a hostile world.
If you can, create a nightly routine to help your body know when it’s time to recharge. Sleep deprivation makes us more vulnerable to illness, emotional fatigue, and even unsafe situations. Think of sleep as armor, because when you’re rested, you think more clearly, set better boundaries, and respond to stress with more control.
Mindfulness as Mental Security
There’s a kind of psychological warfare at play when our communities are constantly attacked in the media or in policy debates. That chronic stress doesn’t just stay in our minds, it wears down our immune systems and keeps us on edge.
Mindfulness, even for five minutes a day, can help us protect our mental space. Whether through deep breathing, prayer, journaling, or focused movement like yoga, these practices calm the nervous system and make it easier to stay present and alert.
Being grounded isn’t soft, it’s strategic. It helps you show up to protests, to conversations, to caregiving roles, without burning out.
Community Is Our Safety Net
The most important tool we have right now is each other. In a time when systems fail us, our communities step in. Check in on your friends. Organize small meet-ups, share resources, talk openly about what’s happening.
If you’re able, support or join local mutual aid networks. If you feel isolated, look for virtual spaces that are affirming. And don’t hesitate to set firm boundaries with people, even family, who harm your sense of safety or identity.
Build circles of care, not just friends. In our culture, familia is important, but chosen family can be lifesaving.
You Are Not Alone. You Are Not Powerless.
Staying safe in these times is about more than avoiding harm, it’s about building spaces where we can breathe, be seen, and keep each other alive.
You don’t need expensive tools or mainstream wellness trends. You need real food, trusted people, rest when you can find it, and moments of calm that remind you who you are.
Remember to keep your passport or ID with you at all times. Make a plan with friends and family in case you do not return home one day from your typical route. If you are ever stopped, remain calm, focused, and answer only what you must. Remember, you do not need to legally allow them into your home without a warrant.
Speak with your workplace about a safety plan. Speak to your loved ones about a safety plan. Identify your closest detainment center. It is absolutely tragic that these things must be considered, but they are a reality for anyone, so everyone must be prepared.
We are facing political upheaval, yes. But we’ve faced them before, and we’ve survived through connection, culture, and community.
Let’s keep doing what we’ve always done: protect each other, care for each other, and move forward together.
Remember, you can visit Dr. Jerry P. Abraham and the whole JWCH-Wesley HIV Street Medicine Team at Tempo Nightclub every Sunday night. Come get HIV-tested, PrEP’d, and your LGBTQ+ health questions answered. STAY SAFE & HEALTHY!