For some LGBTQ+ folks, this season may not be simple, cozy, or filled with uncomplicated joy. It may be layered with vigilance, grief, and a quiet sense of bracing for impact. If this resonates, it doesn’t mean you’re doing the holidays wrong. It means you’re navigating a season that asks a lot of you.

Reclaiming desire doesn’t mean just “getting your libido back.” It means redefining what intimacy and connection mean to you, on your terms.

You are allowed to be loved as a whole person — not just a helpful one, a low-maintenance one, or a put-together one.