(Plus a resource pack for LGBTQ+ people by Mali Gupta-Archer from Sussex uni!)

CW: NSFW references, homo/transphobia and absuive situations/references

If you are struggling to cope use this article by stonewall to find organisations that can help or assist you.

Britain is in lockdown. On Monday 23 March Boris Johnson ordered people not to leave the house unless absolutely necessary for example, for essential shopping, medical reasons or to care for vulnerable people. He even gave the police powers to break up large gatherings and fine people breaking the rules. To me, it seems quite dystopian and I’m finding it incredibly hard but it is essential to stop the spread of the virus, save people’s lives and ultimately end the whole ordeal faster.

For many people, lockdown is their worst nightmare. Forced to stay at home, separated from friends and partners, often with little to do. For some people, even finding a routine in these circumstances can be hard and it can be difficult to find hope when there’s no definitive end in sight. For LGBTQ+ people it can be even harder. A lot of people are forced to stay confined with unaccepting or outright homo/transphobic family which can have a devastating impact on their mental health and in some rare cases can even be dangerous. I can only imagine it must be a struggle for many people who can’t be themselves with a lack of access to the LGBTQ+ community and their friends. I know this affects me a lot. I often find myself wishing I could see my friends again, I miss queer performances and I find it frustrating that I can’t go out or do what I want in my own time.

I try to do a variety of things to keep me busy every day.

New skills

Learning new skills is something I’m always keen to do anyway. I’ve started learning german through Duolingo and also HTML because I want to learn how to code. There are loads of free courses on the internet so just find something you’d like to do or learn then have a look. Learning new skills with a friend can also be a fun activity. For example, if you’re both learning a language you can help test each other over video call/text or simply see how far you can both get.

Video games and board games

I was part of the board games society at uni so I’m somewhat of an expert on some of these. Board games are fun and they can help ease then tension with he family plus you get to play monopoly and not feel guilty about it 😉 I’m probably gonna write something soon about my favorite board games so look out for that. I also play a lot of video games (probably too much) but hey I have an excuse at the moment. I find I play a variety of games from the sims 4 and planet coaster to total war Warhammer, terraria and games like Fortnite. I have a list of games here that I play most at the moment. I also stream sometimes on my twitch channel and this is something you can set up too to make playing games more social. You can also set up a discord server to get all of your friends involved through group chats and voice calls.

Grow plants

I still need to look after my babies (houseplants) so that’s something I do at home. I find growing plants therapeutic and it helps improve the mood of my room.

Arts, crafts and music

A lot of people I know are amazing artists! Some of my friends write music and others are artists who draw paint or create any manner of wonderful things. Most are queer themed but all are amazing. Even people I know involved in drag or live performance are finding ways to keep up their hobbies by providing live tutorials to friends or mutual friends and taking commissions etc. If anyone wants me to promote their art I’m happy for you to write something and I’ll post it here. Just drop me a message. I used to play Warhammer 40k so I’m trying to make and paint some of my models that I never finished and once lockdown is over I’ll definitely try to start playing again.

Music, films and tv shows

Anyone for Netflix and chill? there are so many tv shows and movies to watch! Maybe now’s the time to binge watch the series you never started/finished? I really wanna try some queer things like sense 8 and Love Simon.

Sex work and NSFW

Many sex workers will be having a tough time at the moment with a lack of clients and an obligation to stay home. Support sex workers if you can/want to through things like onlyfans or other means. Being away from partners and missing out on a sex life can be tough for people. Having NSFW accounts on various social media such as twitter or doing things with partners is one way to get around this. There’s no shame in wanting to make mutuals and being more or less sexual than anyone else.

Other

There are so many other things people can do during lockdown. I haven’t mentioned cooking, baking and exercise routines to name a few. It would be great if people could share all of the things they’re doing in the comments below!

Resource pack for LGBTQ+ people

Mali Gupta-Archer is a student community organiser with Sussex Campaigns. he has produced a wonderful pack full of movies, tv shows, books and art for LGBTQ+ people during self isolation and lockdown. Anyone is free to add things to the pack and there are content warnings for each section so that people know what to expect and can protect their mental health. I think this is a fantastic idea and I really hope as many people can make use of this as possible.

My tips for surviving lockdown

1. Have a routine, or don’t – for some people a routine helps give them a sense of purpose and structure to thier day. For others, a routine can feel too pressurising. I find having a loose routine works and whether I stick to it or not doesn’t matter.
2. Keep in contact with friends – use facetime discord, play games together. Whatever it is keeping up social interaction helps prevent loneliness or at least puts it in perspective. Look out for your friends also and check in on them as much as possible. Not everyone copes in the same way and some people might need more help than others.
3. Keep going with activities – like the ones I mentioned above or those in the resource pack I shared. Don’t give up and try to find a varity of things to keep you busy. I find that learning new skills and keeping fit give me a sesne of puropose and help me to feel like I’m achieiving something.
4. Support LGBTQ+ artists and creators – there are so many out there and so many are providing content at the moment. It also helps you keep in touch with the LGBTQ community and can help you feel less isolated at home.
5. Find help and support – if you’re struggling mentally at this time there are a variety of organisations that can help you. From isolation services to homlessness, disability services and trans specific services. Stonewall have a good guide on where to get help. The NHS are also still providing help and support so contact your gp too for advice (most surgeries are only taking phone appointments at the moment).
6. Don’t lose hope! Make plans – I find self isolation a good time to slef reflect and make plans for the future. It’s worth remembering that this won’t go on for ever and once its over things should largely go back to normal. I’m already planning meetups and making plans for fun activities to do once this is all over!

If you have been affected by slef isolation and/or need help and support then use this article by stonewall to find organisations that can help or assist you.