Double down.
There are choices to be made. Everyone is starting to get tired about being angry all the time. Our energy has to be expended more carefully, many of us are starting to accept we’re in this for the long haul now. The world is broken and fixing it is going to take a long time.
There are bright spots in the darkness, points of light that shine and give us hope. We’re not done yet, by a long shot. As I write this, Hollywood is taking hit after hit as men are being accused of things so many of us knew they were doing all along without repercussion. Allegations of sexual misconduct, assault, and abuse in every walk of life are surfacing. I count myself far from surprised, having already watched GamerGate unfold and witnessed James Damore’s infamous Google memo go viral within the tech community.
The good news is that as hard on the heart as these stories are, they’re signs of change. Sometimes the wound must be reopened and the infection cleaned out before the balm can be applied and the healing can begin.
As this process continues, we here at LSQ hold to our sacred duty. Our new call to action? Double down.
Firstly, we support women authors as we’ve always done, but double down on that definition, this year we opened up more explicity to those who identify as women in some significant capacity. A tricky definition, but one we feel strongly, collectively, that is worth the work.
Secondly, I’m ecstatic that after a lengthy hiatus our amazing blog is back up and running. Doubling down? Oh yeah, that’s where we have a whole team handling the operations and a collection of new writers to bring fresh perspectives into the fold. I can’t wait for you to see the fruits of their labors. I’m humbled at the generosity of time and energy and creativity these women are putting into their work here.
Finally, double down on uplift. The world is full of negativity and anger. The stories we as women tell can be dark, we can ask the tough questions. Here at LSQ we try to keep that darkness in perspective and whenever possible, provide uplift. It is, as our Creative Director, Tara Lindsey, is always telling me, about where you shine the light. We shine the light on women, their achievements, their unique creativity.
Thank you for joining us for another amazing issue, for helping to keep the engines on burn as our station rumbles through the skies, and for supporting the talented, creative women-identified authors in this issue as we share their stories.