Being fully mindful and aware in this day and age is both a blessing and a curse. Add to that the weight of belonging to one, or many, disenfranchised groups: women, people of color, LGBTQ+, differently abled, living with a mental illness, or simply trying to make ends meet, and it’s no wonder so many of us wake up already tired.

Awareness is double-edged. On one hand, it keeps us grounded and honest, connecting us to ourselves, our communities, and the issues that shape our lives. On the other hand, it forces us to confront an often unkind reality. Adulthood, as we’ve all learned, isn’t all sunshine and rainbows—especially not in a state where both seem perpetually up for political debate. And with a national government that sometimes feels one shutdown away from collapse, it’s easy to feel cornered before the day even starts.

Many of us struggle to find motivation—to get out of bed, to show up, to keep going. I’ve been there too. But the truth is, even when the odds are stacked against us, we don’t stop. We can’t. Because queer people have always fought to live, to love, and to thrive in the face of everything meant to keep us small. We build chosen families. We invent culture. We organize when it’s hard and celebrate when it’s harder. That stubborn hope is our practice.

That’s what this issue of OutFAU is about: fighting forward, even when it feels impossible, naming the pressures, sharing the tools, and spotlighting the spaces where we’re still building something better.

In this issue, you'll read:

• Pillars Of Wisdom: A Reflection On Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations (Page 3)
• Under Pressure? Turn To CAPS (Page 4)
• Where FAU’s Queer Students Go To Breathe (Page 5)
• ‘Queer as Punk’ PRISM Gala Mixed Fury, Tenderness, and A Whole Lot of Tzatziki (Page 6)
• FAU Drag Show Quietly Canceled, Host Says She Was Ghosted After 15 Years (Page 6)
• Compass Honors World AIDS Day with Quilt Displays, Education, and Community Events (Page 7)
• Can Conservatives Be Allies? (Page 7

Finally, if you take anything away from this issue, let it be this: you are not alone. Your peers are going through the same things you are—so use your resources, lean on your people, and remember there is always community here for you. On the days awareness feels heavy, let it be a beacon, not a burden.

Even when the world feels heavy—especially when it does—we rise.

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