By Joanie Juster –
What a year it has been.
I suspect many of you would join me in saying “goodbye, and good riddance” to 2025, the year our country and our lives were turned upside down. Our new president and his cronies wasted no time taking a wrecking ball to our Constitution, our government, our rights, and our way of life. They immediately destroyed or rendered unrecognizable government agencies, educational institutions, public health, legal protections, societal norms, and the livelihoods of countless people. They even went so far as to take a literal wrecking ball to the East Wing of the White House, proving that the destruction they sought wasn’t just metaphorical; it was literal. Photographs of the mangled White House stand as a grim symbol of just how far they are willing to go. The rubble is a giant middle finger, not just to Americans, but to our allies around the world.
Just keeping up with all the horrors they have wrought has been exhausting. The architects behind Project 2025 had a diabolical plan: they wasted no time flooding us with a barrage of actions so shocking, brazen, and downright cruel as to overwhelm and desensitize us. It has been nearly impossible to keep up with the outrage.
And, yet, there is hope. Facing authoritarianism, millions of Americans found the strength to stand up and speak out. People who had never before protested joined forces with gray-haired veterans with decades of protest experience, as well as with a new generation of activists who brought, not just passion and fresh ideas, but also tech skills and media savvy that helped inspire countless others to step outside their comfort zones and join the effort.
People who had never spoken out before found their voices at town halls and school board meetings. They carried signs and rallied in ever-growing numbers. They attended organizing meetings, and informational webinars, and created new social circles at Tesla Takedowns and No Kings marches. They poured time, effort, and money into local and state campaigns, flipping seats all over the country in an unmistakable sign that the people of this country are not okay with authoritarianism. They formed neighborhood groups to support vulnerable immigrants, blew whistles in Chicago and Minneapolis to alert neighbors about ICE raids, paraded as inflatable frogs in Portland, and they danced—defiantly and joyfully—in cities around the country in front of armed agents, reclaiming the streets for the people. They showed us the best of America. And I know that many of you are among them.
There is an eye-opening quote from Naomi Shulman that has been making the rounds a lot lately: “Nice people made the best Nazis. My mom grew up next to them. They got along, refused to make waves, looked the other way when things got ugly, and focused on happier things than ‘politics.’ They were lovely people who turned their heads as their neighbors were dragged away. You know who weren’t nice people? Resisters.”
I get it. I was raised to be “nice,” to avoid sensitive topics, to avoid confrontations, to not rock the boat. Even today, in the face of unspeakable, immoral, and illegal acts being carried out by this administration, I still see far too many people who would rather stay silent, avoiding those realities, rather than get involved in the messy and uncomfortable business of helping. They don’t consider themselves bad people; they may even disagree with what is going on. But, by staying silent, they are not helping. Unfortunately, “nice” is no longer an option. Too many lives are at stake. It’s time to speak up.
The year ahead promises to be every bit as chaotic and destructive as this one, with the added drama of the midterms in November. They know their policies and actions are deeply unpopular with most Americans, and they will do everything possible to hang onto their power. But the good news is that we now know what we are facing. They have shown us their cards, and we have spent a year learning skills, building coalitions, and strengthening our resistance muscles.
As we head into 2026, it’s our neighbors around the country—the helpers, the resisters—who give me hope.
Creating Change
If you’re looking for motivation, inspiration, and support, consider heading to Washington, D.C., in January for the 2026 Creating Change Conference.
Creating Change is a national organizing and training conference, created in 1988 in response to the 1987 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. It was clear that the LGBTQ+ community needed and wanted tools for organizing, and solidarity to build a powerful movement to promote societal and legislative change. Under the auspices of the Task Force, the annual Creating Change conference has grown from 300 attendees that first year to over 3,500—and growing. It has become the country’s top skills-building event, where organizers and activists get together and train each other in organizing, building political and leadership skills that can power a national movement.
From January 20 to 25, the conference will include day-long institutes, keynotes, more than 100 workshops and caucuses, and a large resource fair where you can meet people from organizations throughout the country who are doing good work on the frontlines. For more information and to register: https://bit.ly/44uEWsC
… In With the New
Each December, as the old year winds down, I put greater-than-usual effort into putting my house in order. I’ll confess that I’m not a particularly tidy person, but at year’s end I dive into organizing drawers and cupboards, discarding whatever I no longer need. I try to end the year a bit lighter, clearing the way for the new year ahead.
This year, in addition to physical cleaning, I’m working on discarding negative thoughts and ideas that have weighed me down. This has been a stressful and emotionally draining year for all of us, and that prolonged stress can have negative effects on our bodies and spirits. So, instead of making New Year’s “resolutions,” I’m investing in a bit of spiritual housecleaning. Negativity and anger can go into the trash along with worn-out socks. If the emotions aren’t productive, they will be banished.
There will be enormous challenges in 2026, but I am also looking forward to the magnolias that bloom in February, the roses in April, the dahlias in September. There are friends to visit, and parks to enjoy, and adventures to be had. There is joy to be found, every day, and respect, and kindness, if we open our eyes and our hearts.
Happy New Year, everyone!
Joanie Juster is a long-time community volunteer, activist, and ally.
In Case You Missed It
Published on December 18, 2025
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence recently sainted Gert McMullin, who has been helping sew and repair the AIDS Memorial Quilt since its inception in 1987; and LGBTQ+ community activist Griff Young.
Joanie Juster shared that a tradition when a new saint is canonized is to have all the other nearby saints gather for a photo. She, along with Carlos Medal, Stan Wong, Mark Paladini, and Troy Brunet, were present at Young’s ceremony.
McMullin, in turn, was snapped with Sister Mary Media, who performed her ceremony, as well as saints Kelly Rivera Hart, Wong, and Juster.
Published on December 18, 2025
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