Mindful Queer Collective

Mindful Queer Collective (MQC), which is now a retired project of ROSC’s, was a non-hierarchical, consensus-based collective of volunteers, organizers, and participants who are part of the LGBTQ+ community. While we mobilized to support individuals and grassroots organizing on behalf of queer and trans rights, we recognized a need for, and prioritized intersectionality, decolonization, and the centering of voices erased within popular “LGBTQ+”/Pride organizing. We reclaimed the word “Queer” and collectivized as a group of individuals with ties to many different social justice communities. This group’s mission was to organize a community of transgender, queer, and marginalized people of all ages for the purpose of community building, networking for advocacy, and peer support. MQC sought to develop a model for rural queer organizing that other groups and organizations could use to engage in equitable, just ways. Our work included facilitating safer space drop-ins for queer and trans youth in rural areas, organizing gear drives for LGBTQ+ people experiencing homelessness, speaking on panels to educate parents on creating safer spaces for the queer and trans youth in their lives, attending and helping to organize Pride events, and more. MQC finally disbanded in 2019 due to capacity issues of core members. All of the people who were involved with this project continue to do work in the world that strives toward creating equity and justice for our community and for the world at large.