Metal Meltdown: What a Time to be Alive

As a self-proclaimed depressive, anxious person; fan of all things dark; and metal fan, I spend a lot of time thinking about the bleak and the ugly. I lean into the dark thoughts within my head in order to write good metal lyrics and science fiction. The current Roe v. Wade debacle has me writing gory-ass, pro-abortion lyrics and Handmaid’s Tale-esque apocalyptic fiction. 

So, since I normally like to really marinate in the dark and the sad, sometimes Pride is a hard time for me. I may be queer, but I’m not rainbows and kittens, sparkles and sunshine, and I’m not super social unless I have to be. Putting on rainbow gear and going out there to party and have fun doesn’t necessarily feel genuine in the best of times—much less the worst of times. 

But this year, I’ve decided things are going to be different. Not to get all cheesy and capitalist on you, but I’ve been on a journey of self-care and self-actualization with my business partner, Maggie Phillips. Even as the world burns around us, we are determined to make OFM successful and stay in business, grow the wealth and health of our team, and keep being a free resource to the queer community. And I’m committed to doing the same thing with my side hustles and my band, Cronos Compulsion. We’re playing shows and making music like crazy. 

So, as we ramp into June and go at it full-force, I’m committed to a summer of shows; a summer of leaning into the ugly and the dirty; and also a summer of celebration, of doing all things happy and uplifting and gay that feed my soul. And I’m also committed to working my ass off on all my projects to make them successful, as well as taking time to party and have fun—and rest and take self-care breaks. 

It’s all A LOT, especially in the face of the impending doom we are all facing, and I fully recognize that I am saying this from a place of privilege as a white person living in the U.S. and benefiting from institutionalized systems of oppression. But with that privilege, I want to use my platform to keep queer media going and uplift as many voices as possible. 

So as the world burns down around us, be the best you can be—Do the things you’ve been wanting to do; Put yourself out there; come out; take the plunge; Quit the job; Write the book. We could very well be living in the end times, so we might as well make the best of it. What else is there to do, right?