election anxiety spending is a real thing

here's what it looks like & what you can do about it

Hello to the 1,451 hotties who subscribe to this newsletter! Thank you for being here.

First, I want to thank you all for your feedback, support, and questions about last week’s newsletter on vote-swapping. I invite you to check out this Instagram live I did with social justice educator Abiola Agoro and organizers Marin and Rae from Swap Your Vote. This video answers a lot of frequently asked questions about vote-swapping.

This week, I had a burning desire to start 15 different home improvement projects. Given that I just moved into Queer & Trans Wealth’s brand new office (!!! more on this later), logically, it didn’t make any sense to buy a bunch of random materials for projects that I have no time to finish.

I quickly realized that this urge had nothing to do with my own home. Everything’s fine. I just have election jitters and I love to go hard at Homo Depot when I’m feeling anxious. When I feel helpless and overwhelmed, I need a project with a clear beginning, middle, and end — at the expense of my poor credit card.

My dear hotties, election anxiety spending is a real thing, and I want you to be aware of it. The world will continue to spin regardless of the election results, and your community will still need you to be around. <3

What is election anxiety spending?

Election anxiety spending is when you spend money on things that might soothe your election anxiety in the moment — without considering any of the financial consequences down the line.

While meeting with clients this week, I’m noticing that people are considering spending money on:

• plane tickets to leave the US

• more mutual aid to the most impacted communities

• alcohol, weed, and drugs

• bunker supplies, like canned goods and weapons

• random shit like stuffed animals, weighted blankets, and shoes — the mindset is: "The world is ending anyway, fuck it”

If you have it, just spend the money ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

As always, election anxiety spending is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s a normal, human reaction to the collective hopelessness we feel toward a broken system that asks us to choose between a fascist and a genocide supporter for president.

I just want to affirm you by saying: There’s no need to feel guilty for buying food & drinks for yourself and your chosen family during election night. There’s no need to second-guess sending more mutual aid to people who need it.

Things are bleak right now and straying from your budget won’t kill you right this second. Please do what you need to feel safe and protected. Do what you need to help your loved ones feel safe and protected.

Crisis hotlines

• Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: dial 988 or visit www.988lifeline.org to chat with someone

• The Trevor Project: Call 1-866-488-7386 or visit www.thetrevorproject.org for gender-affirming and queer-friendly support

• Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous have meetings on Zoom almost every hour

• SAMHSA’s National Helpline for substance abuse: 1-800-622-HELP (4357)

• Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 then press 1 or text 838255

Orient towards hope and longevity

Before making big purchases like plane tickets to leave the US, please run these decisions by your friends and trusted family members. Maybe you can coordinate your plans so you can flee the country together, if it comes to that. Or maybe they don’t want you to leave in the first place, and it would be supportive for all of you to stay in one place together.

Here are some questions to ask yourself before making big purchases:

• Does *insert purchase here* align with what I want to do with my life regardless of the outcome of this election?

• Does *insert purchase here* align with the ways my community needs me right now?

• How is *insert purchase here* supportive for me right now?

• How is *insert purchase here* going to support me in the future?

• How is *insert purchase here* supportive of the people I love right now?

• How is *insert purchase here* going to support the people I love in the future?

Cap your election anxiety spending at a specific amount

I just want to affirm one more time: Spending money on safety is so valid and necessary.

In Odessa, Texas, there’s a new ordinance that authorized a $10,000 bounty on any transgender person using a restroom that aligns with their gender identity. A person under these circumstances might think, “I need to spend money right now on clothes that are not gender-affirming to protect myself,” or, “I need to use my credit card to leave Texas and live somewhere safe.”

Again, very valid.

In the case of spending money on clothes, I would recommend putting a $100 or $200 cap on spending in that category just for this week knowing that your needs and feelings might change as time passes.

Right now, it’s critical that we orient towards hope and longevity in our movements. Our work will continue past election day.

Please take care of yourselves this week, friends. You are so loved and your community needs you <3