SEE YOU IN CHICAGO

Also, please be careful around people who are very loudly performative about being “good.” It’s not something that needs to be crowed from the rooftops. This is why I say to just do the work quietly and speak up only when it’s necessary. It’s not about being good. It’s about making sure that your loved ones are safe. Do that, and the right ones will rightly see you for who and what you are.

Check on your friends at events. Make sure they’re getting into their Ubers safely. Don’t leave them alone if you think they’re around someone unsafe. Use your best judgment, especially if theirs is impaired. Do this quietly and don’t seek credit. If you’re doing it correctly, it won’t be obvious to anyone else. If it turns out that your friends are the unsafe ones: do the hard thing and call them out. If there’s room for them to grow and change, and you’re equipped to do so, then help them where you can. Regardless, do not let them continue toxic behavior patterns around vulnerable people. Use your voice to warn others – privately if necessary, publicly if possible. Hopefully you were already doing these things. If not, it’s long past time to start.