Dreading Holiday Arguments About Religion, Politics?

For many, though, the decision not to travel home is tied to an intentional effort to preserve their mental health and refrain from reentering spaces of harm. The social chasm and cultural polarization of our nation are undoubtedly familiar to anyone who has tried to strike up a conversation with their neighbor or spent more than five seconds on social media. Yet a unique and intimate pain is produced when these phenomena impact family holidays. When relatives begin to mention QAnon conspiracies or place MAGA signs in their yard, there is a sense of betrayal. Places that were once safe havens for us become the sites of the ideas, policies, and beliefs that degrade, marginalize, and antagonize us.