Thanksgiving can be a time of peace, abundance, and warm feelings — or it can mean being trapped at a table while your Uncle Lucky catches you up on Duck Dynasty and talks about how great America is going to be once coal takes off again. For LGBT people, many of whom come from families with different sets of values from their own, the holidays can often be a nightmare. Fortunately, our favorite LGBT comedians and writers have tweeted out the different strategies they’ve employed for dealing with with family this year.
1. Avoid them altogether.
Coworker: Where you spending Thanksgiving?
Me: pic.twitter.com/msb444X3Dr— Katie Reed (@thatkatiereed) November 24, 2016
2. Leave town.
Heading to Las Vegas for Thanksgiving dinner because I've been led to believe the calories I consume there will stay there.
— Michael Hartney (@MichaelHartney) November 24, 2016
3. Use all the tools at your disposal.
Most thankful for judgement-free Thanksgiving day drinking. pic.twitter.com/7YIfQrHZR8
— Randy Rainbow (@RandyRainbow) November 24, 2016
4. Spend the day with the family you’ve created.
Explaining what happened to the Native Americans after Thanksgiving to my son. #happythanksgiving pic.twitter.com/Vbeer6dNjo
— Alec Mapa (@AlecMapa) November 24, 2016
5. Spend the day with your fur family.
Coworker: Any plans for Thanksgiving
Me: Lookin forward to a nice meal with loved ones
Later me: *orders Shake Shack and chills w my cats*— Katie Reed (@thatkatiereed) November 24, 2016
6. Try a paradigm shift.
Happy Thanksgiving! Today I'm grateful that nobody I love voted for Trump. Some of my family did vote for him but I don't love them
— Erika Heidewald (@erikaheidewald) November 24, 2016
7. Trust no one.
This year, remember the lesson of the first Thanksgiving: be wary of the people you're eating with, they want to take EVERYTHING from you.
— Chris Schleicher (@cschleichsrun) November 24, 2016
8. Talk to your folk.
Tired of these "how to avoid politics at thanksgiving" tweets cause they're from 1. White people 2. White people need to talk to their folk.
— Eliel Cruz-Lopez (@elielcruz) November 24, 2016
9. Question Thanksgiving itself.
My family is usually compassionate and intellectually receptive but will fight tooth and nail over things like "Thanksgiving isn't racist."
— Ryan Houlihan (@RyanHoulihan) November 23, 2016
10. Start prepping now for next Thanksgiving.
If you can't discuss politics, at least mentioning #NoDAPL, with your family on Thanksgiving, you've got some shit to tackle year round.
— Ryan Houlihan (@RyanHoulihan) November 23, 2016
11. Cut out the middle man.
Thanksgiving Tip: When talking to a pro-Trump family member, excuse yourself by saying you have to go grab your pussy in the bathroom.
— leah knauer (@LeahKnauer) November 23, 2016
12. Hold them accountable.
I actually think every trump supporter should have to defend Jeff Sessions to at least one liberal relative this Thanksgiving
— Lala Ley (@caseywley) November 22, 2016
13. Make everything into a fun game.
Thanksgiving dinner is going to be a whodunit where I gather everyone around the table and reveal the racists one by one.
— Louis Virtel (@louisvirtel) November 14, 2016
14. Talk about the issues.
SAFE CONVERSATION TOPICS AT THANKSGIVING THIS YEAR
-Muppet Babies reboot
-the stuffing if Aunt Brenda doesn't fuck it up again
-that's it— Michael Hartney (@MichaelHartney) October 26, 2016
15. Just have an awesome family.
I walked into Thanksgiving yelling "WHICH ONE OF U RACISTS VOTED 4 TRUMP?!" Then we all laughed because my family is better than yours.
— Solomon Georgio (@solomongeorgio) November 24, 2016
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