TOWARDS A RICHER LIFE: THE GAY SOUL
If you believe Instagram, then #selfcare is all about detox tea and candlelight hot tubs. Unfortunately, as a gay, bisexual, or trans man, you don't really get that kind of self-care if you want to break through your negative streams of thoughts, or if you're stuck in certain behavioral patterns that heterosexuals don't have to deal with. The good news is: you can learn self-care. Tuur Van Hove has proved that for years with his project 'The Gay Soul': a weekend where strength and vulnerability are central.
Strength and vulnerability
'The Gay Soul' is the name of your project and focuses on gay, bisexual and trans men. What should I imagine?
“It started a few years ago, together with a friendly therapist. We had a number of gay, bi and trans men in our practice and we noticed that we wanted to go a bit deeper. A session lasts only one hour, while you can work over a longer period in a workshop.
We also noticed that common themes emerged. Our society remains heteronormative, so that we are rejected somewhere in our essence. This leads to common injuries. Without wanting to generalize, you see two reactions in gay, bi and trans men: either there is a tendency to want to suppress those injuries, not to feel it because it is too painful. Or the opposite, wanting to tackle them.
The common thread is strength and vulnerability. That is the starting point: how can you use your strength and vulnerability, both for yourself and for society? Vulnerability has a lot of power and many men dare not allow that vulnerability. If you are in a group, you can also learn from each other; you get recognition and recognition. This is how 'The Gay Soul' came into existence.
The first times were evening series of seven evenings. We always worked on a specific theme, such as relationships, intimacy and sexuality, guilt and shame ... In the end, we made it into a weekend, because it is often easier for men to free themselves. I now also give the series alone, without the friendly therapist. " Read more via Zizo