Resilience has historically been ascribed to oppressed peoples as a way of recognizing and acknowledging their strength in the midst of systemic adversity and mistreatment. However, many affected communities have expressed the potentially harmful weight this notion holds in creating an unspoken set of expectations where they have been forced into a position to uphold and perform without accounting for their consideration or energy. What does this say for/about these communities when unsolicited harm has been inflicted on them, and they are left to fulfill this image of strength? This subtle act of speaking over and deciding for oppressed peoples continues to dismiss and dehumanize them in the light of not allowing them the softness, vulnerability, or ease they so rightfully deserve. Why must victims of harm be forced to endure this notion of tough love when they should be offered a more tender form of it? In addressing the severity of this, we hope to call attention to and acknowledge the importance of community as a crucial role in our liberation as historically oppressed peoples. Our current political, social and economic systems were made with the intention of wearing us down—people living at the intersections of marginalized identities being the most affected—making it more difficult for us to achieve liberation in our lifetime. It is vital that we recognize that achieving liberation requires our active commitment and efforts in creating these sustainable care networks with and for one another. Being immersed in spaces with people and resources that align with our values and interests helps to reinforce the practices we are trying to integrate into our lives. This year, the Queer & Trans Students of Color Conference will focus on embracing and leaning on community as an avenue for our collective liberation. This can look like finding strength in one another and embracing vulnerability, sensitivity, and intimacy in order to free ourselves from the expectations that resiliency forces upon us. This is an opportunity to teach one another how to foster a balance between fighting and healing through the lens of informative and direct action approaches. Additionally, it is important to note that this space can be utilized to decompress, experience fun and joy, and simply co-exist alongside one another. We invite and welcome you all here today to experience and/or envision the possibility of what community could look like within our lifetime.