Standing in Spirit: A Conversation with GLAAD’s Jose Useche on Courage, Connection, and the Power of Showing Up
This Spirit Day, we stand with LGBTQ+ youth everywhere. 💜 Joy is radical. Visibility is power. Connection keeps us alive.
Every October, millions of people wear purple to take a stand against bullying and in support of LGBTQ+ youth. This is called Spirit Day, and while the message is simple, its meaning runs deep: no young person should ever feel unsafe or discriminated for being who they are.
For Jose Useche, actor, writer, and Communications Manager at GLAAD, Spirit Day is more than a symbol, it’s an act of defiance, resistance and love. “I think Spirit Day is pretty straightforward in what it means: protecting LGBTQ youth from bullying”, he says. “But I also think of what I call legislative bullying, laws that attempt to restrict LGBTQ youth, to keep them from accessing the same parts of society that others do.”
Jose’s definition expands the conversation. He reminds us that bullying doesn’t only happen in schools, it can be written into law. From banning trans kids in sports to denying affirming/inclusive language or safe spaces, these efforts, he says, “lead to negative self-talk, to the belief that you don’t belong in society. And that’s what we have to fight.”
Jose Useche
As a queer, Latin man -born to a Peruvian mother and Colombian father- Jose knows this fight personally. He moves through life balancing awareness of those systemic barriers with the ordinary joys of being human.
“The joy comes from that dance, the balance between when to confront the world and when to simply live as your full, vibrant self.”
That dance, between resistance and radiance, shows up even in the moments that seem small. Jose remembers officiating his best friend’s wedding, surrounded by love and laughter. “It was a straight wedding”, he laughs, “but I felt completely myself, making jokes, being open, taking up space as a queer person. That day, I realized joy doesn’t have to come with a disclaimer. Any joy I have is queer joy.”
That unapologetic presence is what Spirit Day is all about: showing up, proudly and visibly, so that others know they can too. Jose recalls one of his favorite Spirit Day memories: ringing the opening bell at NASDAQ with his GLAAD colleagues. “It was surreal”, he says. “A world I’d never imagined myself in, surrounded by people who were all just… joyful. That moment reminded me how far we’ve come, and how powerful it is when we show up visibly and proudly.”
Still, his approach to advocacy remains deeply human.
“The humanizing of LGBTQ+ people is done through humor, nuance, and observation,” he says. “We all want the same things: safety, dignity, love. We just have to talk to each other to see that.”
That belief in connection is what fuels projects like {THE AND} x GLAAD: Queer Joy, a collaborative digital card deck created to celebrate queer voices and spark real conversations about queer joy, love, identity, and belonging. Because, as Jose reminds us, storytelling is what bridges the distance between people, it’s how empathy begins.
And beneath it all, his philosophy of joy is what keeps him grounded.
“The oppressor wants to keep us from making art, seeing our families, or simply enjoying life. If you have access to that -safety, laughter, love- you must embrace it. Joy is radical. Joy is necessary.”
This Spirit Day, let that be your reminder: joy is not denial, it’s defiance. Wearing purple, telling your story, loving loudly, all of it matters. Because when we choose joy, we keep each other alive.
With love,
Regina Zuniga
The Skin Deep Digital Content Specialist
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