Roses for Hedone

What more can pleasure offer us, and how can we transform this pleasure into intentional practice in pursuit of a collective liberatory future?
When a society marginalises a people, their humanity is revolutionary in all its hunger and joy. As the queer community worldwide faces rampant transphobia, rising hate crime, and unequal access to support services – all in the context of humanitarian crises, a climate crisis, and a destabilised political landscape – hedonism can play a central role in how we seek to organise as a symbiotic system. When viewed through a queer lens, hedonism undergoes a process of transformation, embodying the power for change and much more.
Borrowing from the Ancient Greeks' understanding of love's multiplicity, Roses for Hedone explores queer hedonism not as a momentary phenomenon or indulgence, but rather a transformational route – whether via euphoric raves, inspired art, marching side by side in protest, or sharing simple delights – through which we can learn from our past, connect in the present, and look towards a more fair, hopeful future together.

Prishita (they/them) has been writing about the experiences of the queer community – historical, personal, and political – for the past five years, drawing on their knowledge and connections as an LGBTQ+ rights campaigner and community organiser. Previously Politics Editor at BRICKS Magazine, they have by-lines in Gay Times, gal-dem, Dazed, Metal, and Cosmopolitan, among others. Prishita has also written for a range of scientific publications, including Triple Helix Cambridge, and is a co-author on a paper on the second plague pandemic published in Nature Communications.