In-Person and Online: Working Skillfully with Queer Rage – an Insight OUT Refuge LGBTQI Sangha Event
with Jay Michaelson
Monday, October 27th, 2025 | 6:30pm-8:30pm
In-Person Location: New York Insight at 115 West 29th Street, on the 12th Floor
Once again, queer communities in America are being attacked, lied about, and scapegoated by a regime driven by religious extremism. When we turn to the teachings of the Dharma, we find conflicting messages about how to work with the rage, fear, and hurt that naturally arises in response. Tonight we’ll explore different approaches to anger, in particular. One school of thought holds that anger is always bad: it is dosa, one of the three poisons that are the root of all negative states. Thus while we do not judge ourselves for feeling anger, we do work to lessen it. However, another school of thought (most recently given voice by Lama Rod Owens and others) holds that anger can be good, generative, and empowering. Rather than choose one of these approaches or try to make them agree with one another, we’ll explore how each of them resonate with our own experience and with the practice of engaged Buddhism in the context of the 21st century polycrisis.
Our community is open to students of all Buddhist traditions, as well as those who are in the beginning stages of exploring their meditation practice and have an interest in the Dharma. All those who identify as LGBTQI are welcome.
We gather to form a multicultural community in which we can support each other in our practice with a commitment toward social change.
October 27th, 2025 Jay Michaelson, Guest Teacher
November 24th 2025, Isabel Adon, Practice Leader
December 22nd, 2025, Elaine Retholtz, Teacher
We invite all participants to please RSVP that you will be joining, in-person or Online.
Join us online via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89935101990?pwd=NHNEYXh6ZmttK3RGbjF5a21tcEZidz09
Meeting ID: 899 3510 1990
Passcode: 123
Dial by your location: +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbAkW4rpL2
- Please arrive 15-20 minutes early to ensure an orderly check-in.
- Walk-Ins are welcome, please register at the door when you arrive.
If you are having trouble completing your RSVP or donation, please CLICK HERE to open it in a new browser. All proceeds will support this sangha’s teacher(s) and other NYI operations support. Please contact [email protected] if you need assistance.
Fee by donation: Suggested starting donation is $15 but whatever you offer is greatly appreciated and no one is ever turned away for lack of funds.
Note: for the health and safety of our staff, teachers, and community, please do not come onsite if you are feeling unwell. Please let us know so those on the waiting list will be able to attend.
Teacher(s)
Jay Michaelson
In the dharma world, Jay is authorized to teach in the Theravadan Buddhist lineage of Ayya Khema, and was a teacher and editor at Ten Percent Happier for five years. He has held leadership roles at the New York Insight Meditation Center and the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, and has sat many long retreats in the US and Nepal.
Outside the dharma world, Jay is a journalist, a visiting researcher at Harvard Law School, a field scholar at the Emory Center for Psychedelics and Spirituality, a nondenominational rabbi, and the author of ten books. He worked as an LGBTQ activist for ten years.