Welcome to The Counter Influence, a podcast hosted by Anna Joy Sullivan. As a result of social media, more and more people have an influence on their community thanks to their public image and brand. In this online context, earning a living through personal skills and creativity is a realistic path towards seizing the means of production and practicing socialism. At the same time, it is essential to distinguish those personal resources from our personal identities to reduce harm to ourselves and our communities. What, then, are the ramifications of our public influence as queer people on personal and community health? How can we use the power of our influence as a tool of resistance? And how do we take up space ethically in a way that serves to heal and restore justice in our own lives and the lives around us? Listen to the episode to hear Anna Joy explore these questions by delving into their experience centering their public brand around their queerness as "The Queer Witch." They discuss the ways in which the commercialization and commodification of the queer identity by corporations and individuals can directly harm the queer community. They also share three lessons that they have taken away from their experience navigating the messy ethics of invisibalisation, essentialisation and self-objectification as a queer influencer. Resources:  https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/06/09/metro/transforming-boston-pride/ https://americanaddictioncenters.org/lgbtqiapk-addiction/why-substance-abuse-is-higher-within-the-lgbtq-community https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Identity-and-Cultural-Dimensions/LGBTQI https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/heq.2019.0003