In your post you wrote, “Okay, now that I’ve had my rant, let’s get
practical. None of us is going to change the world, though it is
healthy to be active and political.” And asked “But what can be done
to stay strong in the face of oppression? How do I not internalize
the hatred, the marginalization? How do I not let it add to my
personal stress?”

We may not be able to change the big external world suddenly or even
in small noticeable ways, yet we may be able to change our immediate
world and certainly can choose our inner world. Yes, it is good to
have a rant, express feelings and have your feelings validated by
others as real and legitimate. And I see that you acknowledged the
progress that has been made to decrease discrimination. This is like
seeing the glass both half empty and half full. Sometimes we focus on
what is left to be done and then experience gratitude for what we
have.

The anger can give you energy to continue the struggle for
equality or it may burn you out. I like to think of anger as a type of
fire energy – if we have no spark, we are lifeless and depressed. If
we have a raging fire, someone may get hurt and we use up our fuel.
Controlled fire is like the engine in our cars. We can get someplace
efficiently if we plan and steer towards our important values. Choose
those few things that are really important to you and focus your
energy there. It may be towards building a community of supportive
friends. It may be focused on your life’s purpose, political action or
expressive art. Feed what is important to you.

You asked about staying strong. I have a couple of ideas. One is to
stay physically strong. This supports our emotional strength. Eating
well, regular sleep and burst of intense exercise, including weight
training, makes us strong. Another source of strength is our
community. Even if people are not with us, we can remember or imagine
that they are standing behind us – people of history, friends, family
members, anyone who had supported you or your cause in the past.
Imagine they are backing you up when you feel you are standing alone.
Visualize them in their strength and endurance and become like you
imagine they were. One of the more challenging ways to resist
internalizing oppression is to have compassion for the opposition – to
extend loving kindness to those who act from hatred or ignorance. That
way, you do not take on or respond to their negative emotion.

Good luck in managing this difficult source of stress. Hope this helped.