Pride, Past, & Perseverance
Imagine not being able to be yourself for the majority of your life thus far. Imagine having to code switch around your family, classmates and co-workers, out of fear that they might ostracize you for something beyond your control. Imagine growing up and and being told “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me”, only to find out that words can cause wounds that never really heal.
For many of my LGBTQ brothers and sisters, all these scenarios have been a reality at some point in their lives. To the outside we portray the journey as one that is full of laughter, sashays, rainbows and glitter. But in reality the journey to acceptance and happiness is long and rugged. When I came out at the age of 17, the only people I was afraid of was my parents and family. I remember thinking to myself that if my family accepted me, I could care less about what anyone else on this earth thought. Ironically, it didn’t play out that way. I ended up having to move out of the home I grew up in, and to an entirely different state. My life was disrupted all because of a lack of acceptance. Acceptance that I thought I couldn’t live without.
Though I don’t wear it often, yellow is my favorite color. I cherish it for its eye catching vibrance, but also for what it represents: positivity, clarity, energy, and optimism.
There is no doubt that acceptance is valuable, and has the power to change the world. But, 5 years later I am indeed living, and I can tell you that self-acceptance is the most powerful of all, particularly when it is separated from external validation.
Our pasts reflect our ability to persevere, and our futures give us the superpower of using that perseverance along with all the other skills we’ve acquired, to chase our wildest dreams. As a community we have come very far, and although there is more progress to be made, we owe it to ourselves to celebrate every milestone reached. Pride is my way of doing so, and I wish you all a very happy and safe pride month.
Above I am pictured wearing a thrifted yellow linen pant and button up shirt. My sneakers are from ASOS, and my glasses are from Midland Antiques, located in Indianapolis, IN.
Photography by Marquis
