Happy Pride Month!
I wanted to share a bit of personal thoughts and musings that I’ve dealt with for many years for Pride Month. While there are many people in the LGBT community with amazing stories and who I’m sure have much more wisdom to share than I ever could, I did want to offer some support for those who are questioning or who don’t know what’s going on.
But first, I must admit something: I am a white, cis, woman from the middle class. My experience is extremely privileged compared to many other people out there. My goal is not to take away from their stories and experiences. In fact, you should totally listen to them more than myself in many aspects.
However, I struggled a lot growing up. For over 14 years, I’ve had people in my town very concerned about my sexuality. This includes people I considered good friends, to people who are just bullies. The person I chose to share my bed with has been a concern to so many people and is still a concern for many today.
I questioned a lot. I guested if I really was gay. I questioned if there’d be a problem if I was. I questioned whether my friends and family would accept that if I was or if I wasn’t.
I’ve had people tell me I am or I can’t be identifiers that I was questioning about.
So here’s my suggestion for you, questioning friend:
Be you.
If there’s an identity you feel is you, keep it. Wear it with pride.
Or if you don’t see a point in declaring a specific identity, then don’t.
Now, you’re probably wondering what my identity is. After all, I did say I was coming out.
I’m not too concerned about identities. Mostly because everyone has always had an opinion on mine, and I would probably be partially ignored no matter what.
I consider myself grey/demi-sexual. That means emotion is a huge part of my sexuality and it’s part of the ACE community.
Are you questioning?
Explore yourself. Explore how you feel. And don’t let anyone tell you what you are.
Feel free to tell an anonymous person on the internet if you need help coming to terms with yourself.