Gaylist: You might be in quartine but your Pride doesn't have to be

The quarantine has caused many college students to go home to their families. For many people in the LGBTQ+ community, they have gone home to families that do not support them after they have embraced who they are. In some cases, teens are quarantined with parents who do not support them as they are still asking questions and figuring out who they are.

For them, it can feel like there is no escape from the pressures of being rejected and shamed for being who they are and who they were meant to be. At the beginning of this pandemic, it looked like we would be getting out by June, and pride events would still be happening across the country. That was the light at the end of the tunnel but many pride events have been canceled or moved virtually still making it difficult for this group to celebrate and embrace their true selves.

For me, music has always been an escape and I have compiled a Gaylist. Some of the music on this Gaylist is from artists in the community, some of it is written about the community or could be applied to the community and some of it is music that I put on there because I feel truly empowered when I listen to it.

My favorite song on this playlist is Jessies Girl sung by Mary Lambert. Mary Lambert has a beautiful voice and is more well known for her song Same Love which is also on this playlist. She often talks about her queerness and mental health struggles, making her more personable to many fans.

I also love listening to Phoenix by Olivia Holt and it reminds me that we can rise from the ashes. The LGBTQ+ community has risen before and we can rise again. The best part about us is that we are there for each other and when this is over we will celebrate our awesomeness again.

If you are struggling during quarantine, reach out to your friends and family that support you. They exist, and if you can’t find them I will be your friend and you can reach out to me.

There are also closed groups that you can request to be a part of for the different letters in the community if you are not ready to come out yet or are afraid of someone that you are quarantined with finding out. Find these groups and be a part of them, they will bring you in and make you feel at home. A few months ago, someone in an Ace group of mine was experiencing difficulties in a Dungeons and Dragons Campaign. Shortly after we started a discord server for Aces at all levels to play DnD with other Aces. This is actually how I ended being able to play my first DnD campaign.

There are ways to be involved and show your pride. Erika Nance did that with Pride Box. The goal was to sell boxes with Pride merchandise and get people to write letters to LGBTQ+ teens and help them in this time of quarantine. The whole project was hugely successful and if you want to learn more check out Erika’s Instagram.

Keep your eyes out for other awesome LGBTQ+ projects and creators. Now is the time to support them and they will support and validate you with their content. I suspect that as we get closer to June more projects and content will start popping up and you will be able to get involved. Until then stay strong and stay safe, after this, we will need all the rainbows and pride we can get.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you've liked what you've read, please check out my other stories and articles on Vocal.

If you've really liked what you've read, please share with your friends on social media.

If you've really, really liked what you've read, a small tip would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!