Identity
The Undecided
Life sucks but then gets better and then it sucks. Let me tell you my story on why life is a funny thing. I was born and raised into a Christian Non-denominational church. I definitely felt like home here but things drastically changed for "The Undecided." As I grew old, my decision making matured and outgrew my childish mindset. I learned and became mindful about many things in life; from breath, to the taste of food. I became more aware of everyday tasks that you wouldn't focus on and it bothered me that people aren't mindfully present or aware of what's truly going on in your mind, body, and spirit. I can say I have lived a difficult life with many hardships, sorrows, anguish, and despair. I was angry and upset with myself and I never felt like I deserved the love I'm worthy of. I was becoming mentally unstable to the point I even thought "Am I even truly alive?" It became fearful and it was a scary point in my life but then I decided, "Am I going to live for others or am I truly going to live for myself?" Things slowly started changing and these abrasive, painful thoughts started transforming into magnificent mental butterflies sweeping through the horizon of the mind. Things changed, but let me tell you why I became so frightful of life.
The Captive DreamerPublished 3 years ago in PrideUnderstanding Faith
I would like to give a small disclaimer at the beginning of this article for those of different faiths. I am not Muslim, or Christian, or Jewish, I would more closely associate with Paganism or other forms of polytheism, but I was raised in a Christian tradition. This article is to express some of my specific experiences as a young gay man in my faith tradition, as well as some of the preconceptions I was raised on towards other religions. This has been what I have found in my own exploration of other faiths, not a "catch-all" of what others believe. If you disagree with any of my thoughts or finding, I totally accept that and accept you and you right to pursue your own path.
Rhett MartensPublished 3 years ago in Pride“We Are All Born Naked and the Rest is Drag” in Tony Kushner’s "Angels in America"
Katya Zamolodchikova, colloquially known as Katya, is a fabulous drag queen and RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars II runner up, declares in a “reading is fundamental” challenge: “Miss Fame, you are such a talented makeup artist. I have never met anybody who’s able to shove their own head so far up their own ass without smudging their eyeliner” (“RuPaul’s Drag Race”). Now, in this specific reading, Miss Fame did laugh, finding humor in Katya’s comment, however, that is not always the case. The technique “reading,” performed in this anecdote by Katya, is the art of ritual insult, used by drag queens in RuPaul’s drag race, however, it also dates back to the ‘80s, which is shown in films like Paris is Burning. “Reading” is one form of empowerment for queer individuals and drag performers, allowing them to speak their minds quickly and confidently. In Tony Kushner’s Angels in America, we see the characters Belize and Prior using techniques like “reading” as well as their interpretation of drag. Throughout the play, they are able to overcome hardships and tragedies. Drag empowers the queer individuals in Angels in America, pointing to the ways all sexual identities are wrapped in performance, this is true of both Prior and Belize in the play, though most powerfully illustrated by Belize as a queer individual of color.
Kaitlyn CopePublished 3 years ago in PrideLoving Outside the Lines
Been running headfirst into mirrors lately queering straight past foggy frames of glass I used to rely on to help focus
Sur Ren Dirt (she/they)Published 3 years ago in PrideAs X
“I’m not cut out for friends,” they thought to themself as they pulled out a loose cigarette. They’d bought it for a few dollars from a haggard old man. Smoking wasn’t something they did. They weren’t really themself anymore, though. Reckless had become almost a coping mechanism.
Kelsey AppersonPublished 3 years ago in PrideMy Gender is Crab
On Twitter and in casual conversation I have described my gender as the following: crab-person, one of the creatures from “Behemoth’s World” by 70’s sci-fi painter Richard Clifton-Day, a bird demon with a funny hat, the Pokemon Gengar, and “a lady, I guess, but…you know…not on purpose.” The non-binary experience is, by its nature, weird as hell in the context of a system that, at its best, describes itself as a spectrum between set points, and, at its worst, demands you fall into a discreet category of only two options. Are you neither? Are you both? Are you sat somewhere squat in the middle? And the answer is just sort of…yes? My relationship with my own non-binaryness is informed by a patchwork of neurodivergences. At its core, though, it stems from a pervasive intellectual disconnect from existence as a human as we, collectively, understand it. Sci-fi and fantasy is both an instigating factor, and, as a writer, an exploration of that thought process.
Ashe ThurmanPublished 3 years ago in PrideI Never Realised Before I Came Out That ....
There are many things over the years that I have become accustomed to since coming out. Some of them have caused me many sleepless nights. Some have made me and my partner chuckle. In my innocent mind, I never thought any of these would be an issue.
Sam H ArnoldPublished 3 years ago in PrideIf You Identify as a Man and Have a Penis, You’re Lucky — Not Entitled
Normal? Abnormal? Let’s get something straight. There’s no such thing as normal and abnormal within the scope of human identity.
Logistically Difficult
1st of July, officially the end of Pride month. I’m just waiting for all the company who have been ‘allys’ taking down all their merch, stopping giving to our charities and forget about us until next year but past my cynicism, my thanks. Very much a non-thank you to the bosses of Love Island who say that having a LGBT+ Love Island who ‘logistically difficult’. That’s one great T-shirt but really shady of hetro’s to paint us logistically difficult and they say us gay people are the shady ones… pot and kettle babes.
Matthew GranthamPublished 3 years ago in PrideOn Healing my Sexuality
Last month we experienced a Full Moon Eclipse in Sagittarius and this astrological energy surfaced a lot of shadows asking to be acknowledged, mourned, released, and healed. The astrology impacts us in unique ways based on where the astrological events happen in our birth charts. That eclipse took place in my 8th house of sexuality and occult shit and the last time an eclipse happened in this area of my chart was 2010-2012. So the astrology asked me to reflect on prominent themes in my life at that time. And at that point in my journey I was finishing up my first year of college and I was beginning to explore my (partnered) sexuality.
Chaski K’uychiPublished 3 years ago in PrideWhy Do I Feel Excluded From the LGBTQIA+ Community
Ever since I was little, I knew I liked boys. Ever since I kissed the first girl, I knew I liked girls. Ever since I saw the first transgender, I knew I liked them too. Did it make me picky, unsure of my sexuality, weird? Many heterosexual people told me so. But it wasn't until I got more into social media when I saw people from previously only the LGBT community shaming me too. There was no QIA+ back then, but even though the B stood for Bisexuals, I did not feel like a part of that community.
Lili GrosserovaPublished 3 years ago in PrideThe Name You Give Your Child Is a Gift, Not a Lifetime Label
My husband and I thought hard on what we’d name our baby girl. He wanted a name that began with a ‘z’ along with a hippie-style middle name. After perusing a baby names book, we chose Zoey Rain to anoint our bundle of joy. Potential careers for her future flooded my mind with such a unique name — rockstar goddess, thriller author, award-winning actress. All sorts of creative careers came to my mind.