Because I'm Proud- One Mom's Journey to Become the Best Damn Ally She Can Be
To the Festival! (Pride, that is)
Pride festivals are much like other festivals, except for one thing. There is sooo much joy! I don't remember any other type of festival with so much positive energy. Yes, there are one or two grouchy grumps, and the protestors who are drowned out by choruses of "love is love", but for the most part, the Pride Festivals I've been to are filled with excitement, love, and hope.
It's almost Pride Month!
Tomorrow kicks off the month of Pride. While I am excited about celebrating my friends and family in the LGBTQIA+ community, I am also sad and angry that the reason for this month still exists, here, in 2023. So much misunderstanding, fear, and hate. Something has to shift.
Wonderfully Unique- thoughts on the Kinsey Scale and the Klein Grid
I am constantly amazed by what I don't know. This is one example. It makes total sense that one can be more or less Bi, right? I mean, people are all sorts of things on a continuum. I also love the idea that sexuality can be fluid and that we can "evolve and change over time". Give it a read and see what you think.
I am on my last nerve today
As my grandmother would say, I am on my last nerve today. I have no idea why, but everything is irritating me and I am just on the edge of throwing a tantrum. So, instead of throwing a tantrum and ruining everyone's day, I thought I would explore what I can do to turn my day around in case of a last-nerve emergency.
labels labels labels
So I"m thinking today about labels, and realizing that I don't much care for them when they are applied to me. I have never really enjoyed being put in a box and treated like I was like everyone else in that box. Even when the label seemed harmless, like "graduate student", it still came with implications about how I was to act or what I "should" do.
Dancing Beyond Gender Norms
Can you imagine, though, what it would mean to young people who identify outside gender norms to see themselves represented on stage? Or the validation a non-binary individual might feel to be included in a company no matter their gender at birth?
When I think about it, isn't this what needs to happen everywhere? Don't we need to burst our imaginary bubbles of what is traditional and "appropriate" regarding gender roles so that anyone of any gender can achieve their goals and live their dreams?
Longing for Belonging
What I'm really thinking about today is belonging, family, and community. At Pride, for every person who came into our booth with a supportive family, there were others who looked at our pins and buttons wishing for parents or siblings or a community who would really see them and accept them for who they are. The longing for belonging was palpable and heartbreaking.
In Which we Consider Beyond the Pronouns and The Pride Flags
"Here's what I'm wondering. If you are filling out a form for whatever reason and you have the opportunity, do you indicate your gender identity or sexual orientation? I'm assuming (dangerous, I know) that if an organization includes these questions on a form that they genuinely want to know and are trying to be inclusive. Is that enough though?"
Would You Wear Your Pronouns?
I’m probably making another assumption. It goes like this, “if your pronouns are not the mainstream she/her or he/him, you will want to wear them in the form of a button or necklace or some such thing so everyone will know the proper pronoun to use for you.” But would you?
The One About Assumptions
Do you ever think about the assumptions that you make? I don’t think assumptions are always bad, but recently I’ve been thinking I need to take a closer look at mine because of a recent conversation.
That Rainbow Pride Flag Feeling- Assumptions of an Ally Searching for Truth
You know how one thing leads to another and suddenly you’ve gone down a completely related yet unrelated rabbit hole? Here’s what happened recently when Hannah and I looked for Pride festivals to attend this summer
The Wedding Journey Continues- A Search for Gender Neutral Shopping Experiences
Today, after continuing the search for wedding attire, I’m thinking about fitting rooms. (this will make sense in a minute, I promise.) For those of us who fit into standardized gender roles, trying on clothes is fairly straight forward. Find an outfit, go to the dressing room. Didn’t fit? Return to the area within close proximity to the dressing room or at least on the same floor to find something else. So what about our friends who don’t fit the standardized gender roles?