Pride

A black and white photo of people, fists raised, protesting in front of the White House, Washington, DC. Taken May 30th, 2020, at a Black Lives Matter rally.

We have all known the narcissistic bully on the playground. For those of us who have lived long enough to see how those stories pan out, we have seen the pain, fear, and self-doubt that many of those bullies were dealing with under the surface.

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The glow of a distant city beneath a desert sky full of stars.

i am the words i speak, i’m the things i do, i’m not how i look, or the things i accrue. you try to define me with the simplest of words but i’m far beyond that, though you think it absurd.

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Black, plastic letters spelling out "ASK MY PRONOUNS" on a reusable, wood-framed square sign, nestled on a wrinkled rainbow PRIDE flag.

I hope you will join me in this act of solidarity as I stand up for those who are being forced to assimilate with a societal construct that does not fit them or reflect their lived experience.

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