This message is dedicated to my fourteen-year-old self and any young LGBTQ+ person who needs to hear this.
As I write this, I look back on the past year and all of its loves and losses. I think of the struggles I have overcome and those that I am still overcoming. I consider the person I am, the relationships I have, and how I am so much more than I thought I would be as a recently outed fourteen-year old still figuring out my identity. I often consider what I would say to a young person in my situation.
I want you to know that you are incredibly loved. Not only that, but you are incredibly normal. Your journey feels messy and complicated right now, maybe you're not quite out but not quite in the closet, and you wish you could package your life away into a neat little box. I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but that is simply not going to work. You are made of love and light, and love does not fit into a clean-cut box. It overflows. It is disorganized. It is frustrating.
But it is also joyful. It's ever-changing, exhilarating. It leaves you wanting more. It warms you at night and it offers a soft place to land. Falling in love with yourself is a long journey that may not have a destination, but it is a journey that I hope is worth the wait.
I hope you learn to honor yourself and who brought you here. I am incredibly proud of you for being conscious of your differences, and I have faith that you will come to accept them if you have not already. Your life will feel confusing and at times, it seems that the confusion will never end, but your disorganized, transcendental love will fall into place someday. In this month of belonging, remember those that came before you: the courageous sacrifices of the countless individuals, many of whom fit into the Black trans community, made this possible and continue to fight across the world. Honor them in whatever way you can this Pride and beyond.
Your love is beautiful. It will change minds and move mountains. I hope you can all hold onto this love in your own way this Pride month.
