Identity

Daddy Oh Daddy!
~Daddy~ What kind of secret could you have that's so bad? What did you do, that you would think we'd never forgive you for?
By Jennifer Cooley5 years ago in Pride
Let Your Freak Flag Fly
If you don't feel like you fit in where you are, you have two options: beat 'em or join 'em, right? Of course, there are numerous other possibilities, like moving away or finding new people to hang out with, but, as a teenager, these options weren't really available to me. Unfortunately for me, the people I wasn't fitting in with were my family, and almost my entire class. Don't get me wrong, I had some friends, but that wasn't enough to shield me from the feeling of constantly grating up against everyone and everything, like rubbing sandpaper the wrong way.
By Cora Rose5 years ago in Pride
On the Fringe
The innocence of youth grips us all. I was nine and I knew what I wanted. I wanted to look like my best friends. I wanted a haircut that reflected how I felt.
By Rebecca Peel5 years ago in Pride
Being Asexual in a Hypersexual World
It's not easy to be asexual in a world that loves sex. You're bombarded by it at every corner: the magazine covers, the advertisements, the movie trailers, the music, the media at large. It's hard not to look at all of it and think, "Am I wrong for not wanting this?"
By Jillian Spiridon5 years ago in Pride
I'm coming out!
I’ve never felt the need to “come out.” Let me back up and introduce myself: My name is Sara and I identify as pansexual. Now, for those of you who I’ve met and known “offline”, in particular, I’m willing to bet that there’s at least a few of you who assumed otherwise. And many who’ve never really considered it. If that’s the case, I want to start with 2 things:
By Ember5 years ago in Pride
Cheers to the Truth
When I saw this challenge, I was excited because I love music and felt I could create a great playlist, potentially even win a prize, but I didn’t know that I would in fact win, before I even submitted. Here I am writing with tears down my face because all these anthems I have listened to over the years have empowered me and wrapped me in a hug of acceptance I never knew I needed.
By Cristina Isabel5 years ago in Pride
We're All Just Pink
Crimson and Clover by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts It’s 2010, and Kristen Stewart is starring in The Runaways, a biopic about the eponymous all-female rock band from the late seventies. You’re a preteen, the Twilight franchise has awakened the rabid fangirl within you, and you’ve been following Stewart’s career because she’s got such a cool, mysterious vibe, I just think she’s really interesting. You research the band behind the film and discover Joan Jett, the real-life rock star inspiring Stewart’s on-screen role.
By R. S. Gonzalez5 years ago in Pride
Songs From My Queer Life That Speak To Me
Dancing Queen - ABBA "Dancing queen, only seventeen" ABBA is a key band to include on any LGBT playlist. While their lyrics may not exactly describe queer experiences, they have always been icons. This is partly contributed to their out of the box, 'campy' style. The use of the term "Queen" in the song can also easily be interpreted as the queer term originally used to refer to a flamboyant, effeminate gay man.
By Theo Randall5 years ago in Pride
Tapes recorded in my bedroom
When I was fifteen, my friend William taught me how to cover the tab openings of an old cassette tape to record over it. It was 2011, and there was no particular reason for me to be making tapes other than the illusion of coolness that came from using vintage technologies, my indulgence in nostalgia for a time before I was even born. At this point in my life, I was just beginning to figure out my own identity, and walking around Atlanta with my headphones on (savoring the tape's low hiss that whispered underneath the music) allowed me to construct fantasies in my head in which I was free from my spatial, temporal, and physical realities. I spent countless hours making mixtapes, and each mixtape was the soundtrack of a different life I led in my dreams. In these dreams, I cut off all my hair, played baseball while the sun set, drove through the city with a girl I had a crush on. I was rugged and boyish and untouched by shame.
By X X5 years ago in Pride
Write What You Don’t Know
Listen As You Read Learning how to write what you’re unsure about. It is an exercise in self discovery. “Write what you know” is an epitaph etched into the gravestone souls of every budding high school writer from the get go.
By Cereal Oatmeal 5 years ago in Pride
Proud To Be Pride
I’ve been proud and very loud for many years now, spending my days telling jokes on stage about what it means to me to be a part of the Pride community. But I didn’t always lead with it out on my sleeve. Once upon a time I was nervous and cautious about who I told, effectively spending years in the closet, even though everyone knew.
By Diana McLaren5 years ago in Pride
(not) what you want me to be
I am the kid trans and cis folks don’t want to deal with I have changed my name at least eight times, and each one is/is not correct
By mx. j. nyla mcneill5 years ago in Pride