Where do I differ, from you or from anyone you know? What parts of me are different, the same, or reflect distortedly? Are you curious about my context? Have you pondered the reasoning behind my actions? Do you care? Should you care?  Please, hear my silent prayer.  In the previous chapter, I discussed the importance Read more

Queer as a label, like the many identities that exist within it, has many definitions. Queer can mean alternative; Queer could mean deviant; Queer sometimes means odd; Queer, on occasion, means to rebel and to defy; Queer potentially signifies uniqueness; Queer can be nonconformist; Queer can define many people, many partners, many relations, many actions, Read more

I do not think my experience with religion is hyper-unique. Though many are hesitant to speak on the matter, I believe a vast number of us identify with an unstable faith; our questioning, our curiosity is innate. It is understandable that humans wonder how we began, ponder our creation story, and forecast our grand finale. Read more

Have you ever thought about going to prison?  What would it feel like to be a prisoner?  Confined, controlled, desperate, scared, weak, yet aware.  Now say, you were wrongly convicted;  Could you live, could you bear?  Daily torture, torment, turmoil; you’d feel destined for despair. Last week I mentioned how I am perfectly positioned between Read more

I hated my sister growing up.  I’m sure it is decently common for siblings to butt-heads growing up, but I truly held disdain for my sister, Serena. If you have been keeping up, then you know that I wanted to be the center of attention. To this day, the urge to be the center of Read more

It seems like gay people are more sexual, no? Every piece written thus far has had a few common denominators: sex and god. Curious.  This week I stumbled across my friend’s TikTok discussing the dating and hookup culture within the queer community. You see, our community is sexual. Queer people are not only seen as Read more

chicago, Our relationship was tragic – each act, every verse.  We began on the stage with a slap on the ass; our eyes wandered lower as our characters undressed. Everyone seemed to know you, something I was unequipped. Yet, we knew about the other, what we were each reluctant to admit. At the time, talk Read more

My first crush was in the second grade – perhaps my most innocent experience in attraction. I knew that boys like girls and that girls like boys. That was the extent of it. By the second grade, I had heard the word gay, but I wasn’t yet certain of what exactly it meant. Peers would Read more

In this series, I will attempt to present my background through my lived experiences, in the way they make sense to me. These stories meld together to create my life. My memories. My history. My story is not specifically profound; yet, I demand to be documented – to be heard, rather. It’s a privilege we Read more