I'm thinking about the privilege of being "out." So many of my friends who are studying in the US do not have the luxury of being open about who they are. They have to return to their home countries where their families and communities do not accept them. The fear is palatable and real.
In a time where anything can be instantly shares to anyone, navigating where and to whom one can be out is exhausting.
Even for those of us who have been out for 15+ years, the pressures, shame, guilt, trauma, rejection and shunning takes a toll on our souls and bodies.
Our journeys are filled with layers of complex personal and familial histories and mutiple identities that we juggle on a daily basis. We cannot simply "be out" and "ok" with who we are. The realities we face as immigrants, people of color, 1.5 and 2nd generation communities that straddle between multiple cultures and "homes."
I don't know how we survive. I just know that my familiy of choice, my sisters and brothers of choice, my elders who have paved an easier path, and my comrades and fellow justice-seeking activists and friends help to guide each day, 24 hours at a time.
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