Happy TDOV to my fellow community members! 👀🏳️‍⚧️💖

This year especially I understand the day can feel heavy. So valid. Just existing right now can feel like a struggle, let alone being publicly visible. Whether you wear it as a badge of honor, or it is a truth you know inside and don’t feel safe or comfortable publicly sharing, or somewhere in-between, know that your identity is special and valid, and that no one else other than you can tell you who you are. I commend you for being true to yourself however you choose to show it or not. I’m so proud of you, and of our entire community for enduring what feels like a relentless barrage of hostility lately.

Our community is strong. Our community is resilient. Our community is beautiful. We’ve always worked from a disadvantaged position, and we have thrived and will continue to do so, because our community roots are deep and because we have strong allies. The attacks of late are surface level, and we are so much more than they give us credit for.

For this TDOV, I encourage you to be a willow tree standing strong in a flood. You may need to weep, and that’s okay. You’ll get through this because your roots are deep, and your community is the earth you’re bound to.

This year, I celebrate you, I celebrate our community, and I celebrate our resilience. ⚧️🌳