🩵 Gratitude vs. fear

After sharing my story in HuffPost, I was so grateful for the positive response and many people who reached out to me personally to share their stories. But I was also afraid.

I find it uncomfortable to be visible as a gender non-conforming person, increasingly so in the United States.

The day my essay went live in HuffPost, coincidentally, was the day I flew to Nagoya, Japan, for one month. I was so grateful and thankful for the warm welcome, practicing and learning aikido, seeing the beautiful cherry blossoms, and talking with and learning from the locals in Nagoya.

I felt like I literally had the opportunity to escape from stress, halfway across the world.

I've found it surprisingly hard to dive back into sharing my stories publicly. I'm feeling avoidance, intimidation, and discomfort.

I was also a bit worried about re-entering the US. Would I be on some kind of list because I write about LGBTQ+ advocacy? I can share now that I had no problem coming back as a US citizen born in the US. But it feels like the rules are changing all the time.

While I have felt fear recently, I have also felt deep gratitude.

I am grateful for all the opportunities I have to learn, and experience joy and community and safety.

I am grateful for the support and advocacy of people who are allies, and not LGBTQ+ themselves. If you are in the position right now to more safely protest, for example if you are a US citizen vs a green card holder, you have this incredible opportunity to be an advocate for the rights of others.

If you're not sure where to start, I suggest calling your congressperson and letting them know where you stand on the issues. You are a constituent in the district where you live whether or not you are a citizen.

https://5calls.org/

I'm grateful for the many LGBTQ+ writers continuing to publish excellent, uplifting, supportive work. Here are some of my favorites recently:

Your Trans Cousin: