Take up Space

Take up space. Heteronormativity will elbow out queerness every chance it gets. And people, well meaning, loving, intentional, kind, people will inevitably make you explain yourself over and over and over and over again. Then say, “What happened!?” when you get to the point of “I’m done.”

Some people will wonder why there’s LGBTQ pride and gasp…”why must Pride be so….LOUD?!” Then they call us names and justify their own self-hatred because we are celebrating our colorful selves. In this case, remember to stop allowing the person with the lowest EQ in the room take up the most space. They may not mean to…but they will.

Take up the space to be done. Don’t make yourself blue in the face of explaining your humanity and worthiness of existence. You don’t beg to live. Love yourself enough to be done. It’s okay. YOU will be okay. Begging to live is NO way to live.

Take up the space to walk away. Forget “but they’re family” or “but we’ve been friends for years!”…they aren’t able to see how much they are hurting you. It’s time to untether yourself from relationships that make you feel like you can’t breathe.

Take up the space to come back because of who you are…not them. Sift back through the years and voices and revisit those stone cold rocks that morphed you into someone you didn’t recognize when you looked in the mirror. Resilience is something you built for yourself. The road to self-abandonment was painful and perhaps so is the road back to authenticity…except authencity gives back in copious amounts.

Take up the space to stare softly back into your face in the bathroom mirror. Do you love who you see? Can you look into your own eyes? Do you love what direction they’re going EVEN if they don’t know….yet…