My Cardboard Balcony

Tomorrow is National Coming Out Day. I have been out for almost four years. And wow, it's been an amazing ride since then. I met and fell in love with my now fiancée back in May of 2011, a mere three months after coming out officially to my family and friends. We were able to achieve marriage equality - and major steps forward in trans rights - in my state beginning in 2013. Now, when I see the momentum in other states to accept LGBTQ+ youth, allow same-sex marriage, and promote the love and safety of trans citizens, I am filled with nothing but hope. There is a lot of crazy stuff happening in our world, and a lot of it isn't that great. A lot of it I get hung up on, and scared about, and the hopelessness is really easy to get addicted to. The LGBTQ+ movement also has its footsteps taken backward, but more consistently than not, it is moving forward. People are opening up to the queer community and learning how to learn and love. Old prejudices are being discarded. I can on

The Pirate by Belinda Roddie She caught a seagull. It had one leg, like her.

"Well, that was a rather obscene gesture, wasn't it?" asked my manager as the customer hobbled away with his bag of bread. "What do you mean?" She rolled her eyes. "He held two fingers up when he said he wanted to use two coupons. But he faced them in a way that implies...you know..." I sighed. "That you think way too hard about the people who come into this store?"