Both Ways




Before #pridemonth ends, here's my contribution to #lgbtq+ literature [draft version]😉 I've always felt that who I like is no one else's business but my own, and it's my choice who I share these details of my life with. But I realize that #representation is also important -- in my case, knowing that I'm in good company has helped me feel safer to fully embrace who I am.

Bisexuals are often less understood and discriminated against even within the LGBT community. People typically assume you are either straight or gay based on the person you are with. But who you are with at the moment does not necessarily determine which gender you prefer. Neither do your experiences. Anna Paquin said it best in an interview with Larry King:

"Are you a non-practicing bisexual," King asked the actress during his 25-minute interview.
"Well, I am married to my husband, and we are happily monogamously married," she replied.
"But you were bisexual?" King clarified.
"Well, I don't think it's a past tense thing," Paquin explained. "Are you still straight if you are not with somebody?... If you were to break up with them or if they were to die, it doesn't prevent your sexuality from existing. It doesn't really work like that."

It can be difficult to comprehend how someone can be attracted to both male and female at the same time (and not necessarily equally), rather than just going through a "phase". I myself can't say I fully understand it yet either. But it's a journey and an exploration just like any other self-knowing. Having people around who don't judge that journey can make a big difference, especially for those who are in need of affirmation that they are still lovable just the way they are.

Beyond this advocacy, this is really just a #poem about some of the quirks I was born with -- including my inability to verbally distinguish left from right till now 😆-- that in my eyes make the world such a wondrous place 😍 And I'm just happy that in large part because of the freedom I've gained from my self-mastery work this past year, I'm writing #poetry again ♥

#visiBIlity #loveislove #truth #beauty #bornthisway #intersectionality #creativewriting

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