Stories

I’m Sorry Too

By : emc September 10, 2021 Comments Off

i’m sorry too. this is my formal apology to all lgbtqia+ youth. i’m sorry that you have to grow up in a society that has created a war on your bodies, a war on your minds, a war against your freedom. i’m sorry that the society you live in has put your existence up for debate. i’m sorry that you can’t trust your safe spaces due to fear of them being infiltrated. i’m sorry that you don’t know who you can trust. you live in a world that takes something deep and personal to you and airs it out like dirty laundry. as if it isn’t completely normal. as if your existence is problematic. as if it’s taboo. i cannot imagine the pain that some of you may feel. nor

Pronouns: The Power of Words

By : Shelonda Montgomery September 10, 2021 Comments Off

While some answer in haste, others have to stop and think about the magnitude of what is being asked. For some it is a simple tag; however, for others, it is an emblem of acceptance and belonging. When I think of the concept of pronouns in society, I recall one incident that stays with me. Some time ago I worked at a school and was asked to assist a group of high school students with a group project. Prior to the session, the teacher pulled me aside, pointed to a female-presenting student, who I will call Alex, and explained that she wanted me to address them by “he or him.” I nodded. Alex was small in stature, had short hair, and was dressed in masculine clothing. The students began their

Stop 6: D.C.

By : Angie Williams July 28, 2021 Comments Off

Remember when I mentioned in my writeup for Charlotte that this was the squirrely part of the trip? We’re not done yet. I originally planned to spend June in Philadelphia but, as with Atlanta and Charlotte, things changed. In this case, it was because I realized that there were more people that I knew in DC, including one of the main people I wanted to see on this trip. The other was that AirBnB’s were outrageously expensive. By that I mean, it was more expensive than what I budgeted for New York. As a result, I opted for a weekend in Philly before heading to DC (and squeezing in a quick trip home for Father’s Day). I’d only been to Philly once when I was 10 and I remember nothing

Stop 5: Cut Short in the Queen City

By : Angie Williams July 27, 2021 Comments Off

When I put the plan of my 12 Cities in 12 Months, most people said I was nuts. To a certain degree, I agreed with them. I’m a creature of habit and to throw caution to the wind every 4 weeks seemed like I’d be creating my own personal hell. The funny thing about habits is that you can always develop new ones. After the first three stops, my body had gotten into the rhythm of reorienting itself on the 4th week to a new city. Despite having 3 different accommodations in Atlanta, the same feeling persisted. Atlanta has been the city I’ve stayed in the longest, clocking in at 5 weeks, and let me tell you: it was ready to go. It shocked me that my body developed this

Stop 4: Atlanta – Peace Up, A-Town Down

By : Angie Williams July 27, 2021 Comments Off

To quote Shakespeare, “Parting is such sweet sorrow.” As much as I loved St. Pete and didn’t want to leave, I remain committed to this journey and uncovering dormant traits and interests, while also discovering new things about myself and the world around me. My stops in Mexico, Austin, and St. Pete were scheduled prior to embarking on this journey and largely removed a lot of my stress surrounding where I’d lay my head each month. Through no one person’s fault, I didn’t have the same luxury in Atlanta. Plans fell through, travel companions’ dates changed, and I ended up having three different temporary homes in the Peach State. The plus side was that I was able to experience three different neighborhoods and see the city with a fellow digital

My Story So Far…

By : Alex July 16, 2021 Comments Off

This is about a series of checkpoints that I have had the pleasure and the great confusion to pass through on my journey so far. Now, I don’t really think of people as their physical bodies so much as the radiation of their spirit, but it took me about 22 years to fully realize that radical perception. The first stop, in a sense, was assuming that I was heterosexual. The first portion of my life I did not think to question the notion that as a femme person with a hole and not a pole - among other complex genotypic attributes which contribute to the phenotypic growth of a body and are then subject to harsh, arbitrary social categorization and ideals - I should find love and/or pleasure with a

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