Identity Archives - MyUmbrella

Growing up LGBTQ+ in a Small Town

By : Bobbie Padgett May 11, 2021 No Comment

When people think of small towns, I think a lot of the time they imagine some cute little place with a welcoming community where everyone gets along and loves each other. And while that’s not completely untrue it’s also not completely true either. As someone who has lived in a small town - that is technically labeled a village - for their whole eighteen years of living, I can say that small town aren’t always what they’re sometimes romanticized to be. When I was growing up, I thought it was exciting to live in my small town. I was fooled by the rumors of small towns being cute and loving, but I soon realized that if you weren’t a certain way, you didn’t belong in this small town. In my

Queering Paganism: A Gay Practioner’s Perspective of Wicca-Craft

By : Parker Zimmermann April 30, 2021 No Comment

I stood outside in the darkness reciting over and over, "New moon. New me, New energy.” These words of affirmation are something you might hear from a pagan or someone who self proclaims themselves a witch. I am one of those people and as such, I honor the Old Ways abiding by the laws of nature. I worship the ever-changing cycles of the moon and the natural turnings of the seasons. I watch the ebbs & flows, and the death & rebirth of the world around us by participating in them accordingly. The sacred ground of the earth mother we walk upon was beneath my bare feet. I took the time to remember this blessing as a child of Gaia like all other living things, including the plants and the

Sunday Morning

By : Shelonda Montgomery April 16, 2021 Comments Off

Original Publication: Winter - 20207372 - Sinister Wisdom 115 - Lesbian Learning I’m going to ask her to be my girlfriend, Abby thinks to herself as she looks through a dirty church window. Anna Benton, the pastor’s daughter, sits alone on a church pew rehearsing her lines for the junior choir’s youth revival performance. Okay, Abby thinks. She looks at her trembling hands and closes her eyes tight. Doubt paralyzes her. She thinks the two locked eyes a few times. Thinks she saw Anna smile at her. Anna Benton is the prettiest girl at Holy Saints Missionary Baptist Church. All of the boys like her and follow her around and the congregation dotes on her because she is proper, well-mannered, polite, and a straight-A student. “What if it’s just me?”

Discovering the Secrets of the Universe

By : Miranda Kargol March 30, 2021 Comments Off

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, written by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, is my absolute favorite book. The first time that I read it was in the summer of 2019. At the time, I had been reading through some queer young adult literature, and this one caught my eye. The moment that I started reading, I was absorbed into their world. The book centers around a young boy named Aristotle, who goes by Ari, as he struggles to find ways to fill his free time during the summer. He decides to learn how to swim, and while he is at the pool, he meets another boy named Dante. They quickly bond over how they both have unique names, and their connection continuously develops throughout the book. One aspect

In a Time

By : Shelonda Montgomery March 1, 2021 Comments Off

The rain falls delicately as the sun rises The sweet smell of jasmine fills the air He sleeps atop a mountain of maroon pillows I lay beside him on a Persian rug and trace his lips with my finger The thick plush leaves of the bird of paradise hang lovingly over our heads I tousle his hair and watch the thrashing willows His untuned guitar leans carelessly on a wooden chair It will fall soon The rain falls like diamonds as the lilies dance divine Honey filled mason jar rest atop the small wooden table beside a bamboo She sleeps in a small hammock that is affixed to peach trees I lie beside her and take her hand. She arches her fingers and slips them between mine Her lavender-scented hair

I Like the Wine, Not the Label

By : Miranda Kargol February 21, 2021 Comments Off

Schitt’s Creek has been an incredibly popular show over the past few years, especially regarding its representation of queer identities and relationships. One of the main characters, David Rose, is a pansexual man. The first time that the audience is made aware of his identity is in a conversation that he has with his friend, Stevie, in which he says, “I like the wine, not the label.”. This analogy is a wonderful way to describe what it means to be pansexual, especially since it is often confused with being bisexual. Pansexual: Being attracted to all genders. Bisexual: Being attracted to multiple genders. Many people’s experiences with their sexuality change throughout their lifetime. Many will adopt different identity terms at different times. Identity is not fixed. You can gain and change

MyUmbrella

Stories

inspired by our authors?

Category: Identity