Identity Archives - MyUmbrella

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

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

What Does It Mean To Be Ace?

By : Miranda Kargol July 16, 2021 Comments Off

If you’re anything like me, finding the definition of asexuality can be difficult. There are so many misunderstandings and jokes, and that can make it so hard to figure out what it actually means. This is because the definition of asexual varies depending on the person. Not the answer you were hoping for, right? Actually, this is the same story as every other orientation and identity. While it may not be the easy answer, it’s the most realistic. After all, there is no “one-size-fits-all” label! If you are looking for a simple and boiled-down answer, here is the general definition: Asexual: a person who does not experience sexual attraction or experiences very little sexual attraction. While this can be helpful, the definition doesn’t cover every aspect of asexuality. Being asexual

Publicly Asexual

By : Miranda Kargol June 12, 2021 Comments Off

Fluidity is a concept that has interested me for years, but I was not very familiar with how it worked. When I first started learning about the LGBTQ+ community, I read about the spectrum of gender and sexuality, which gave me a foundation for my knowledge, but still didn’t answer many of my questions. Over time, my thoughts about queerness have been transformed to the idea that labels don’t have to be fixed and that societal standards can be restrictive. This is also true of living in a publicly authentic way, which reminds me of my experiences as an asexual person. Whenever I meet someone new, a question that I am always asked is if I am dating someone. When I say no, I am met with even more questions,

Growing up LGBTQ+ in a Small Town

By : Bobbie Padgett May 11, 2021 Comments Off

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 Comments Off

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

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