leahjuliett:I was raised in a small, conservative town. Growing up in public school, I was frequentl
leahjuliett:I was raised in a small, conservative town. Growing up in public school, I was frequently asked to identify who inspires me. Lack of queer visibility and nondiversity in education made it difficult to find someone who I truly felt connected to or inspired by. Queerness was avoided in discussion and entirely left out of curriculum. It was difficult to truly know myself without knowing that who I am could exist. The LGBTQ+ community is powerful, but it is not always accessible- especially in small towns and on small campuses. It is incredibly easy to mistake a lack of physical community for total isolation.In these moments, I have learned to curate a community within myself. I have taught myself the queer history that I was denied in school. I have become both teacher and student, building my identity from rebellion and survival. I am inspired by the bravery of my younger self, who looked in the face of a nameless identity and decided to call it a home. #BackToSchool @glaad -- source link