(no subject)
A few weeks ago I experienced homophobia directed at me for the first time. This made me realise that I want to take more responsibility for my visibility as a queer person, and since it's Pride here in Brighton today it seems like a good day to start. (I watched the parade earlier, which was tremendous fun as always, but now it's pissing it down so I'm being proud at home instead of outside.)
I used to think of my sexuality as something private - not to be kept secret, but also not to be shouted about or drawn attention to. My own personal "don't ask, don't tell" policy. But when I mentioned it in passing to someone I'd built up quite a friendship with and it turned out they had a problem with it, I realised that's not a strategy I want to follow any more.
So: I'm bisexual. Which for me just means there's a lot of complicated factors that determine whether I'm attracted to someone, but the specific detail of their gender isn't necessarily top of the list.
I'm not expecting this to be news to anyone, and I'm totally not looking for sympathy (I don't need it - as far as I can see there's basically nothing bad about being bi, and having been a makeup-wearing goth boy most of my life I'm well used to dealing with prejudice). It's more a show of solidarity. Human rights still have a long way to come in this world, and since I live in a pretty safe part of it there's no reason for me not to stand up and be counted.
I used to think of my sexuality as something private - not to be kept secret, but also not to be shouted about or drawn attention to. My own personal "don't ask, don't tell" policy. But when I mentioned it in passing to someone I'd built up quite a friendship with and it turned out they had a problem with it, I realised that's not a strategy I want to follow any more.
So: I'm bisexual. Which for me just means there's a lot of complicated factors that determine whether I'm attracted to someone, but the specific detail of their gender isn't necessarily top of the list.
I'm not expecting this to be news to anyone, and I'm totally not looking for sympathy (I don't need it - as far as I can see there's basically nothing bad about being bi, and having been a makeup-wearing goth boy most of my life I'm well used to dealing with prejudice). It's more a show of solidarity. Human rights still have a long way to come in this world, and since I live in a pretty safe part of it there's no reason for me not to stand up and be counted.