"I am a queer Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest clinician who delivers gender-affirming care, and I am a spouse of a non-binary person. I live, work, and possess the lived experience as a witness to the collective trauma of LGBTQ+ and gender expansive folx. To stand in protest and solidarity with all those who continue to experience discrimination in our community, in the workplace, and at home gives me hope for a future. As long as these disparities exist, I will continue to fight for equity and visibility for my LGBTQ+ community." -Leslie
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"Pride is a way to celebrate who we are while honoring the folx who fought for our rights to simply exist. Pride that doesn’t honor and center queer folx of color, especially Black trans womxn, is not real Pride. Pride is a time to feel validated and visible, which is especially important to me as a bisexual woman in a straight-passing relationship. I think it’s important to remember and honor that a person’s partner(s) (or lack thereof) does not define the person’s identity. I have never identified as straight, but it has taken a lot to dismantle my internalized biphobia. I’m still working on it, but it feels less heavy now that I’m not hiding. Pride used to bring up lots of mixed emotions for me, I was elated to celebrate the visibility of queer people, but never felt like I was enough to celebrate my own identity. To folx who are also struggling with internal and external factors regarding their identity: You are valid, you are queer enough, you are enough.
For this year’s Pride, I am celebrating the community while continuing to fight for the rights and safety of the most marginalized folx." -Casey
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"This story begins in El Centro — a small, agricultural town neighboring the Baja Mexican border that for the most part is of Mexican Heritage and where Spanish is the primary language for most families. My name is Elizabeth Cortez, a single mom like many more in this world, working hard to enhance a better way of living for my daughters Andrea and A., overcoming obstacles, making all types of sacrifices that any mother who loves their kids will make to make them happy and secure. I remember that I thought life was hard and we had to be strong to achieve our goals, at times complaining about the struggles I had to go through. One day I realized what it meant to struggle, work hard, have patience, and work through fear; and at the end, love reigns.
One day my little girl A. came to me with her face down like she had done something wrong and said to me, “Mom, I think I am gay.” The announcement did not surprise me much and didn’t make a difference, because it is my daughter and my supportive love will never change.
As time went on, my daughter’s life was solitary and isolated. My A. had no friends, no communication with others, and I began to worry because I noticed she was depressed. I didn't know why she didn't want to go to school and was always locked down in her room.
I was trying to talk to her. One time when I was watching TV in the living room, she came to me crying and she said “Mom, I think I'm transgender.” When I heard that, I didn't know what it meant but I told her, “It will be okay. I'm going to support you no matter what.”
After that our life changed. We had to go down a rough road and a long and painful psychological process, not only social, but having to confront many obstacles and challenges that ultimately had its reward: the happiness of my son.
Yes, I am the mother of a transgender son. Better said, I am a proud mother of a smart, loving, beautiful, amazing, transgender son.
Fortunately I have learned much since that day he came to me and opened up. I have developed deep respect for the courage and strength my son and all transgender and gender-nonconforming people demonstrate in their struggle to realize their identity. The challenges are daunting. I have come to know many transgender youth whose identities have been rejected by their parents, who face hostility at home as well as at school, whose schools turn a blind eye or deny the persistent bullying, who cannot access bathrooms at school like any other student — and yet persist in being true to their authentic selves.
There has been amazing progress made in understanding and accepting the transgender community. My son, and many of the transgender youth I have come to know and love, are living happy, productive lives within supportive communities throughout the country. For a time it seemed as if the hostile, poorly informed, and intolerant voices might begin to be drowned out by voices of reason, by the love and respect so many of us feel for our transgender sons and daughters, nieces and nephews.
Living with difference, embracing difference, loving difference has made me a better person, has made my life fuller, has connected me to a deep groundswell of humanity.
My struggle and effort has meaning in that I have a transgender child. It has definitely changed our lives and we have experienced sadness, pain, and frustration. The road has not been easy, but at least there is a way. Transgender is practically a new topic here in our community, and laws relating to it are relatively new.
My obligation as part of this community is to help educate on this issue. I know it will be difficult and slow, but my strength and hope are great.
Most important is to love your child because it is yours. I want to welcome my son Aaron, and I want to make sure he knows that I always love him, no matter what.
Pride to me is about letting go of any internalized homophobia, remembering those who have fought the way for them to be out freely and safely — but most importantly, it's about spreading a message so the next generation knows that there is such a thing as a happy and safe ending." -Elizabeth
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