Outside the Box

I AM...

Southern,
big and burly,

free-thinking,
a comic book and sci-fi geek,

more cerebral than physical,
somewhat learned (but no common sense,)
obsessive and compulsive,
depressive,
righteous,
good-intentioned,
a mystery-solver,
a deep thinker,
intuitive,
a movie buff,
a sexual dynamo,
a lover of all cuisines,
eternally searching,
an aficionado of foreplay,
musically inclined --but all thumbs,
coping with arrested development,
drawn to cons and ne'er-do-wells,
rage-filled and passionate, a civil rights warrior,
an animal lover,
emotional,
an artist,
a writer,
gardener,
poet,
a son-- four times over,

100% homosexual,
a survivor,
and a man.

But...

I am not

a label.

Nor am I limited to

the ones you might apply

to me.

I am

the sum of all my parts,

and none of my parts will be

dismissed or regulated.

***

The Spark

"...But isn't that because we all feel so important and have no idea
what to do? We need someone to direct us and reassure us this is
possible. And I don't think I'm that person. I may have been a
catalyst for rebellion, but a leader should be someone with convic-
tion, and I'm barely a convert myself. Someone with unflinching
courage, and I'm still working hard at even finding mine. Someone
with clear and persuasive words, and I'm so easily tongue-tied."

-Katniss Everdeen, in "Catching Fire," second book in the
 Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins

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I thought this was an especially inspirational passage, showcasing
how even those in the most demanding of positions can find them-
selves questioning, struggling, doubting.

Going against the grain...standing up to The Powers That Be....
taking a stand for what's right...these take tremendous resolve and
courage, and it's a constant choice. It isn't some naturally fearless
drive that overrides all obstacles instantly.

It's work...hard work.  And like anything worth doing, there are
prices to be paid.

Hell, just living our lives as gay men and lesbian women....as a
transitioning transgendered man or woman....as a young person
questioning or an older person hiding...we have a fight every day
of our lives. With losses, discrimination, fears, being alone in a
crowd.

It takes a warrior to live life, period. It takes an exceptional
warrior to fight for life as a person with LGBTQ affiliations.
Recognize that feeling defeated can be a part of the journey,
but feeling it is not a sign of weakness--merely humanity. We
just don't give in.

We have to handle so much more than others; let's recognize
the strength it has taken to get this far, and know that we are
strong enough to continue, come what may.

Peace.

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