Last year was all about change for me, and by change I mean exposure. I was brought into so many situations that I had no knowledge of, but welcomed each one with open arms. To me that is to live, and in order to live freely you have to be open to understanding. Within this past year I have met some of the most confident people I've ever encountered in my life and guess what!? They were gay! Yes, I said it, they were 100% fabulously homosexual and I love them more than words can say. I was brought into the gay world of Church street here in Toronto by some of the most valued people in my life. Sure, we have our differences, but never once did I feel unaccepted. As a female that can be considered attractive, the task of going out to clubs and bars to be treated like a piece of meat eventually got tiring for me. So instead, I would either dress my best, or like absolute garbage and go out with my group of gay friends. The beauty of it was that I wasn't there to look for anything, in fact I wasn't even a target and any compliments I did receive felt truly genuine. I was in love and I received an abundance of it right back. I felt comfortable for once in my life, I could dance however I wanted, not have to worry about my drinks and know that I was safe no matter what.Â
The most amazing part of my whole experience was my one on one encounters with some of the most beautiful drag queens known to man. I had the opportunity to get to know them on a personal level. I was given the chance to be welcomed into their homes and cuddle up and watch late night movies with some of these incredible people. It was only then that I realized what true confidence really was; to be able to get up on a stage and preform to a crowd after being so heavily scrutinized to me was an inspiration. Some of these beautiful people have lived the some of the hardest lives, which were far more painful than anything the average person could ever know and yet they can still get up there and give it their all. When you can find a strong enough love in yourself to do exactly what makes you happy, you automatically gain my respect. There are the people that gave me the strength to be as strong as I am, and it was simply their presence that gave it to me. For this reason I have this fight in me to defend, and to stand up for the homosexual community like no other. What they mean to me cannot be explained it just a few words, it is now a part of who I am and if I'm going to fight for anything it might as well be myself. I take homophobic comments and behavior personally and I will not stand for it, even my friends will tell you. There is no bliss in ignorance, only a lack of true understanding for the essence of life. All in all I just want to thank the universe for my open mind and for allowing me this blessing of experience. I love my world and the people in it that continue to make my life a miracle with each passing day.Â
