❝ Let's face it. We're undone by each other. And if we're not, we're missing something. [D]espite one's best efforts, one is undone, in the face of the other, by the touch, by the scent, by the feel, by the prospect of the touch, by the memory of the feel. And so when we speak about my sexuality or my gender [...], we mean something complicated by it. Neither of these is precisely a possession, but both are to be understood as modes of being dispossessed, ways of being for another, or, indeed, by virtue of another. ❞ — J. Butler, Undoing Gender

“We open this issue with this particular quote to highlight that there is intersectionality between love, sexuality and gender. There is constant dialogue really, exchange between those and between us, people, who live with them. We are shaped, and we shape those aspects of ourselves and of others, with personal and shared experiences. An exhange.

A complex exchange, because we, people, are complex beings. There is no roadmap or timeframe for when or how one is supposed to figure out those aspects of themselves. It is the sort of journey that only ends when one's life does. Which is to say, if you think you're late in any way, take a deep breath and know you are not. You've got tomorrow to make experiences and the day after that. So be safe, to preserve a future to make those different experiences.

What we mean by 'be safe' is in the broadest sense. From using protection when having sex, to protect yourself from infections and diseases; to communicating about your own experiences and boundaries with (potential) partners. As well as, in a sadder sense, for people in places where being different, might expose them to unsafe situations or danger. Our hearts go to the homesexual people in Senegal or Iran, but also much closer like trans people in this very country.

[...]

You don't have to be 'out' to be allowed to celebrate, you don't have to officially identify with any of the labels to be allowed to celebrate your difference, and queer communities, more than ever, need their allies. So if you can, show up for them.”

Read the full OP-ED by our very own Mara Feig ( @mara-culous-lady-of-the-bog ) right_here and find more information about all the incoming events celebrating Pride in Metropolis and around right_here!