06/01/2026
Happy Pride Month 🌈 💕
I contemplated making this post. It’s easy to get lost in the thoughts of “what if.” I never felt the need to flaunt who I am, or to let it define me. I think now more than ever, a post like this needs to be shared. You may think “this nothing to do with photography,” however, if you follow me, I’m the one behind the lens. In a way, it has everything to do with MY photography. I’m a part of the LGBTQ+ community and I believe part of that is speaking up against hate, ignorance, and threats against my community. Being a gay woman in America, I have always felt a sense of comfort knowing that I could truly be myself and not always live in constant fear. Unfortunately, that sense has shifted. Over the last few years, I’ve struggled deeply with fear, insecurity, paranoia, and at times even feared for my existence as a human being. I experienced a deep form of hate and judgement that took a grasp on my mental, emotional, spiritual and physical health. I lived and breathed a life in an area where being who you are is illegal. Waking up every morning knowing that your existence in this world is illegal is debilitating. I was constantly in fight or flight, having to watch my every move and making sure I was not only emotionally safe but physically as well. Certain people made it their mission to know my every move, where I was, what I was doing, who I was with. Rumors ran rampant and my character and my professional position as a caretaker was being questioned, simply because of who I was. To put it bluntly, if was fu***ng awful. People were deep diving into my social media trying to seek “proof” of my sexuality. I was terrified, I was hurting, and to this day I still carry a lot of that fear and hurt. I still have moments of struggle with fight or flight reactions.
…continued in comments…