The Impact of Pride
HAPPY PRIDE, EVERYONE!
I wanted to take a moment and appreciate all my queer siblings. You existing and sharing your experiences and expertise about the queer experience is something that has helped me tremendously, especially as someone who’s neurodivergent.
I started off as not hating gay people, but not completely understanding it either. I hardly even knew what a trans person was, let alone other identities.
That all changed during the pandemic. I was getting even more into Thomas Sanders’ content, especially Sanders Sides, specifically the fandom on YouTube and Instagram. As I perused fan content, explanations of not just gay identities but all sorts of queer identities popped up on my feed. This began my deep hyperfixation on the LGTBQ+ community. I also found queer Latter-day Saint resources and spaces like the Podcast “Questions from the Closet”, “Listen Learn and Love”, and “Lift + Love”. This led to a deconstruction of my faith that continues to this day.
As I continued my hyperfixation, I noticed how people’s experiences reflected mine as someone with ADHD. Someone who had a body and mind that worked differently than others needing to force themselves to be like everyone else and being shamed all for it. Seeing queer people online not just explain their experiences but aiming to be free from society’s pressures helped me in not just my neurodivergent identity but also my personal identity.
I now want to explore more of myself instead of trying to appease everyone. I want to study how my body is, and not what it’s expected to function.
All because queer people helped change my mind and see a new perspective.
Just by existing and showing themselves.
You sharing your experiences and thoughts helps others grow and become more in the long run. You have an impact, even if it’s a small one.
Spoiler alert: it rarely will be
Happy Pride, everyone🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🤟🩷
















