Some blooms for you and a short essay on the meaning of pride written by the amazing @gardenfeminist The Meaning of Pride in an African Context. Pride begins with your delight in yourself. The first time that you experience attraction outside of the norm and you smile your intentions to yourself instead of errupting in hives of self recrimination and fear. Pride is you and the love of your life choosing to make the wonderful, normal but FEAR RIDDEN choice to join one another in love and marriage because your country hasn't yet chosen to make you legal. Pride is the moment you choose a relationship in the face of your family's overt and covert objections. Pride is creating a narrative that works for you and doing your best to thrive within it. Pride is celebrating LGBTQ+ flourisment, in every iteration. Fuck a movement that excludes anyone's narrative. What trash Pride is knowing that we have always existed and that even if we were the fucking first generation of queer people in the history of the world, LGBTQ+ people would deserve EVERYTING that basic heterosexuality gets. LGBTQ people have every right to be rooted in cultures, religions and societies. Orientations also don't cancel our right to privacy. I am personally tired of the "mandatory coming out" narrative which is the largest load of capitalistic, NGO driven western facing bullshit I have ever heard. If being out is your decision, or part of your job, or part of a decision you didn't make, I am not talking to you. I am talking to the people and orgs who relentlessly push a shaming narrative that insists on queer bodies revealing themselves in unsafe contexts for their gratification, profit, gossip, art. Leave us! *************************************************** Have a joyous, safe and affirming #PRIDE2020! 🌈🌈🌈🌈 #pride2020 #lgbtqia #Ownyournarrative #liveyourtruth #nopermissionnecessary #hibiscus #hydrangeas https://www.instagram.com/p/CB-0TWOHmbd/?igshid=1b8rxc82c2mxu