I need to share this.

Hey all! Happy June, and Happy Pride.

I don’t think I have ever officially posted this on a blog like this, but I am pansexual and non-binary. I don’t talk about it often outside of the internet, but it was one of those things where apparently everyone knew before I came out (or even knew myself.)

Coming to terms with it was hard, especially given the mostly Southern Baptist environment I was raised in. There were beliefs that I have been around for almost my entire life that had now come into question. And I felt guilty… Like I was horrible for feeling that way. I felt like that for so long and I tried to adhere to the faith I was raised in and thought I held.

I am so lucky that I had amazing people who were there for me to help me feel seen and valid. Some of my closest and most cherished relationships have come from my journey as a queer person. (And most of them are authors just like me!)

I was published for the first time because a LGBTQ+ friendly publisher decided to take a chance on an eighteen-year-old’s debut novella. I was able to successfully navigate a semester at a very conservative christian university because I had queer internet friends who were very smart and said “Hey, for the sake of safety maybe don’t come out to people there.” I went to my first furry convention because of an amazing fellow queer author. My best friend and my partner (Two different people) are literally my rock right now.

And I can’t even begin to tell you how big of an affect my queer journey has had on my writing. I’m sure you’ll be able to see it as more comes out! (>:3) Might even make a list of some of my favorite queer characters I have written.

So, if you’re in the LGBTQ+ community, I hope you have a lovely pride month. You are amazing, loved, valid, and don’t you dare let anyone tell you that your identity is wrong or shameful.