Board:   [WWIVnet] General Chat
Subject: Pride Month Does Matter
From:    Utopian Galt #1 @815
Date:    Sat Jun 20, 2026 00:20

- Warning a bit of trauma dumping in this piece of poetry.

I knew there was something up with me since middle school
The early years were the start of a realization
That I have a different sensibility
A reality that would make my life different
Knowing that there would be a possibility that this would be my reality
Realizing that my reality was going to be evident
Seeing a poster on a wall on a school trip thinking that am I part of that community?
Sharing some common ground with a singer knowing that we have a shared perspective

High school led to a realization that there is no room for beautiful
Conundrum of conformity leading me to abandon my interests so I can settle in with the majority
Knowing that I am not exactly part of this reality
Changing my interests so I can survive
Unfortunately people sense the real you before you can understand yourself
Facing harassment and violence because they do not want you to be
It was not magical in a time before civil rights protection
Wish I could have found a knight to be my savior
Chased on a street walking home rescued by a motorist fed up with the harassment
Violently dunked in a pool before the end of a school year
Wish I could have flourished
The past is only a memory
But internalized trauma makes the future harder to navigate
For one to see a better sense of self

Older people morning the reality they could have had today
Imagining a time where our crushes and relationships would have been celebrated
Wish I could have had the fortitude to be brave
There is a need for pride
So we can celebrate the survivors and make sure the present is never like the past
Our lives may not be the same
However special people should have the right to shine on

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