Read on Twitter
There is nothing wrong with being young and queer and having opinions! We need young queers and your power! You're part of our community too!
What we don't need, at any age, however, is people who talk over other community members, who rewrite history, and attack other queers.
What we don't need, at any age, however, is people who talk over other community members, who rewrite history, and attack other queers.
I know you feel like you've learned certain things about queerness (or being LGBTQ+ if the reclamation of queer doesn't apply for you) follow very strict rules. I'm asking you to listen to those of us who don't fit easy rules, because gender and sexuality are complicated.
Queerness has always been categorically messy. It's part of WHY the reclamation of queer took place as it did, because trying to fit everyone into simple boxes is a losing proposition--it's why we keep expanding the LGBTQ+ acronym, because we keep finding people we've missed.
When you don't understand someone's identity, THAT'S FINE! You don't have to! You can try to understand by listening to them and their experiences. Or you can be comfortable with not-understanding and let them live their life!
I promise that someday you, too, are going to reach a stage of adulthood where the world and identity change faster than you can always keep up and you're going to need the skills of being okay with not-knowing and listening and learning. You're never going to know it all.
We love you and want you to have community, both among those your age and with elders who can help you see where we've been so that you can help decide where we're going. To share community you have to be able to listen and coexist. I'm asking all of us to hone those skills.
