Dre Cáceres: "The Stonewall Uprising did not rise out of nowhere, and it was not an isolated incident."

Joe Duncan: "Most etymology websites place the beginnings of the word 'gay' in the 12th century C.E., meaning 'happy,' with a man named Philippus de Gay, whose name slowly evolved into an adjective meaning the same (he must’ve been a cheery fellow). Unfortunately, these websites omit 2,000 years of the word’s history."

Zivah Avraham: "My wife took years to find her path, to feel even the slightest level of comfort in the civilian world. She’s still uncomfortable with a simple act such as holding hands in public. That is just one scar that 12 years of Armed Forces subterfuge leaves."

Cole Haddon: "We all just want to live our lives on our own terms. Maybe that’s why Queen’s song endures as an anthem of both self-liberation and political liberation—it promises tomorrow won’t always be like this."

Here's one article in a month-long series called ‘Dear Little Queer Me,' in celebration of Pride month. An excerpt: "Estong, your greatest enemy will be yourself. The only one who will keep stopping you from living the life you truly deserve is you. I know it’s scary, and I know you will often be confused, but you will be proud of yourself. Because one day, you will stand up, not for other people (and not for their expectations of who you’re supposed to be), but you will stand up for you."

Julio Vincent Gambuto: "You are not the final generation. The progress of the queer rights movement was not meant to create you then stop... The freedom to be yourself was given to you by generations of people whom you will never know. Pass it on to the next generation—even if their version of it looks different than yours."

Codi Charles: "my rage was always dark, and for a long time mascaraded and paraded as something else. something less and something easy."

Henrik Hageland: "You don’t come out just once as a homosexual. It happens in small stages. It happens every time you change jobs or enter new social contexts."

Keith Turner, United Methodist pastor: "For those reading my words today, living in fear, and hiding because you feel you have no other choice, I honor you. I honor the bravery you possess to live each day, doing what you have to do."

"If we assume that the past was always more regressive than the present, we might miss the sex positivity that has existed throughout history. We should be aware of the potential for progress in the future, even as we study the past..." —Faithe J Day, writer and educator

"This one made me cry. A history of trans athletes in Olympic sports about 80-90 years ago, including a quote where it was said that it 'seems like the fad of the times' to transition" —CJ Baker, Senior Accountant @ Medium

Pax Ahimsa Gethen: "What it comes down to is I see running outdoors as my birthright as a human being: Moving my body, unrestricted, while feeling the sunlight on my bare skin, getting a natural source of vitamin D and endorphins."

Eleanor Rice: "I’m sure plenty of people might judge me because I choose to avoid identifying myself as queer on government documents, and there’s a case to be made that I’m helping keep unjust power structures in place."

"This story is by trans man and Prism & Pen editor Logan Silkwood, who worked for Human Rights Campaign (HRC) as a canvassing manager until quite recently. HRC didn't want him telling this story last year, but he's recently changed jobs, so he's free to share. The story is a powerful testimony of how vigorously the Pride movement is spreading into small-town America, even in the face of violent threats. It's also testimony to the effectiveness of non-violent advocates like the Parasol Patrol, though that's quite a minor element to this piece." —James Finn, editor of Prism & Pen

"A personal story from queer writer, Clay Hand, who has covered everything from nightlife to activism. This is a meditation on the death of their estranged grandfather, a sculptor, a painter, and an owner of a cold English heart." —Jay Ludlow Martin, editor of Human Parts

"Kim Kelly Stamp had the traditional heterosexual marriage, complete with a white lacy dress. At 50, she wanted out. This time, she would live life on her own terms. She has always been attracted to women, but the late ‘70s wasn’t a great time to come out. Then she changed her life entirely. From Kim’s story: 'For the first time, I allowed myself to envision what a happy life might look like.'" —Deb Groves Harman, editor of The Narrative Arc

"Speaking of the power of Pride in small town America and of non-violence, this piece by occasional P&P contributor Fay Wilde packs quite an emotional wallop. She just marched in a Pride parade for the first time in her middle-aged life, in her small hometown in the deeply red Black Hills of South Dakota. She expected to be scared, and sometimes she was, but she ended up literally dancing down the street to applause and cheers. There was an "incident" as she puts it, but a well organized nonviolent response kept everything well in hand." —James Finn, editor of Prism & Pen

"Loving Black queer and trans folxs ain’t easy. It takes courage and energy—unlearning what we’ve been taught about the human experience, thinking deeply on who taught us about the human experience, and boldness to radically decenter ourselves as we learn more about the human experience." —Codi Charles

"This story really spoke to me. I think we don't talk enough about how bisexuals are erased, sidelined, and dismissed, even by other queer people, sometimes. I'm an avid fiction reader and writer, and I believe fiction reflects societal attitudes, too. So I especially resonated with Casey's in-depth analysis of bisexual representation in books." —Sieran Lane, editor of Prism & Pen

"The art I make feels like a place we can travel to, away from binary classification and all that it brings." —Brian Vu, photographer and multimedia artist