Pride never ends …just like rainbows
Did you know that rainbows can be viewed as a full circle in rare situations? However, due to the positioning of the Sun and the angle you’re viewing them from, they tend to fade and appear as a semi-circle.
Rainbows really are so fitting with the queer (aka LGBT+) community. I love that the colours represent the broad diversity and true vibrancy of our community. But the idea that rainbows ‘never end’, meaning we are all one group with endless identities and expressions, whether visible or not, is also a really nice thought.
As ‘Pride season’ comes to an end here in London, I want to take this time to point out that Pride actually never ends — even if brands don’t have a colourful version of their logo on their storefront or Instagram profile. Just as long as I’m queer, I am proud of my queerness (read more about my thoughts on companies supporting Pride here).
Although our society lacks adequate education, representation and acceptance of us, the true spirit of Pride for me is a constant sense of self-acceptance, self-empowerment and self-respect that exists regardless of the time of year or progressiveness of society. Whether one is truly familiar with their identity/expression or not, or whether one has found a safe space to express who they are or not, deep inside we must realise that we are valid, our experience is acceptable and we can be loved for who we truly are.
Writing about such sensitive topics on behalf of the community and being so public about my own experiences have been quite a challenge for my mental wellness. As I’ve continued the Queer T-Shirts project onto its second year, while persevering through the anxiety & self-doubt I’ve had surrounding it, I’ve really felt the validation on how important and needed this project really is thanks to such a positive response from people.
Possibly due to the severities around queer issues that I do not experience as a cis-gay male*, I’ve had people imply that my queer experience, particularly with heteronormativity*, is a non-issue. This only validated the anxiety and self-doubt I already had before starting the project, such as the legitimacy of the ‘Don’t Presume I’m Straight’ T-shirt which is the most sensitive to me personally. But after hearing so many people reach out to me and resonate with this message, it has been incredibly reassuring for my own queer identity and expression. (*I explain what all this means in full detail in the Queer T-Shirts zine)
Having said all this about ‘Pride season’, I do feel I need to focus on other topics as part of my artistic expression for this account. You’ll see less queer related content as I post about other things but the tees will still be available through my site. I hope you’ll enjoy what else is to come from MUNDANE Zine! ✊❤️
