Queer Spaces

The country where I live is very accepting of queer culture and people, more so than most countries in the world, but there is still and I think always will be a barrier between queer people and straight/cis people, even if they're an ally. As a teenager I have felt this barrier more and more as I grow older. Im very lucky to go to a school that is open and accepting, but the majority of the students are straight/cis. No matter where I am, even when I'm with my amazing friends (who are all massive allies) I still feel like an outsider, like I don't belong. There will always be a part of myself that they just do not understand, no matter how much they try. 

I have queer friends purely because we seem to always find each other and group together, but a lot of the time we hang out either as a duo or in a large group with all sorts of people I know and don't know. Im rarely in a group of purely or 90% queer people.

Recently, I've been branching out in my community. I have stoing opinions and a loud voice and I want to make them heard and change the world for the better if I can. I was in a youth club for a while, and I can still remember the high I had after attending it for the first time. It was maybe 10 or so people my age, and they were all queer. there were rainbows everywhere and everyone had dyed hair and hugged everyone. It was a conservatives nightmare, but my dream. I went home that day and I couldn't stop smiling. being in a predominantly queer space for the first time as a queer youth is life changing. the feeling of being accepted, belonging and feeling free to express yourself is a feeling I don't get anywhere else, even with people who love me for me and wear rainbow pins, but are themselves straight. 

Since that day, I've visited a couple more organizations where the population is mostly queer youth, and every time it's the same feeling. If you are a queer youth and you feel like you just don't belong anywhere no matter what, branch out. go outside your comfort zone to meet new people and try new things. Find clubs and organizations in your city and go to them. Alone or with friends. The anxiety and fear you may have before going will be worth it for the results.

Im so so lucky to live in a country where freedom is a garuntee. I can wear a rainbow flag on the streets and not worry about getting harassesed. Ive faced my fair share of assault and bullying because of the way I look, but none of it is life-threatening. 

if you live in a country where this is not something you feel comfortable doing, out of fear, I'm truly sorry. No one deserves to live in fear because of something they cannot change. I hope that you can either move away or find some friends that accept you for you. 

Either way, we need to protect the few queer spaces this world has, and continue to build more. Communities where openness and acceptance are encouraged, and everyone has gone through similar experiences to each other are crucial for raising a new generation void of hatred, apartheid, and learnt homophobia and transphobia.