3rd Anniversary of Pulse ... A Reflection

Today June 12 is the 3rd Anniversary of Pulse

Today I listened to their names once again

Today I Re-Read Love is Love

Today I donated and remembered what I wrote right after Pulse Occurred

Orlando Sunday

I would have written

Different words

On a Different Topic

But today 

Tragedy came

And not to speak of it

Would be another form of tragedy

We morn for Orlando

We morn for all those who were killed

We morn all those who were injured

In a time a place

When we have become numb

To the Tragedies all around us

This hits home

In a hard to explain way

That brings tears

To my eyes at random moments ever since 

We morn for Orlando

We morn for all those who were killed

We morn all those who were injured

Where being bold and big and beautiful

Leads others to hate

Where the sanctuary and safety of clubs and dancing

Is destroyed in a moment

When today's tragedy echos back through time

Reverberations of Stonewall

Reverberations of The UpStairs Lounge Fire

Reverberations of Today's all too frequent killing of Queer Trans Women of Color

We morn for Orlando

We morn for all those who were killed

We morn all those who were injured

We will morn

For what has been

For what still is

And we will face our fears

Knowing our safety

Knowing our community

Are ever fragile things.

We morn for Orlando

We morn for all those who were killed

We morn all those who were injured

We will grab the hands of history

And stand hand in hand

With each other

With all those struggling

To let their amazingness shine through

We shall not be moved

We Shall Not Be Moved

We morn for Orlando

We morn for all those who were killed

We morn all those who were injured

Someday we will truly be free

Someday the arch of justice will finally reach the ground

Someday this will become History

Not History repeated

Today was a great Tragedy

But tonight I light a candle and stand in hope

In the wise words of Lin-Manuel Miranda

Love is Love is Love is Love is Love is Love is Love

Privilege, Passing, Pride

There have been so many tragedies over the years

Which could not be escaped

But this one hit close to home

I have been searching my soul

And wrestling with the privilege I have

As a HeteroRomantic Ace

The privilege of others lack of imagination

Which lets my identity fly under the radar unnoticed, unhated

The privilege of safe places and safe communities

Of a recent History where it felt like, we all who are people of the LGBTQ rainbow, had only found victories and celebrations and steps forward.

The privilege of “Passing”

Of not having to worry about each held hand or each stolen kiss

Like so many of my brothers and sisters do

Pride in my identity as Ace

But knowing I will always have privileges that others do not

And always feeling like I am trespassing on LGBTQ Holy ground

I have no answers

Only Questions

I Have Privilege

I am Passing

I am full of Pride

But as I keep being reminded

I will never truly feel

What so many of my brothers and sisters feel everyday

The Fear

The Sorrow

The Uncertainty

I mourn for my community

I mourn for my community

I mourn for my community

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And tonight on this 3rd anniversary 

I shall have a dance party in their honor 

Because as my T-shirt today says