Blog

Independence, for us, was never declared once and settled. It has been negotiated in increments: a marriage ruling here, a city ordinance there, a workplace policy there, a fragile sense of safety that still depends too much on which state line, family system, church, workplace, or neighborhood you happen to be standing in.

A medida que las celebraciones del Orgullo llenan el Valle de Coachella durante todo el verano, también vemos un aumento en las fiestas de alberca y eventos centrados en el agua, la conexión y la comunidad. Pero para muchas personas trans y de género expansivo, estos espacios pueden venir acompañados de ansiedad, miedo y vulnerabilidad. 

Sacred Wounds is a weekly LGBTQ+ only support group for individuals who were impacted by religion—whether you grew up within a religious or spiritual system or experienced religion as a powerful presence in your family, caregivers, or home environment. For many, these influences shaped identity, self-worth, and belonging in painful, confusing, or harmful ways.

Coming out was not a single moment for me. It was a slow, internal reckoning. There were no visible role models in Las Vegas at the time. No openly lesbian public figures lighting the way. If there were others like me, they were navigating the same fear, the same coded language. It still took me until I was 38 to officially come out!

Lately, I’ve been reflecting deeply on queer joy: what it means to me, and how it ripples through our community and our loved ones.

I am the son of an incredibly resilient,  strong black woman who understood the power of community.

For many of us, coming out is both an act of courage and a lifelong process. Each disclosure is a leap of faith, a hope that the person on the other side will hold our truth with care. And yet, coming out is only half the story.
What if we focused on the idea of coming in?

Ser parte del comité de planificación realmente cambió mi perspectiva sobre los asuntos LGBTQ+ en el Este del Valle de Coachella. Siempre había pensado que todos los eventos LGBTQ+ estaban fuera de mi alcance, ocurriendo demasiado lejos para que yo pudiera ser parte de ellos. Cuando llegó el Orgullo del ECV, empecé a darme cuenta de que tenía más comunidad cerca de casa.

¿Cómo podría olvidar el momento en que mi hermana confesó que le gustaban las chicas? Estábamos entre clases—yo en tercer grado y ella en cuarto. Recuerdo haberla aceptado tal como es. En mi inocencia, no existía el juicio. Solo acepté su verdad. Sin dudar. Sin preguntar. Sin juzgar. Solo aceptación y amor.