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¿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.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Mother’s Day just so happens to be in May as well, so I am going to share a story about my mom and the topic of mental health.

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month—a time to recognize the people who help bring our mission to life every single day. At The LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert, volunteers are more than helpers; they are co-creators of the vibrant, welcoming community we envision—where LGBTQ+ people can thrive and live authentically in supportive, inclusive spaces.

I read a great post on Instagram this week that was a beautiful reminder and validated so many of my current feelings. Trey (@whatsonemorepothos) said “trans people do more than die” and called for a collective response rooted in abolition where we look inside of ourselves and between us interpersonally to change beliefs and behaviors. Anyone consuming media of any kind right now knows that we are witnessing violent attacks and attempted erasure of our trans histories and identities.

We all have parts. These parts are sometimes the voices in our head offering guidance, sometimes they are the behaviors we wish we didn’t have like overindulging in sweets or lashing out at those we love. Sometimes there are parts in conflict with one another, part of me wants to go to the gym but another part of me is quite comfortable here on the couch binging Netflix. Some parts we like and others we loathe.

Deciding to move to a new state is a big decision and if you are a member of the transgender community there can be many more additional layers to consider. Beyond the usual factors one needs to consider whether the state they are moving to is trans-affirming. A supportive environment can make a huge difference in your well-being, so here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing to relocate.

As we brace for an administration threatening mass deportations and rollbacks of LGBTQ+ rights, I ground myself in my lineage of resilience.

When I say resilience, I don’t mean some vague optimism. I mean the very real resilience of my people – queer, trans, people of color, women, immigrants, and more. I often say that the world we know today was not made for us, as queer and trans people. And yet, my people have endured unkind worlds and fought for their rights.

There are many things in this world we need to feel secure about, but it does not dawn on the average person that there are neighbors, family and friends who are not food secure, and they would never know. It is second nature to say, “I’m going home to eat;” “Let’s go out and eat tonight,” “Where are we eating tonight?” For many, those questions are NEVER or rarely posed.

I’ll never forget how I felt the time I put on a Quinceañera dress. The night before my sister’s celebration I sneaked into her room and put on her shiny white dress with dozens of bright pink 6-inch roses sewn all over. I was 8 years old, and this was my dream. The lavish dress was obviously large enough to cover me completely from head to toe, but I didn’t care. I looked into the mirror, twirled, and danced for several minutes and pretended it was the day of my Quince. I also tried on the 3-inch heels that matched the color of the roses, even though my small feet kept slipping out with every step. Those brief five to seven minutes gave me great joy and satisfaction and that is when I realized I was a bit different than most kids my age.