South Dakota solo trip — Day 1

I made it to South Dakota for a few days of a solo trip to camp, hike, and trail run in the Black Hills & Mt. Rushmore area.  Funny the things one thinks about while driving alone for hundreds of miles.  Towards the end of my drive today, I found myself counting the number ofContinue reading “South Dakota solo trip — Day 1”

My people — Queering relationships

Four guys in a picture. Four smiling young men. The fifth is the one with the good camera and photographer skills, taking the picture.  One is Russian of Ukrainian ethnicity; one is French with a German surname; one is part Italian, part American, part English, part German. They’re different heights, different builds; they have differentContinue reading “My people — Queering relationships”

Conversion therapies of all types must end once and for all

[Note: in addition to gays/lesbians, conversion therapy has also been forced on autistic children/youth in the form of “Applied Behavioral Analysis” therapy, a.k.a. ABA.] Re-blogging an excerpt from one of the LGBTQIA+ organizations here in Colorado:  “This administration is continuing to use harmful rhetoric to stoke fear, chaos, and division within our communities. The recentContinue reading “Conversion therapies of all types must end once and for all”

The important, painful reality of my being ace-aro & autistic

‘[…] Most of us are haunted by the sense there’s something “wrong” or “missing” in our lives — that we’re sacrificing far more of ourselves than other people in order to get by and receiving far less in return.’  [from Chapter 1 of the book Unmasking Autism by Dr. Devon Price] Although seemingly “superficial” andContinue reading “The important, painful reality of my being ace-aro & autistic”

Sweet belonging: a beginning?

A 72% dark chocolate-raspberry bar and a small white envelope with my name on it. Inside, a pretty card with three dangling light-bulbs: “It means so much to have someone here who understands being different in a lot of non-visible ways and also is just so genuinely kind.  Here’s to as many cycles as weContinue reading “Sweet belonging: a beginning?”

Heaviness

I’m feeling sad. It’s a heavy sadness, a dark heaviness that has been weighing on me since Sunday.  I’m feeling sad and exhausted, and almost everything in my life now feels heavy and joyless. On Sunday, I had signed up to race in a local 10k run that has had a nonbinary category for aContinue reading “Heaviness”

The lovely second celebration of my “double anniversary”

Yesterday was my “double anniversary”: three years since my arrival in Colorado, driving through snow storms, on Jan. 26th, 2022; and two years since my gender-affirming top-surgery on Jan. 26th, 2023.  Last year, I celebrated these important milestones partying all weekend, going out dancing two nights in a row with many of my close friendsContinue reading “The lovely second celebration of my “double anniversary””

“Martin Luther King shows us how to harness the immense power of the queer community”

“ Today we honor Martin Luther King, Jr., whose philosophy of nonviolent resistance is one any movement could look to for guidance.  Nonviolent protest is a form of resistance that seeks to create social change by means of civil disobedience or political noncooperation while refraining from violence of any kind.  King’s philosophy of nonviolence wasContinue reading ““Martin Luther King shows us how to harness the immense power of the queer community””

Commemorating the 40th celebration of MLK Jr. Day

“ Martin Luther King (MLK) Jr. Day 2025 marks the holiday’s 40th observance. The theme, “Mission Possible: Protecting Freedom, Justice, and Democracy in the Spirit of Nonviolence 365,” is challenging in this politically polarized era. With this new presidency, we are called to reaffirm our values and hold them against a hard reality in order to provide a promiseContinue reading “Commemorating the 40th celebration of MLK Jr. Day”

“Black rights are queer rights & queer rights are Black rights”

Some valuable excerpts from the article “Civil rights leader David Johns is fighting to reclaim the future for Black & queer America” in LGBTQ Nation: “ “People forget that democracies have to be defended by each generation and that education is its midwife.” … “Culture wars are manufactured to drive wedges” within coalitions working towardContinue reading ““Black rights are queer rights & queer rights are Black rights””