Power In Numbers
Being a queer person in the Midwest can at many times feel isolating- where I feel like such an outsider in comparison to those around me- where in some spaces I feel like I should hide parts of my queer identity for safety and security. Here in San Francisco, that fear and “outsider mentality” is mostly non-existent- as people here are just as queer as I am. I’m not looking forward to going home and feeling like an outsider again.
In the time I have been here, I have seen various aspects of queer life represented in both the films I have seen, and the folks attending them. Many of the films that I have attended have represented queer life in ways that I haven’t seen portrayed in films before. From The Mattachine Family, a story that follows a queer couple navigating the process of adopting a child, to Out of Uganda, a documentary that features life in Uganda as a queer person where your very existence could result in death- quite a few films at this year’s Frameline film festival have reminded me just how vast the queer experience is and how ever evolving it continues to be.
This year, I have had the opportunity to talk to many local queer business and organizations, and as I am writing this will soon talk to folks at San Francisco’s trans march and pride parade. Many of the folks that I have talked to have expressed the importance of supporting the various pockets in our community that continue to be marginalized. In places that are designed to be welcoming spaces for queer folks like San Francisco, it might not always feel as welcoming of a space for everyone under the umbrella. Just in my short time here, I have been misgendered more than once, just from walking down the street or watching a film. In spaces that should feel so accepting, at times it doesn’t feel as welcoming as it could be to those that are not cis-presenting. It stings a little bit more when I get misgendered in a space like San Francisco, as it’s a reminder on the work we have to continue to do to make everyone in the queer community feel accepted in queer spaces.
I’m looking forward to attending the marches and pride parades this year. After a year of politicians and law makers creating and passing bills in order to erase our very existence, I’m excited to be in an environment that in its entirety is a response to those that continue to attack our community. I’m also curious to see how different it will be in comparison to last year’s experience. This year, I just have to remember to pack sunscreen :)
