Happy pride month to little me who used to pinch the side of his wrist anytime he thought a boy was cute, who laid in bed at night wanting to fade away forever, who sharpied his nails black hoping a grownup would see and see if something was wrong, who hid gay books under his underwear drawer, who suffered in silence letting self hatred brew around in the back of his head for hours on end, who wasnโt allowed to have simple middle school crushes in peace because his identity was politicized and demonized simultaneously. And happy pride to all the others who felt like this as kids and all the kids who are feeling like this now. ๐ณ๏ธโ๐ image is from my book โOther Boys.โ