"There is an unmarked manila envelope waiting for you in your mailbox. What is in it?"
It is, of course, something I put there and forgot about. I put it there, in the envelope, to remind myself to do it. (Whatever 'it' is.) And I put it in a manila envelope to give it a sense of excitement: I am far more likely to get excited about doing something if it comes with a gadget (like a stopwatch) or a lovely bit of stationery.
This is probably a folder full of rough flyer designs, poster designs, rough 'lesson plans' and clippings of LGBTQIA+ books, films, reviews etc (like the one I just tore out of The Big Issue): I must work more on my 2Headed Giraffe project!
What is this? Well I'm collecting and sharing stories of the LGBTQIA+ experience - trying to raise awareness of the homophobia that still exists in the UK. (I used to, naiively, think everything was fine here now, but talking to my gay, bi, trans and lesbian friends, I'm learning this is not the case. Obviously things are much better than in other places, but there still are a lot of problems. Like an underlying homophobia - hidden, but when you scratch the surface....)
One of the things I must do is share 2 errors of my own. I won't share them here - that's for the other website, BUT what I want to note is that I'm gradually learning more, and realising where I have stupid prejudices (hopefully small ones, which I must correct!), where I don't understand, and where I combine these things, or am flippant, and think I am perfectly tolerant and accepting but actually sometimes I don't think before I speak and say something offensive. (Thank you to my LGBTQIA+ friends who kindly let these things slide or, if necessary, kindly call me on these errors and are helping me to learn.) I thought I was the perfect ally - the Queen of accepting who never put a foot wrong. But I do. I think not intentionally, but it is amazing, and somewhat demoralising, when you realise this is not actually the case.
So yes, I'm walking along and over the rainbow and seeing more and more (including my own reflection).
It is, of course, something I put there and forgot about. I put it there, in the envelope, to remind myself to do it. (Whatever 'it' is.) And I put it in a manila envelope to give it a sense of excitement: I am far more likely to get excited about doing something if it comes with a gadget (like a stopwatch) or a lovely bit of stationery.
This is probably a folder full of rough flyer designs, poster designs, rough 'lesson plans' and clippings of LGBTQIA+ books, films, reviews etc (like the one I just tore out of The Big Issue): I must work more on my 2Headed Giraffe project!
What is this? Well I'm collecting and sharing stories of the LGBTQIA+ experience - trying to raise awareness of the homophobia that still exists in the UK. (I used to, naiively, think everything was fine here now, but talking to my gay, bi, trans and lesbian friends, I'm learning this is not the case. Obviously things are much better than in other places, but there still are a lot of problems. Like an underlying homophobia - hidden, but when you scratch the surface....)
One of the things I must do is share 2 errors of my own. I won't share them here - that's for the other website, BUT what I want to note is that I'm gradually learning more, and realising where I have stupid prejudices (hopefully small ones, which I must correct!), where I don't understand, and where I combine these things, or am flippant, and think I am perfectly tolerant and accepting but actually sometimes I don't think before I speak and say something offensive. (Thank you to my LGBTQIA+ friends who kindly let these things slide or, if necessary, kindly call me on these errors and are helping me to learn.) I thought I was the perfect ally - the Queen of accepting who never put a foot wrong. But I do. I think not intentionally, but it is amazing, and somewhat demoralising, when you realise this is not actually the case.
So yes, I'm walking along and over the rainbow and seeing more and more (including my own reflection).