“The first time Queerness occurred to me, I was 12 years old in South Dakota. It occurred to me, at first, like a passing thought. I watched a YouTube video of a group going to an anime convention, all of them varied in gender expression and in Queer relationships, and I thought, ‘Yes, this feels right.’

I had already had crushes on all different types of people. I had no concrete attachment to my gender, aside from feeling aligned toward masculinity at the time—fluidity came to me later in life. My home life was dysfunctional (an understatement), and so explicitly acknowledging my Queerness seems easy in comparison. It was how most other people reacted that made existing as outwardly Queer difficult. South Dakota is still one of the most difficult states in the U.S. to navigate as a Queer individual.

I retreated inwardly for a long time, and rediscovered the full extent of my Queerness and the power of Queer community when I reached adulthood in Maine. Yet, I’ve ALWAYS been in search of connection and the fulfillment of connecting others. Queerly ME embodies this passion, and a lot of what I didn’t have access to growing up, what we all deserve and need to feel belonging. And so, if you find yourself in need of community, reach out. Queerly ME is here for you.”