12:56 min
CLEAR ALL
Creating spaces where the need to assimilate, conform, and belong are no longer important
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La Sarmiento has been a leader of American LGBTQ and people-of-color Buddhist communities for close to a decade. I caught up with the trans, queer Filipino teacher before a silent retreat to discuss the dynamics of race and gender in a world that is typically White, cisgender and straight.
Who gave Jonathan Van Ness permission to be the radiant human he is today? No one, honey. The truth is, it hasn’t always been gorgeous for this beacon of positivity and joy.
Now revised and updated for the 21st century, Becoming Gay is the classic guide on how to accept one’s homosexuality. By exploring the psychological development of gay men through personal case histories—including his own—Dr.
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Ideas of visibility and the closet have largely been shaped by white America and the gay liberation movement of the 1970s. Refusing to subscribe to this narrative gives us space to connect with our gender, our culture and our sexuality on our own terms.
They reflect on rewards, challenges of living authentically.
But being your authentic self is now more important than ever.
Although society has made many strides in queer acceptance and visibility, coming out at work is still a monumental—and sometimes risky—task for many LGBTQ workers.
Being able to safely affirm one’s gender identity and sexual orientation is crucial to mental and physical well-being. Yet many LGBTQIA+ people face enormous challenges in owning their true identities.
It’s hard enough coming out, but playing basketball for a nationally ranked school and trying to figure out your sexual identity in the closeted and paranoid world of big-time college sports—that’s a challenge.