I had to see the possibilities and opportunities to know that it was worth it— to know I was worth it. — Growing up, I didn’t know what it meant to be queer or trans. But somewhere along the way, I internalized messages that being this way was a negative thing. I thought gay and trans were “feelings” you had to suppress to avoid hardship and reap the privileges of fitting in. — I was 19 when I came out I as queer. There were many moments leading up to this that indicated I wasn’t straight or cis. But when I think back to when I realized I deserved to know, love and freely explore my gender and sexuality, I recall being in my room at my parents house watching the L word— in secret. — As the start of season 1, I couldn’t even openly acknowledge my interest in the show, let alone consider watching it on the family TV. It felt too risky. But that summer in the midwest, when I was overwhelmed with fear about the ways my sexual identity was going to limit and isolate me, the L word gave me hopes and aspirations beyond my wildest dreams. It gave me a glimpse into a future I wanted, but I didn’t know existed or was possible. — I was in awe that a major network produced a TV show where being gay was a positive thing. Of course being queer or trans on the L word came with challenges, but the opportunities and possibilities were infinite and invaluable—community, freedom of expression, sexual liberation, shared experiences, opportunities for self-love, body autonomy and ownership, confidence, pride. The L word helped me see these essential parts of what being queer and trans can mean. — Thank you to @them, @showtime, and @sho_thelword for reminding us that positive and authentic LGBTQ+ representation in media supports individual growth and social progress in real life. You helped 19 year old me see a life and love that existed beyond my physical environment, social network, and limited framework for understanding. I can’t wait to see the hope Generation Q will inspire. Read my interview with them. and SHOWTIME here: http://bit.ly/363kvCe #TheLWord #ad