What?!?! I made the Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2022! This brings me joy. I’m being celebrated by Forbes for our work to end conversion therapy in Aoteaora New Zealand. But somehow it’s not just about me. I think about the little Pacific and Asian queer children feeling hopeful that they have a happy future when they see queer adults celebrated. It gives them a reason to keep fighting in a world that is full of endless anti-queer bigotry. Queer children deserve stories of happy queer adults. The process of healing from my queerphobic childhood is ongoing. Oh, I never imagined as a little brown trans kid of making it out of my transphobia in my little village. I believed that my life would start and end with hiding my true self. And now here I am; unapologetically queer and proud. I hope my journey tells other queer people to hang on - things do change. There is an entire community of people waiting to love and celebrate you. #forbesunder30 #forbesu30asia