Being gay during my youth was not always easy. I was called a fag a few times, before I even knew what gay or homosexuality was, but I knew it was meant to hurt. It was also an oppressive social directive to not be authentic me — to act more “masculine.” The proverbial closet was not a safe space to hide from others’ derision of my lack of compliance to gender and sexual norms.
There are additional intersectional layers being visibly racialized and from a Catholic, working-class immigrant, adoptive (amazing) family living in the small town of Oshawa that complicated experiencing true inclusion; however, looking back, I realize that there were many blessings along my journey.
The blessings included being born in Canada, adopted by a loving family, and surrounded by many positive lights, who are still good friends to this day. My journey of being a social chameleon to navigate spaces where I wasn’t readily welcome also awakened me to hegemonic social narratives that allow me to be a critical educator – a superpower to name, challenge, and restory.
Living, and continuing to learn, my authentic self — a privilege for many — has enabled me to live a great life within great communities. For this I’m proud. However, I believe that with great pride comes great responsibility – which is so important in this moment in time and within our obligations in the teaching of the Eighth Fire Prophecy to educate, to change, to care, to save, and to love for the better world that should have been.