Before I had access to the internet, I had very few sources I could go to for guidance. If it wasn't something I could ask my parents or learn at school, I was pretty much on my own.
While that might have been fine for others around my age at the time, it wasn't enough for me. I was someone who struggled to fit in and be like everyone else, so the straightforward explanations that worked for others never seemed to work for me. Realizing that other people weren't dealing with the feelings I was struggling with, I started to believe that there was something wrong with me; that I was broken. Afraid of what would happen if others found out, I withdrew from everyone and did my best to hide what made me different. This was the only option I had before I cobbled together my own computer and started connecting with others on the internet.
Originally, I had only intended to use the internet to gain access to drawing tutorials, music, and childhood cartoons, but in searching for these things I stumbled upon the Furry Fandom. I was immediately drawn into this community and created an online presence to explore and engage with it. What I found was a diverse range of people who not only accepted me for my differences, but even shared and supported them. For the first time, I realized I wasn't alone in my struggles to understand how and why I felt the ways I did. The mysterious feelings I could never find answers for now had names, community, and entire resources dedicated to their understanding and expression. Instead of rejecting myself as I feared the world would, I started to accept myself as my friends and community had.
Considering that my own personal growth and self-acceptance was made possible because of the LGBT+ community, I can't express how important it is that LGBT+ resources are visible and accessible to others who are struggling.
A hard fact of being born is that we don't have any choice over many of the factors that define and influence who we are. We don't get to choose our parents, our communities, or even what foods we like; sexuality is no different. We do not choose our biological sex or who/what we feel attraction towards, nor did we choose the expectations others placed on us based on our sex. Despite this, many LGBT+ people live in abusive environments that criminalize, ostracize, and discriminate against them for simply existing.
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Thank you for taking the time to read through this article!
I hope this has been helpful in providing context to a community I hold very close to my heart. If you have any questions or would like to know more, feel free to contact me at zenfetchernexus@gmail.com