“Pride, for me, means standing your ground and standing in your truth. But first you have to identify what that truth is. I have a lot of pride in myself and who I am, so I exude that into the world. For a long time I felt ashamed or just judged but the work honestly starts from the inside. You have to be brave and be ready to accept yourself but also understand that not everybody has the space to do that. Social toxicity is a real thing. Don’t be hard on yourself, take it slow and do it on your own time.

“[Pride month] is important because it brings visibility and awareness to our community. As I have gotten older, I have seen so many people come out and really be themselves. Social media also [is a tool that plays a role in] allowing people to feel confident about expressing who they are without shame. That visibility creates community, and that community creates comfort for people to just exist.

“[I hope to continue using my platform to promote] acceptance and respect for the community as a whole. It is frustrating when closed-minded people just make it hard for people to live. It makes me sad. Especially sad for our trans sisters [who] are [being] killed. It is important for me to be there for them in any way that I can. [We need to] protect and support, that is what matters.”