May 11, 20208 minWho I Am at the End of the JourneyMy mother had what some would call a “dirty” pregnancy, meaning my parents weren’t together and my father wasn’t in the picture...
Nov 27, 20199 minForward Is the Only DirectionThose early years were rough on my mother as she was battling demons in the early stages of her alcoholism and drug addiction...
Sep 3, 20198 minWhere I Fit InMy dad was an engineer for a federal contractor and my mom was a homemaker. We ended up having to move around a lot, but eventually...
Jul 24, 20198 minThere Is FreedomGrowing up, I always felt that I was a bit different. I was fascinated by other girls—their outfits, their beauty, their spirit...
Jul 17, 20198 minLife After the ChangeA few months into my first year of college, my mother called my sister and me into her room. From the tone in her voice, anyone could...
Jun 27, 20197 minLove Yourself FirstTim Han, my mentor and savior, taught me that “Our mess is our message.” So, I guess I have a big message because my life has sure been a...
Jun 18, 20197 minAt the Foot of the MountainI couldn’t focus in school and started flunking my classes. Then, I started hanging out with the wrong crowd, which is where I met Sammy...
May 31, 20196 minA Life Not LostMy father was registered as a sex offender. Over time, my father lost all rights to see me, while my mother’s supervised visits were...
May 30, 20197 minFacing My TruthAs innocent eight-year-olds, we didn’t think twice about the fact that I was playing a boy or that two girls were fake married...
May 20, 20197 minFreedom from the Roots Life as a child was one of exploration, advancement, and amazement. I remember movie nights when my older brother, parents, and I...
Mar 8, 20195 minIn the LightWhen I was growing up, the world of the LGBT community was almost strictly for homosexuals, and the idea of being transgender was taboo...
Nov 22, 20187 minAmongst the FogWhen I accepted myself as a lesbian, I was in my 30s, married to a man for 10 years, and had two children. It was the first time I had...
Nov 16, 20186 minA Life That Is WorthyWhen I was a child, I would walk the streets of Lahore, Pakistan, while staring at the dusty pavement below. I did not want to look...
Sep 20, 20187 minLiving My LifeFor years after I came out, I identified as a lesbian, but over time I came to realize that I was bisexual. The time I spent with men...
Sep 12, 20187 minRemoving the MaskWhen I was born, I was assigned male. I grew up in a conservative, Christian suburb of Chicago, Illinois in the 1970s. In those Triassic...
Sep 7, 20186 minTo Open the DoorLoud voices painted the walls of my family’s house in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. We shared laughter and home-cooked meals at our large...
Aug 30, 20187 minA Life of My OwnRemember that episode of The Simpsons when Bart divorces his parents? He moves into a wicked loft-style apartment with what little...
Jul 27, 20187 minMy Own Kind of Normal I was always considered a weird kid, which didn’t sit well with my Jewish parents who desperately wanted everything in life to be “normal..
Jul 25, 20188 minAll I Ever KnewI stood outside in the two-acre backyard of my new home in Hesperia, California. The High Desert became the new place I would call home...
Jun 27, 201811 minDespite the FearI’m a native New Yorker of the Upper East Side, born in January of 1956. My parents gave me a lot of freedom, and I took advantage...