Do you feel supported?

“Do you feel supported?”

They were the words a friend of mine asked me today and to be honest the answer is anything but what I said it was.

For myself my support comes from friends and close allies, from the kindness of shared experiences and the triumph of past trials. I get asked now and then, as most lgbt pavees do if my family supports me. I always say yes.

Today though I'm thinking otherwise. I do not doubt my family loves me, but silence and the denial of the topic while letting me live my life as I do really isn't support. Its an avoidance that just feeds into the illusion of nothing different here and does very little to combat any of the challenges shared. There's no space to connect, to share a relationship with, to talk about romance in tears and laughter, to complain about treatment or celebrate a little bit more of life.

I guess in a way I cant expect too much of people either but here's to taking another proud step forward late Aug at the Galway march. It's my home town and I'm both eagerly awaiting it and dreading it to my bones. About time though, that I support myself too

So... do you feel supported? And if not... how can we change that?

i feel all alone.