I grew up in a rural Kansas town of 800 people in the heart of the state. My upbringing was shaped by a conservative, evangelical community where homosexuality was condemned from the pulpit and targeted by public bullying. Words like "faggot" echoed through school hallways, often followed by violence. These early lessons in rejection often come before we even understand or accept ourselves.

This piece reflects a journey familiar to many LGBTQIA+ individuals from the Midwest and other conservative areas. Knowing you aren’t accepted by your family or community is deeply isolating, often forcing us to leave—sometimes without knowing where we’ll be safe. For me, that journey led to New York. But this journey isn’t always geographical; it’s often internal, a path toward radical self-love and acceptance. We come to realize that the only approval we may receive is from ourselves because, no matter where we go, that word—those labels—often follow us.