By KJ Philp, Feb. 12, 2015.
Ahead of Valentine’s Day we wanted to hear what you – our readers, advertisers, contributors and staff – had to say about love, so we asked you to share your thoughts on what makes “LGBTQ love special/unique to you?”
Although candy hearts and red roses have engulfed every retailer in town, this question doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with the holiday, with cupid or with being in a relationship.
We maintain that LGBTQ love could be (and is) any type of love – from family and friends to affection and activism – and we’re proud to showcase a wide range of replies that are, without a doubt, as diverse as every member of our community. Here’s what you had to say:
Growing up in a society where we are surrounded by fairy tales assuring us we will one day find our prince or princess of the opposite sex, we generally never questioned this foreseeable future until one day when we realize that picture-perfect image has changed. This may happen sooner for some and much later for others in the community, but when it does, the weight of it can be devastating. The reality is that most, if not all, members of the LGBTQ community are faced with an added hardship of being an exception to the norm. That is why, in my opinion, LGTBQ love transcends beyond the love felt between those in a relationship and pours into the entire community. It’s the unspoken act of having each other’s backs in passing, even if you are complete strangers … It is brightening someone else’s day with a smile because, as the saying goes, they’re “like family” and it is why we actually become chosen family members to one another. LGBTQ love doesn’t just reside at an individual level between two people – it resides within an entire community that closely mirrors and, in some cases, surpasses the love felt within a family.
– Julia Rajchel