Goosebumps

It's a strange thing to wake up and realize that you are a part of a minority group. That's what hit me during my loooong coming out to myself process. I'd never thought to apply the labels of SSA, gay, lesbian, homosexual, etc. to myself. But once I really accepted and owned that I was a lesbian, it hit me that I was now a part of a group who could legally be discriminated against. I couldn't marry my love- in many places I could be fired from a job or denied housing based on my orientation- I would have to jump through legal hoops to share parental rights to future children with my partner. That whole concept took some getting used to. So what did I do? I started to learn everything I could about the history of this group. I learned about Stonewall and devoured every person's story I could. Then, it was election season and time for the Democratic National Convention. I watched as the Democratic party added marriage equality to their platform... to their *freaking* platform. I watched this speech, where Zach Wahls talks about growing up in a family with two moms:

What was most amazing to me was hearing the roar of the crowd, supporting marriage equality. I got goosebumps. Then I heard Michelle Obama, in the middle of her speech laying out the case for the re-election of her husband, offer her support of marriage equality saying:

“If farmers and blacksmiths could win independence from an empire, if immigrants could leave behind everything they knew for a better life on our shores, if women could be dragged to jail for seeking to vote, if a generation could defeat a depression and define greatness for all time, if a young preacher could lift us to the mountaintop with his righteous dream, and if proud Americans can be who they are and boldly stand at the altar with who they love, then surely, surely we can give everyone in this country a fair chance at that great American dream.”

I got goosebumps.

They're talking about me! I thought. I'm a part of that group! I declared. They're supporting me! I humbly realized. And the tears came instantly.

And today, when I logged into Facebook and saw my newsfeed bright red with friends posting their profile picture as this:

and this:

and even this:

I get goosebumps. I feel humbled. I feel like this is a really momentous moment that I'm grateful to be a witness to.