You wake up alone, storm a circle outside your window, youโve been dreaming about sheets of mushrooms again. Itโs best to nap through, wrap yourself in the sleeping bag your mother got you, coated in paint when you wanted to be an artist.
Trapped in my little town, I wondered: what was a place I could truly go and feel safe?
That summer, the fields had become my dance floor, sunsets had replaced box sets, and getting lost was an invitation, not an insult. Iโd returned to the country of my birth, seeking solace and retreat. Now Iโd come home to myself. Iโd grown stronger, braver and bold.
The longlist for the 2022 LGBTQ essay contest is officially here! Meet the lucky writers who made it to the longlist and see contest demographic data.