My Instagram is @kareen_beans. Often times, before I could really find pride in myself, I found it in my lovely queer friends. If these amazing people could be okay with me, than I could be okay with myself. They are the people who inspired my journey of self discovery, and in effect, self pride.

Our world can break people, but imagine if our world was accepting. Imagine a world united. I want to create a business, but it would be much more than that. It would be a safe space for everybody. It would be a bookstore that was dedicated to promoting LGBTQ+ works and authors. In a world focused on tearing others down, it would be a spot of bright uplifting. It would highlight new writers and would be open 24/7 so that everybody would always have a peaceful place to go if they needed to. I want this place to send a message to the world. One that emphasizes that we do not need to be hateful and that everyone deserves love and acceptance. Besides a general message of inclusion, it would also show the LGBTQ+ community that we are never alone. It can be easy to feel that way when we do not see ourselves represented in the media, and this store could help assure that nobody has to be ignored. This business would be vital simply because it would help the LGBTQ+ in the most genuine way something can; it would show us that we are valid and show others the same. This store could bring more visibility to the community and could make others more tolerant of us. Everyone would feel seen, and more importantly, we would be. In the introduction, I described an imaginary world with unconditional acceptance. But, that world does not need to be imaginary. We can all help to create it. I believe that this creation could be a step towards that. So, instead of imagining a united world, let’s take steps to unite it.