Identity…. the cause of so much mental acrobatics.

If you google ‘Who am I? about 1,950,000,000 results show up. From a psychological preceptive, you are the sum total of memories, experience, feelings, thoughts, relationships, and values.

So there’s that.

But that’s not what we’re talking about here.

For many of us in the LGBTQ+ community, our identity was hijacked as soon as we started questioning or coming out. There exists an expectation that we behave, dress and speak in a certain way. There is a stereotypical “queer’ identity we are expected to take on.

One that is socially acceptable and yes, we work hard to fit this expectation.

I truly believe that a lot of us pay dearly for unintentionally outsourcing our identity and unconsciously conforming to what is expected from us. It is a source of mental anguish for many in the community.

It permeates into LGBTQ+ representation in the media, in boardrooms, in healthcare and in careers. It perpetuates the notion that LGBTQ+ people are only defined by their sexual or gender identity.

This ridiculous made-up ‘identity’ (courtesy of the heteronormative population) of what an LGBTQ+ person is supposed to sound like, behave and dress, has silenced our uniqueness, and made us fit a box. It needs to end.

Let’s redefine our queer identity. Join our Rainbow Revolution.

“Being different is what makes us beautiful.

Nurturing our queer identity, relationships and purpose helps us navigate through the world and our role in it – with resilience and creativity. This sparks a new understanding and acceptance of ourselves, each other and the world” Across Rainbows.