KidSpirit

Virtual Self-Discovery

The Adventurous SpiritGlobal Beat

I go to a school that prides itself on its diversity, in all arenas. On our website, bolded letters explain that 51% of students are considered ethnically diverse, and on our campus, representatives of the Black, Latinx, and LGBTQP+ communities address the student body in assemblies. Classroom discussions tackle issues of racism, sexism, and a host of other -isms that make for a, very generally speaking, conscientious and inclusive environment. Everything about my circumstances told me that whatever my identity may be it is valid. I have it just about as easy as it can get. I am supported and legitimized in my search for who I am. But when it came down to it, when the rubber met the road, it was a space far removed from my “woke” community that brought me to the most remarkable discovery of my life thus far: I’m bisexual and Twitter showed me so.

This generation, with its remarkable savvy, intolerance for hate, and willingness to act, has made great strides towards liberty and justice for all. I’d credit much of that success to our unprecedented ability to connect and share. Social media platforms have, for the first time, given users an opportunity to voice opinions and experiences that would have otherwise been ignored by systematically prejudiced mainstream media coverages. With this kind of representation comes a more accurate presentation of the population. Members of marginalized groups are finding each other, and, for the first time since 1492, marginalized groups are rewriting their narratives for themselves. Widespread support has turned into a celebration of ethnic culture and history, gay pride, and feminism among others. Such acceptance in a virtual reality has paved the way for acceptance in a physical one. It is clear that the real world has a lot to learn from a socially conscious and loving Twitter, but it is also clear the Twitter-sphere has changed my real world indefinitely. This ability to change lives coupled with a wider reaching scope than any one individual could grasp makes social media one of the most powerful tools of our time and perhaps ever.

So as an overflowing of pride landed itself on my feed I learned more about what pride meant to individuals and to the community. Yes, gay twitter showed me beautiful, multi-dimensional girls whom I slowly realized I was attracted to, rather than just envious of, but my sexual awakening was more than that. I often wonder now why I had never considered the idea that I was somewhere in the middle of the spectrum that is sexuality. It is not like I had never been exposed to the LGBTQP+ community, and it is not like I would have ever felt ashamed of exploring a more loosely defined sexuality. I often read testimonials of gay individuals who state that they had “always known something was different,” but I never did. I often wonder if I can call myself bisexual or if I fall somewhere else on the spectrum. There is plenty I wonder and plenty I have left to wonder. But I know that there is a community that understands there is not one right answer, that there is an opportunity to learn from others sharing similar experiences, and that there is a virtual space for me before I am ready to share my identity in my physical world.

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Art by Jaden Flach, Brooklyn

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Art by Jaden Flach, Brooklyn