Fantastic Story, Amy!

My innate inequality hit me hard many years ago when as a young man I joined the military to help pay for college. It hit me like a hammer one morning. I could go prison for being gay. That wasn’t likely, but having my career and life destroyed were distinct possibilities.

I didn’t take too long for me after that to become an LGBTQ activist, and I’ve found myself ever since engaged in a surreal struggle for basic humanity.

Progress is happening, but what really strikes me about your story is that moment of realization. Many of us marginalized people have faced it. It hits us in the gut to understand that many people assume we are less, and act on that assumption.

Some of us grow up understanding in our bones.

Others of us get punched, like you and I did.

BTW, if you’re ever interesting in telling part of your process in a more storytelling way, I’m one of the editors of Prism & Pen, and we’d be thrilled to have you contribute.

Jim