20-year-old Alex Yoon was shocked the first time they saw an elderly gay couple kiss in San Antonio, Texas. But their reaction didn’t stem from homophobia. Rather, this was the first time Yoon realized that “queer and trans people can grow up and get old. They’re out there existing and thriving. Queer and trans people can become successful adults.”…
On the track, University of Houston freshman Mycah Angelou Taylor’s journey is clear—get from point A to point B as fast as possible. Their personal journey to finding and embracing their identity, however, has been much less linear.…
One thousand miles—that’s how far Nicholas Hooten journeyed to find his identity. Three years ago, the now 18-year-old genderqueer college student left his childhood home in Indianapolis to plant new roots on southern soil, deep within the Sunshine State. The move, Hooten says, felt like a homecoming. “Indiana is such a small state, everyone knows everyone there,” he explains. “I wasn’t out while I was there, and then I moved [to Orlando] and met so many different queer friends. It…
Dominic Anthony Green is on a journey and the universe is guiding him. “I was raised by a Christian family,” Green, who identifies as a pansexual trans man, explains. “Yet, I have different beliefs and I make them very known. I believe in more than a God—I believe in many Gods, I believe in myself, and the universe. I believe the mind is a prison and the only way out is to open your mind. That’s what I have been…
Twenty-year-old Spencer Ray is rooted deep in the heart of East Texas. While he’s entering his senior year as a business management student at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Ray has found more than a career path in the Piney Woods—he’s found pride and strength in his identity as a bisexual, transgender man.…
High school sophomore Niko Gonzalez is a one-man revolution. At age 16, this openly trans and gay teenager is sending ripples through his Catholic school and diocese, challenging restroom regulation, and simultaneously paving the way for future generations of queer students.…
Gwen Lambert believes in trying on labels. As part of their gender exploration, they’ve adopted several labels, only to find most didn’t fit quite right. Now, at age 18, the high school senior has finally found comfort and confidence in their identity as a non-binary, bisexual person.…
Lily Pando tucks a strand of bright pink hair behind her ear before she speaks. I’ve just asked her if she knows where she’ll be attending college—such a mom question, I know. “I don’t know where I want to go to school yet,” she responds. “But I’m definitely on that track.”…
To his 26,000 Instagram followers, Houstonian Landon Richie embodies confidence—his posts are eloquent and encouraging, his face smiling and strong. In person, Richie is just as self-aware. He chats effortlessly about his activism, identity, and passions. It’s not until his mom, Erika, mentions an upcoming school band practice that I’m reminded the savvy individual sitting across from me is only 14 years old.…
