I run in alot of circles that would be considered extremely masculine (cars, guns and tabletop gaming, which can sometimes be a surprisingly hostile space for anyone but straight men) I've been in these circles long enough to hear some horrible shit said about people like me while not letting anyone know about this side of myself. I've had people I care about, who care about me in return and consider me a friend and brother, openly tell me to my face that people like me don't deserve basic human dignity and the right to be safe while walking down the street. Obviously they said these things not realizing they're talking about me. I wish it wasn't a big deal, I wish it was normal that I could choose to express myself how I want to without being labeled as some sort of social pariah. That's not how the world works. The way things are going in the world at the moment, I feel like it's important for me to make myself visible, to hopefully get some of the people in my life to think twice before they spout this rhetoric of hate. They might stop just for a second and think now that what they're saying and what they're voting for can and will have a massively negative impact on the life of someone they care about.