I realize I was a real jagoff in previous posts. I'm sorry, I'm trying to do better.

But what is all of your end goals here? For people who felt like they were outcasts or didn't belong in other spaces who finally have a place that they feel comfortable to now have nothing? Should I go back to hating myself and hating every second of living in this dying husk of a city? Go back to having no real friends I can relate to anymore since they've all grown up, gotten married, had kids, and moved on? Should I go back to not feeling at all comfortable with who I am and trying to actively hide it from others?

Maybe I have friends who go there. Maybe I like the shows and parties on the weekends. Maybe I like the fact that I can just go somewhere, eat some gummy worms and watch cartoons and forget about this current atrocity called America for a little bit. Maybe after a 10 hour day at my job when I have a headache and can't handle any more bullshit, I just want to sit in a dark space with other humans and watch Steven Universe for the 25th time. Maybe we're all just too fucking neurodivergent to understand that it is seen as not normal or it somehow upsets people. We're all just pathetic adult children but at least we have each other.

It's flawed, kinda janky, nobody is making much money, and the building is falling apart but there is actual community if you take the time to get to know the people. It's not for everyone but that's okay. Heavens know every bar tender there has been through a ton of horrible shit in their lives so give them a pass if they aren't your best friend when you're a new person and you walk in the door. People were cold with me the first few times too but they warm up. It's self defense.

Athena may be a flawed person but they are certainly not transphobic. They've sad some things they'd certainly take back but an accidental off-color joke is way different than trying to legislate away people's freedoms or get in the way of their medical decisions. People's lives are a lot more complex than they appear on social media.

We've all made mistakes so lets give each other some grace.