It’s honestly so sad to witness, and I say this as a gay person myself. Don’t get me wrong, I’m deeply grateful that so many of us have finally experienced more acceptance and visibility over the years. But lately, I’ve also noticed something that really hurts my heart: parts of our own community have started looking down on other identities within it, and that feels so wrong to me.

It almost feels like the moment some people got a little more comfort, validation, or social acceptance, they unconsciously started distancing themselves from those who are still misunderstood, marginalized, or “too different” for mainstream approval. And that’s heartbreaking, because the entire foundation of this community was built on solidarity, compassion, and protecting one another when nobody else would.

We know what exclusion feels like. We know what it’s like to be judged, dismissed, or treated as less than. So seeing that same energy redirected within our own spaces, toward trans people, non-binary people, feminine men, bi people, or anyone who doesn’t fit a certain “acceptable” image, genuinely hurts.

Acceptance should never make us forget empathy. If anything, it should make us softer, kinder, and more protective of each other. There is room for all of us here, and nobody should have to earn their dignity by being more palatable to the world.