Especially during Black History Month, it’s important to not only consider, but prioritize, those who exist at the intersection of marginalized identities.

Finding more accurate representations of my identity was so important not just because I saw myself in them, therefore, but because I felt connected to a wider community.

Since her release earlier this year, Manning has been speaking about issues like gender identity and surveillance in the press and at colleges and universities. On November 15, I had the chance to see her speak at Wesleyan University.

The Masterpiece Cakeshop case isn’t really about cake at all. It’s about discrimination. This case could potentially lead to legalizing discrimination against the LGBT+ community because a couple requested a wedding cake and was denied.

I have not yet come out to my family, and I began to wonder why I had to at all. Why is my identity one that has to be defined as “other” by our society?

Though substance abuse can affect anyone, members of the LGBTQ community are particularly susceptible because of the unique stresses they often experience in relation to coming out and/or the negative social stigmas surrounding their identities.

I came out to my family at 25 years old. It was 2014, and while the country had made great progress in acceptance in terms of recognizing civil unions, putting more LGBTQ figures on television, and passing pro-gay laws, coming out was still a weighty experience.