I wrote last year that my favourite Queer Space was the middle of a Pride Parade. Tokyo was my first Pride Parade and I felt so utterly happy walking with the Dykenetwork and the women from the Chestnut and Squirrel and every single Pride march I have felt so happy.
I’m not sure why I end up smiling so much during such a march, sometimes in Lancaster I’ve thought that it’s because I can see rainbow flags hanging out of places that threw me and my friends out for guys kissing or girls or what have you.
But I’ve been told my smile is just as wide down in Manchester, it’s something about the act of painting my face with rainbow colours, or learning some dance with a dozen others in bright pink or masks or whatever it is, there’s no mistaking that I’m queer.
The last couple of Pride months I’ve dyed my undercut in the bi flag colours, I’ve decorated my house with bunting of the gay flag, the trans flag and the bi flag. That makes me smile too. The thing that I’m learning I think is that I love being in Queer Space. I don’t so much have a favourite space because being able to be out and being seen as being out and being recognised as being Queer is what I love. Being bisexual comes with the curse and blessing of being able to pass for straight.
When I was younger the blessing of not being harassed because no one noticed you was more evident. The curse of being assumed to be straight means girls not flirting with me, of being unrecognised as being Queer Family and that’s gained much more emphasis to my experience as I’ve aged.
Guess my current favourite Queer Space is my living room, with it’s garish bunting, my undercut dyed like I’m in my very own Pride March, and the most hideous Pride Flag hanging there complete with it’s legend “#PRIDE”. I love it.