What a journey it has been to fit into my own body, learning to navigate the world not as a man, but as a gay man; not as a Chinese man, but as a gay Chinese man.
I feared to associate with those words, as if they admitted defeat; How I detested that wounding intersection.
I attempted to divide and cache those layers; conflate that intersection into a more palatable off-brand reality. The truth is, that only leads to incomplete acceptance and compromised love. Pretending is a taxing act. Silence never served us well.
No more.
Living openly means learning to love this body; to embrace conflicting identities; to steer my narrative; to associate those words with pride.
This is my body. This is my reality.
Stop pretending, and start accepting.
Stop hiding, and start loving—all that I am; intersectional and proud.