Having fun at the event so far - meeting new people, finding familiar faces, everyone loves the name tag (yes the light up ones the escape room sells lol)
But I had an experience tonight that took a bit of the wind outta my sails. Rather than bottling it, I figured I'd share.
I'm wearing my company polo - helps with the "What do you do?" question after we get past "Oh that's a cool nametag!" But one of the interactions noted the name, and said "Furry as in like..." and made a face. Uh oh.. 1/x
Politely I tried to redirect "Oh, like pets? Nah, it's just the name we have." The other person at the table said "No, he means like Furry, as in *those guys*." I replied, "Hey, they are a market I serve and they're just looking to live happy lives."
But I used they instead of *we*. I couldn't come out. I felt shame then, embarrassed of part of my identity, and I feel shame now, not standing up for myself and our community. It's causing me stress. I'm taking the time to notice and name it. 2/X
It's a conference that's celebrates LGBTQIA+ in business. Of all places, I wouldn't have expected dunking on "the other" from within the broader queer community here. But it indeed does exist - I know this - I just wasn't ready for it.
So I gotta sit with it a bit, breathe through it, self-soothe, and rebuild capacity to get back in the game and put my best foot forward. It's ok to feel sad about it. But I've had lots of other great meetups so far, and the week is just getting started! 3/3
@kyellgold *hugs* exactly. Actually earlier in the day there was a breakout where folks at tables discussed queerness as an element of their lives (the topic was what is the superpower, good or bad, that your queer identity has helped you build).
I shared the topic of reading the room and situation. Both for being able to identify those that will embrace and promote (safety) as well as identify those that may tear down and belittle (harm). It's a human experience, enhanced by our queerness!
JD Puppy 🔜 DenFur
Kyell Gold 🦊🏳️🌈