In 2025, the LGBTQ community finds itself navigating an increasingly hostile and complex digital landscape. Social media — once a beacon of connection, identity, and advocacy — has become a double-edged sword, simultaneously offering platforms for visibility while enabling a resurgence of hate, censorship, and systemic erasure.

I’m not a religious person. Catholic schools, and my mom’s reliance on Catholicism as a surrogate for normal activities like grocery shopping, complicated things.

The octagon shapes that moved around like scattered diamonds on the bottom of the pool, had my full attention until my naked husband swam by. Then, Sebastian, our 2-year-old Aussiedoodle, dove in between us. So much beauty.

Before marriage equality. Before many cisgender, heterosexual people could openly acknowledge a gay or lesbian relative or coworker.