Is it safe to run around like this?

Photo of Fynn Ellie standing in a living room in front of a red couch with a Blåhaj plush shark. They wear a dark red and black checkered shirt, a dark gray skirt, black tights, and rainbow pride flag colored sneakers. They look to their right out of a window and their right knee is slightly angled upwards.

I’m working again on my pride outfit for occasions like birthday parties and weddings and so on. I never had so much fun thinking about and experimenting with clothing. Part of my queer journey is also discovering that I actually care about fashion, just not about the heteronormative kind.

Apart from this “special day” outfit, I usually run around with some kind of rainbow accessories on me. Be it a bag pack, rainbow bracelet, or t-shirt with some sort of pride motive. I rarely leave my flat without signaling to the world “here be dragons a queer person”.

Apparently, I’m privileged enough to never have experienced any hate or slurs because of my display of queerness (yet). But with right-wing groups gaining popularity and a general mobilization against queer people, it’s only a matter of time until “being a walking pride flag” will become dangerous.

Nevertheless, I won’t back down. I will proudly fight for my rights to be who I am and publicly express that. Though, I can’t shake off that uneasy almost eerie feeling of impending danger, especially when I’m traveling through rural areas like villages and small towns. The conservative swamp is treacherous 🐊

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