Queer visibility and allyship

As the mother of an LGBTQAI+ kid, the issue of queer visibility is always urgent for me. 

Inclusion is important. Queer visibility is life saving and out loud allyship is a requirement for those of us who sit at the tables of power. 

I brought and city council passed a resolution making the Pride flag an official flag of the city of Missoula because it was important to me that as a city we take stand against a state bill that targeted my kid and many others like her.  

My kid who when she was three wore camo cargo pants and light up spiderman shoes. My kid who was the prince not the princess in every game of make believe. My kid who we called gender nonconforming because those were words we had 15 years ago before we had they them pronouns. My kid who, like Abby Wamach once described herself  in her book Wolfpack, was always wolf and never Little Red Riding Hood. 

I brought the resolution because when I see the pride flag, I breathe a little sigh of relief and think, my kid is safe here.

There is so much more we can do to support the LGBTQAI+ as we move forward especially in these times where marginalized groups are being targeted daily.