There is a world in which heterosexual sex is the only acceptable kind of sexual activity. Where men love women, women love men, and nothing else is tolerated. And then there is another world in which homosexuality, bisexuality, heteroflexibility, homoflexibility, pansexuality and asexuality are all embraced and respected.
There is a world in which gender roles are strictly defined, where males dress masculine and act like men, where females dress feminine and act like women. And then there is another world in which cross-dressing and gender-blending are accepted and love. Where androgynous, transgender, transsexual and genderqueer individuals are free to act and dress as they please.
There is a world in which everyone knows you don't inflict harm on the people you care about, where acts that leave bruises are only seen as abuse - profane and unforgivable - no matter the context. And then there is another world where we can consent to the unthinkable, where we can embrace painful pleasures, where power can be given and taken without diminishing the other side.
There is a world in which a romantic relationship is between two people, and another one which doesn't place a number on it.
There is a world in which ethnicity, religion and skin color is of utmost importance, and another one that doesn't distinguish based on these things.
There is a world in which people are self-serving and greedy, and another one in which people care deeply for each other.
There are worlds in which people are judged based on their accomplishments, their perceived intelligence or their failures. There are worlds in which your musical taste, fashion or ability to speak English matter more than anything else.
These worlds can be combined in any combination of imaginable forms - a heterosexual poly world is a valid combination, as is a homosexual monogamous world. A gender-diverse racially prejudiced world exists, as does one where race doesn't matter as long as you conform to gender roles. Moving into one larger world doesn't immediately put you in all larger worlds - each one is its own journey, its own set of trials, its own challenges to reach.
If you are here reading this, you probably have already moved between some of these worlds. You may remember the struggle of finding the people, the connections, the language or the ideas to express the new world you were looking to join. You may remember the wonder of your first step into a much bigger, brighter world - whether it was through entry into college, or meeting the love of your life, or travelling to a distant location. You might have stumbled into it by chance, or you might have set out on a journey to discover what lay over the horizon.
So if you feel trapped.
If you feel contained within the social norms of the world.
If you feel like everywhere you look, there are insurmountable barriers to you.
Then remember that there is always another world out there. A world in which the things you once thought were barriers no longer exist. A world where you can have both sides and the fence. ;)
Believe in it. Look for the signs that point the way. Act as though you already belong there. You will find it and it will find you.
I hope to see you reach it. There are so many good people waiting for you. <3
