Tag Archives: Love

Scared and Humbled While Facing Hate

As my boyfriend and I walked into the subway car, a seemingly homeless and unstable man began to immediately berate us…I’ve experienced judgement for simply being black while walking down the street or flamboyant looking while wearing glitter on my face. However, I never experienced such instant and explicit judgement, outrage and a sense of danger from just walking into a space.

This National Coming Out Day I am grateful for

This National Coming Out Day I am grateful for … each time I have to come out to my maternal grandma (because the mind is a tricky thing as we get older). She continues to love me each time after being slightly shocked. This was alarming the first time, but it has been kind ofContinue reading “This National Coming Out Day I am grateful for”

Love, Loss and What We Ate

From watching her host Top Chef and conduct interviews all these years to following her on Instagram, I adore Padma Lakshmi. However, I fell in love with her today during her interview with PEOPLE and Entertainment Weekly editorial director Jess Cagle as she discussed surprisingly becoming pregnant in 2009 and not knowing who the fatherContinue reading “Love, Loss and What We Ate”

5 Years Out as Gay – Beyond a 17 Years Old’s Love

Five years later, I think how awed, at points disappointed and overall proud a younger Jarryd would be of what’s transpired since then. If I could tell him what I know five years later, it would be…

I haven’t had a real relationship. That scares me.

I remember one time I sat alone with my maternal grandmother and asked her who was the great love of her life. She told me she doesn’t have one. I pressed for more information, and she explained that there were men she thought were the great loves of her life in the moment, but theyContinue reading “I haven’t had a real relationship. That scares me.”

23 in the Headlights

When we’re younger our minds start to protect us before we know how to. I mentally guarded myself from the world, even family. I needed these invisible bars around me. The world seemed scary and harsh; family felt trite; friendship felt fleeting; love difficult. Without knowing it, I needed the ability to define the world aroundContinue reading “23 in the Headlights”

Back to Yesterday

I thought about today so many times. The day my first love would get married. Throughout college as I came to truly embrace my sexuality and date, I didn’t know when gay marriage would become a focal point for my home state, but I knew one day it would happen. \While same-sex marriage was obviouslyContinue reading “Back to Yesterday”

I’ll miss you, Mrs. Harvilchuck

It’s rare that we know when our last moment with someone will be before they pass away. On Christmas Eve I learned that my all-time favorite teacher Lucia Harvilchuck was at a local Hospice. I knew I had to see her while in town, because of her effect on me in addition to countless others.Continue reading “I’ll miss you, Mrs. Harvilchuck”