Reclaiming the skies and my story of pride

 

Reclaiming the Skies

I don't have a story related to my dragon oc for this one. This just happens to be my artwork to commemorate the month.

Instead, I'll tell a more personal story.

“If any of you look at me, you’re gay!”

After searching through my memory, this might be the first mention of anything queer that I’d heard in my life. We were in the boys changing room, either about to swim or having just swam. The changing room was big, with one long bench lining the 4 walls, and an island-style bench in the middle. One of my classmates, whose name I won’t share, stood himself on top of that island, got naked, and made that declaration.

I had no idea what it meant. But I gathered that not a single one of us were supposed to look at him. Thus, in one fell swoop, I was introduced to the idea of homosexuality, and exposed to homophobia.

I never liked changing in that room. I always wanted to change in one of the shower stalls. Wonder why.

My second exposure to these two forces, I believe, came in the school bus. I don’t remember who, but another one of my classmates said, without thinking…

“I think homosexuals are disgusting.”

Or something to that effect. My memories from my childhood are erratic in their clarity, and with gaps big enough to make Indian potholes jealous.

I was a little older by that point, but I hadn’t yet gotten free access to the internet, and still had no idea what was being spoken about. Maybe I had an inkling. I don’t remember.

Funnily enough, I think my first positive exposure to the LGTBQ+ community was from Wattpad. I don’t know which story, or what I read. But I had an inkling of… belonging. In a funny way then, my queer education came from some explainer stories over there. It allowed me to raise some important questions about myself.

 

Photo from the march

Ever since moving to Colombia in 2023, I’ve taken part in 3 pride marches, although the one in 2025 was brief for me as I was sick. It’s something that I never thought I’d get the chance to do. I’d never been able to travel to the UK during pride month. And participating in anything happening in Kenya was not in my cards.

This year, in 2026, the march through Cali went through the east of the city. This is a region that, unlike the north and south, is not very used to such queerness. We had several buses, and one massive crowd of people, marching confidently, blasting music, dancing, waving flags, you name it. People in their houses flocked to the balconies to watch. Some were astounded, some like the sound of the party, and hopefully some felt seen. Many people took pictures and videos.

This year, I went with a friend from work. He had to lie to his parents, saying that he was going to a friend’s birthday party. I have the luxury of living with a roommate, so I could just go. Although, if I were living with my parents, they would most likely try to tag along, at least for some of the way. It was a long march, my feet were ready to die.

Now, a day after that march, I am looking back at where I started. In that changing room I didn’t want to be in, looking at a wall to avoid doing something due to pressure I didn’t understand. I look back at that journey, confusing and unclear. 

Looking at the present, things have never been more hopeful, and more hopeless. Fascism on the rise around the world, with their sights aimed right at this community, well...  At the same time, it won't be so easy to go back to the way things used to be.  As for me, I have my own journey to keep walking.

There were a few things I could have mentioned in this post, a lot of my own history, but I've decided to keep that to myself for now. There is such a thing as oversharing.

Be gay, do crimes, and happy pride!