'There's no wrong or right answer or route because it's your individual journey': LGBTQ+ New Yorkers on Pride

storytelling

Throughout June, WNYC is highlighting the voices of LGBTQ+ New Yorkers for Pride Month. Our Community Partnerships Desk recently spent time at the Brooklyn Community Pride Center in Crown Heights to talk with folks about the complexities of identity, acceptance, and resilience in today's world. In this segment, we hear from Brooklyn resident Paul Aviles.

The transcript of Paul Aviles's story has been lightly edited for clarity.

Paul Aviles:

I'm from Brooklyn, New York. I am 26. I am very queer and very trans masc. Being LGBT, everything that you do is just automatically just kind of inherently political just because of like today's political climate and just kind of how things are. So, I think to be who you are is automatically a wild endeavor and automatically a bold endeavor.

And I hate to use this word 'cause every single cishet person loves to do it, but in a lot of ways it can be brave because not everyone has the privilege to be out. My advice is to take it day by day. It is a marathon, not a sprint. Some days, it might be easier to feel out and loud and be yourself boldly, and some days, it might feel like the hardest thing in the world, and there's no wrong or right answer or route because it's your individual journey.

You're not regressing because one day you decide like, "hey, you know what, maybe I'm gonna take this pin off while I'm walking this block" in the same way, or you're still just as valid regardless of where you are.

A lot of my role models were trans YouTubers that I found when I was like 12 years old. I had never met, well, at least to my knowledge, I had never met another trans person. And seeing all of these people online who were just so themself, and also kind of showcasing their journey for the public online was just so empowering where it definitely like left an impact on me because I was like, wow, it's a really amazing thing to be able to share your story.

I think pride is one of those things where it's a cop-out answer, but I think it's one of those things where it truly just means whatever the hell it means to you because, as queer people, we are all individuals, and we're all going to look at it differently, and the things that make us feel prideful is going to vary from person to person, and that's so valid.