Editorial - PRIDE - Elena
For this Pride issue, our fearless leader Mason nominated me as the chosen gay to write this editorial. Obviously I accepted without question because I've always known I was special and love that I'm finally being treated as such.
I'm overseas at the moment, visiting family and travelling a bit. Living in a pretty liberal accepting bubble down in good old Wellywood, has meant that I haven't really had to feel worried about being myself.
Over here I feel a bit different, I haven't had to hide who I am, I feel like I tend to give out a general vibe. I do feel nervous though, a bit like when I used to watch lesbian YouTubers under my duvet when I was 14.
Which brings me to the topic of pride, something we make jokes about every year. Pride Month is over! Being gay is no longer allowed. Companies change their logos back from their rainbow-themed ones and we can no longer say 'IN PRIDE MONTH???' whenever someone remotely wrongs us.
I love pride, I've always been proud of who I am and the one thing that's helped me explore it is this little ol' magazine you're reading now. Massive (and other student mags) offer their writers a chance to be unapologetically themselves, we're allowed to metaphorically yell into the void when we write for Massive because it's what people want to hear. It gets people through a boring lecture or a bus ride home and I think that's comforting.
So is this a love letter to Massive Magazine? Absolutely. But it's also a love letter to pride. I hope everyone reading is in a space where they can be themselves safely, or if they're not there yet, I hope this Pride issue gives you a bit of reassurance.
I love the queer community, and I love that I have a boss so keen to elevate queer voices in this fine little student magazine.
As you all head into second semester I hope you're feeling proud of what you've accomplished at uni so far, academically or otherwise. If not, there's only one semester before summer break, so hang in there.
Live laugh loving always,
Elena x