I sank into the depths to see you as the lake saw you: cut in half by the surface, taut legs kicking, the rest of you sky. - Saeed Jones

However many masks we invent and deploy, in the end, we cannot control what other people see when they look at us.

Toni Morrison’s sentences were like rivers with murky bottoms. They didn’t obey the rules I was learning in school. When I stepped in, I couldn’t see my feet; I retreated back to the shore.

Being gay isn't a choice, just like being black isn't a choice…I don't stop. I do not give up. I do not take America's 'no' to my identity for an answer.