“

As the Dr. Seuss quote goes, “Those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.”

“

I’m done lying to everyone, but most of all I’m done tormenting myself.

“

I’ve lived my life in two parts: before I realized I was gay and after.

“

What resulted from living my truth was a pleasant shock of realization: There was nothing ever wrong with me.

“

I never formally came out online. And I’m wondering now if this makes me a lousy member of the LGBTQ+ community or a coward.

“

If my personal experience demonstrates anything to me, it is indeed that my sexuality is far more fluid than I had anticipated.

“

I was learning to walk before running. And some didn’t understand that. That I needed time. Time to rise, and time to shine as who I am.

“

I’ve been thinking about how my emotional landscape will never be one that a man can hold. It is too fast, the seasons change too quickly, and the lightning too often strikes the ground.

“

It is incredibly dangerous to equate being a “real” queer person with an official coming-out statement or “proof.” Harry Styles owes the world nothing. Folks who are still questioning owe the world nothing.

“

“Sixteen-year-old Sana Kiyohara has too many secrets. Some are small, like how it bothers her when her friends don’t invite her to parties. Some are big, like the fact that her father may be having an affair. And then there’s the one that she can barely even admit to herself—the one about how she might have a crush on her best friend.”