I don't really know why I'm going on this ramble. My dad has been dead since 2012, and never knew I was queer or trans. I often wonder if he'd still love me as the me I am today. Or if I'd have to cut him off as he went more and more right wing and hateful. It's almost a blessing not to know.

Was the catalyst for change that I needed to become a better person. And it took a while. I still, at 31, find myself deprogramming my thoughts from the stupid shit my dad would say over a decade ago. It's uncomfy. And it should be.

Like, I used to hold some really problematic views when I was a kid/teen. Thankfully I had a lot of friends who were empathetic, diverse, and willing to bring forth corrections and new views that radically challenged my own. Wasn't framed like that at the time, but exposure to different people was