LGBTQ+ Poem: Change, by Kathryn Maiolino

I want to change
To fix every piece of me
That others say is broken
To be acceptable
And live to their standards
To be who others strive to be
And show them how to get there
To show society
I am like them and always will be
To just conform
It would be easier that way

But I can’t

I must stay the same
To show them
They don’t define how whole I am
To tell others
Acceptance can’t come at the cost of me
To strive to be me
And only me because I am strong
To laugh in society’s face
When they ask me to change
To never conform
And show those like me we have to fight

I have to speak up for those who can’t
The afraid
Those no longer here and forgotten by time
I have to fight with the strength
Of everyone
Who can’t fight for themselves
Until the day comes
When we no longer have to fight

When everyone is equal and has a voice
When everyone is loved and can love
When we are all seen as one thing

Human

But how can I stand up for them
If I’m scared of being me

Dyke

Any words you say I can take like feathers brushing my skin
But one
Words curl up and bead off my skin like it’s a raincoat in a storm
But one
Like ink ruins me
Stains my carefully crafted pages
Brands me wherever it touches