Los Angeles can make building a community unusually hard. The city is spread out; we spend a lot of time in cars, and many people work alone from home. Getting together requires more planning, more driving, and more coordination than it would in a denser city. Spontaneity is harder. And if you are new to LA, you may quickly notice that many people already have established friend groups and full schedules. They may be friendly and open to newcomers, but they are not necessarily looking to build a new social world from scratch.
Read MoreThere is nourishment in acceptance. And yet, something may still be missing. Being accepted as gay or queer is not the same as being celebrated as gay or queer. We need to be accepted for who we are, but from our caregivers and loved ones, we also need to be delighted in. As children, we need to experience our parents’ faces lighting up when they see us. As we grow into adolescents and young adults (when we typically come out) that need to be celebrated doesn’t disappear. We learn to love ourselves, in part, by witnessing others love us.
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