Confessions of an LGBTQIA+ Introvert: How I Celebrated Mardi Gras
By Ruby Mikolaitis
11:03 pm
Safiya Nygaard, no pants, cat hair and the distinct faint smell of chlorine. This is me right now as people with eclectic friends walk down Oxford Street with glitter in their eyelashes smelling of pride and exceptional communications skills. This is not me.
Me right now is lying in bed, the smell of dried sage wafting in the room because tea had been spilt (and I needed some cleansing). I’m using my expensive Communications/Arts degree and soaking every penny I can’t afford out of it by indulging in student journalism, whilst my peers are using their degree to party hard on SaturGAY. I’m living the high life. How does one introvert member of the LGBTQIA+ community like me celebrate?
We celebrate eternally, I’m happy now that I come from a supportive family and a mother who’s more than happy to watch Brokeback Mountain with me tonight, I’ll eat ice-cream with sprinkles (because that’s the most colourful I’ll get tonight) and plus, I’ll be getting up early tomorrow for a steampunk festival.
Ruby, why are you home and not at the parade?
Good question and the answer is because I have queer pride sitting in my bed, completely happy with my sexuality. I don’t know many people like me who are part of the community and not into party culture, it is such a heavy part and that’s understandable. The whole point of a party is to feel free and to let loose and fortunately people can finally do that now because of the independence and the support we have now as part of the LGBTQIA+ community.
LGBTQIA+ Introvert Essentials Kit:
1. Cool rainbow t-shirt or earrings - Why? Because it tells people you’re a member and supporter without telling them. Why should we constantly tell people when we could just give them a hint.
2. Wine. A lot of wine - Particularly when it’s 2am in the morning and your friends who have attended the parade will text you 1,000 times to tell you how good the parade was. My…I can smell the bubble-gum martinis already.
3. 1 whole cup of laziness - Because we all know it’s not like introverts don’t want to go, we’re just lazy people who’d rather sleep than drunkenly ask the girl how she got purple glitter eyebrows. We’re not anti-support, we’re just tired okay?
4. Your fav queer movie - Like I said, we all have one, right? The one movie that really sums up how you feel…for me it’s Brokeback Mountain. There’s just something about a forbidden romance with two attractive men sleeping in a tent that just really switches on the pride in me. Secondly, it’s Blue Is the Warmest Colour because kudos to that six min sex scene. Finally, …
5. Complete and Utter Clarity - It’s okay if you don’t want to attend the parade or party tonight but you still have absolute pride in your sexuality and gender, it’s okay because you’re proud and your happy and that’s one of the most important things on this night. Know you don’t have to attend a parade or rally to be proud, be happy, have clarity and embrace your laziness!
Now, I’m going to have some wine, embrace not wearing pants and throw a fistful of imaginative glitter in the air for all my LBTQIA+ babies out there.
This is your night, embrace it how you want too.
To the stars,
Ruby