a (love) letter from Momotaro Apotheca CEO Lindsay Wynn
Identity, like the rainbow, exists on a spectrum. There are no definitive borders, no finite boundaries. Its colors bleed into one another, the change so subtle, that you might miss it if you try to examine it too closely.
LGBTQ identities are not seasonal. They exist on a continuum, rather than categories. Omnipresent, not omniscient. Pride itself celebrates the identities and achievements of marginalized folks, and it expands far beyond the rainbow capitalism ubiquitous during the month of June. The month-long celebration of Pride represents an infinite number of people, places, and sometimes things that affirm our identities and celebrates the courage, safe spaces, and activities and attitudes of queer folks everywhere.
Pride is in our daily actions, rooted in our ability to advocate for ourselves — and for others. Sometimes this means waking up and quietly affirming your own identity in the mirror in the midst of morning stillness, even if only to yourself. And sometimes it’s more — a close friend who stands up for us, a new friend who uses your preferred pronoun, a riot in the streets. When queerness — yours, mine, ours — is affirmed or celebrated, Pride is euphoric.
Pride celebrates the identities & achievements of marginalized folks, expanding far beyond the rainbow capitalism ubiquitous during the month of June.
Amidst a year of opening up and coming out, both literally and figuratively, we are left with an attempt to return to “normal,” and the realization that our pasts may not be as big a part of our future.
People were able to self-reflect during the pandemic with more alone time than ever. While the pandemic was traumatic for many, for some, that time apart was a welcome reprise from the external pressures to assimilate into mainstream identities and ideals. In fact, it’s been recorded that more people reported coming out during the pandemic than years before. Whether that was due to the time spent apart, or because it’s 2021 is kind of a moot point. People are proud, and ready to be who they are, where they are, right now.
And while that realization may be visceral, our ability to autonomously move forward after a year inside, is much less tangible.
As individuals and as a company we, too, are left with unknowns, questions, and the need for tools to help us collectively navigate the Great Unknown. At Momotaro Apotheca, It has always been our goal to constantly question, learn, and unlearn to advance an empathetic and inclusive approach to social and political justice and inclusivity. Similarly, our collective approach to battling a global pandemic and the constant battle against white supremacy, we have to, at the very least, work together.
And it is work.
So what now? Where do we go from here, when we’re ready to let go of the past, and move forward? We keep going, keep learning, keep growing.
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