Love Takes Many Forms

Love takes many forms.

Sometimes it looks like showing up for an aging parent. Sometimes it looks like sitting beside a friend during a difficult season. Sometimes it looks like a phone call, a hug, a listening ear, or simply making time for someone who matters.

And sometimes love looks like recognizing every person’s right to be fully themselves—to be seen, to be accepted, and to belong.

We Are All Meant to Shine has always been rooted in a simple belief: every person has inherent worth and every person deserves to be seen. We shine when we share our gifts, when we show up for one another, when we create spaces where people feel welcome, valued, and loved, and when we allow people to be fully themselves.

That is one of the reasons Pride matters. 🌈💗✨

Another reason is that acceptance and belonging are not abstract ideas. They have real consequences in people’s lives.

According to research from The Trevor Project, LGBTQ+ young people who reported living in very accepting communities attempted suicide at less than one-third the rate of those who reported living in very unaccepting communities. Acceptance and belonging are not political abstractions. They are matters of human dignity, and sometimes, quite literally, matters of life and death.

Celebrating Pride is more than rainbow flags and parades. It is a reminder that every person deserves to know they are not alone, that they are worthy of love, and that they belong.

Over the years, I have supported organizations such as The Trevor Project, the Human Rights Campaign and our local NorCal OUTReach Project organization because I believe that creating a world where people feel safe enough to be themselves and loved enough to know they matter is important work.

This belief also finds expression in my everyday life and work. I want students and others around me to know they are welcome, valued, and safe to be themselves. One small way I communicate that is through the pins I wear on my lanyard and the signs displayed in my office.

They may seem like simple things, but visible reminders of acceptance and belonging matter. Sometimes knowing that even one person sees you, supports you, and is willing to stand beside you can make all the difference.

We all need reminders that we are worthy of love, that we belong, and that we are all meant to shine. 🌻💗🌈✨

Resources

Over the years, I have appreciated and supported the work of these organizations:

🌈 The Trevor Project — Crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and support for LGBTQ+ young people.

💗 Human Rights Campaign — Advocacy, education, and resources supporting LGBTQIA+ equality.

🦋 PFLAG — Support, education, and resources for LGBTQIA+ individuals, families, allies, and educators.