I didn’t know who I was, when I got a fake ID so I could get into the local lesbian bar called ‘Aint Nobody’s Business’ at age 19, and for a few hours a week I finally felt what it was like to belong. Even though my mind was insecure: What do people think of me? Will they accept me? Am I enough? Am I lovable? My body was finally free to dance and move and express. Dancing is a revolutionary act. As such, to me, dance spaces are sacred temples. Today when I think about my brothers and sisters in Orlando who were expressing themselves in their local LGBT temple, my heart cracks open. I want to dedicate my dance to every brother and sister who is still stuck and afraid to be themselves. Especially those with Internalized homophobia. Including Omar Mateen, who had been known to attend the Pulse nightclub as many as a dozen times before the mass shooting. For you I’ll pray. To you, I dedicate this dance.
