Anna

“I’ve been friendly. I’ve been frightened. I’ve been fake. But I’ve never been fierce. I’ve been frustrated. I’ve been forgotten. I’ve been forgiving. But I’ve never been fierce. I wanna be fabulous. I wanna be flamboyant. I wanna flaunt what I’ve got. I want to be fierce.”
― Dean Atta, The Black Flamingo

“Don’t.
Don’t come out unless you want to. Don’t come out for anyone else’s sake. Don’t come out because you think society expects you to.
Come out for yourself.
Come out to yourself.
Shout, sing it.
Softly stutter.
Correct those who say they knew before you did.
That’s not how sexuality works, it’s yours to define.”
― Dean Atta, The Black Flamingo

“It's funny how humans can wrap their mind around things and fit them into their version of reality.”
― Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief

“I am here and I have been here
long before this moment,
the first people were black
and queerness predates its modern meaning.
Queerness predates its derogatory meaning.
Queerness predates colonialism and Christianity.
Queerness predates any hate attached to it.”
― Dean Atta, The Black Flamingo