I was approached by a mutual friend who suggested I grab some coffee with Paul to see if I was interested in working with him as a storyteller to share my genderqueer perspective with my community. I went into that meeting with the belief that I would be contributing to Our Bold Voices without much thought of what I would gain from the experience in return. I had no idea, going into it, that working with Paul and my three story telling companions would empower me, or that I would emerge from Prideful Voices with a confidence I didn’t know I possessed. Working with OBV gave me a sense of community that I had been longing for. Through it, I’ve put down roots in the Vancouver/Portland LGBTQ community and can even say I have gained friends through my journey of self exploration/acceptance that Paul coached me and my fellow story tellers through.
If I ever get another opportunity to work with Paul’s OBV again, I won’t miss out!