Giving Thanks

Today, there is a lot to be thankful for.

I'm thankful to live in a place and age in which I can be mostly open about my life as a queer woman. It's not everything; it's not perfect. GLBT people still face serious obstacles even in the Western world, not to mention beyond. But I am profoundly thankful for the courage of my queer ancestors: the ones who rioted at Stonewall, the ones who fought in ACT-UP, the ones still fighting for our rights. In a few short decades, we've gone from being arrested for simply meeting in nightclubs to openly fighting for gay marriage rights. US sodomy laws have come off the books. It is easier now to be who I am than at any time in recent history. I'm thankful for that.

I'm thankful to live in a place and age where leather and bdsm and rope communities exist. I'm thankful for the Society of Janus, and their leather ancestors.

I'm thankful for power exchange communities, for bdsm conferences, for the resources available even in the hinterlands by book. I'm thankful for teachers and explorers. I'm thankful for Shibaricon, for Rope Dojo, for ARS. I'm thankful for leather pride, and Folsom Street Fair. I'm thankful to live in a world in which these types of education are available almost openly.

I'm thankful that the path continues; in twenty more years, I will be stunned at how much more we've accomplished.