Arsini, 24, Kentucky

I have a lot of songs about it which I would love to share with you later, but aren’t ready and won’t be for a while. Check out Arsini Music, here!

I’d say queer means being anything other than cis and/or heterosexual.

I identify as gender fluid, but the label isn’t that important to me. I think a lot of people get too caught up in labels.

At the end of the day, we’re all just humans expressing ourselves.

I’ve lived in Kentucky since a young age. I haven’t really minded until a little more recently, now that I see how closed-minded some people that live here are. But there are a lot of really nice people in Kentucky and interesting varied cities like Louisville.

To any person struggling to come into their own identity, I’d say it isn’t worth worrying about, honestly. We are not necessarily going  anywhere after death.

As far as we know for sure, there is this one life. Why not live it being happy?

My own identity really just means I dress and act how I want. I didn’t always realize I was gender fluid, but I’ve always been that way and been my own person.

Some issues I see within the Queer community is that sometimes we over-complicate things. We are all just people. Also, people sometimes get the impression that Queer people are weak. This is because there are a fair amount that get offended very easily and are sometimes attacking people within our own Queer community. I do not do that and I think it confuses people outside our community.

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I think solving the issue would be a long process if even possible, but we basically should not get too caught up in labels or words, but to focus on equality at its core.

I do feel excluded sometimes from the mainstream Queer community. Many accept me, but many also don’t. I can be sort of edgy with my art and it can rub people the wrong way.

But like I said, I believe in self expression. And I don’t think that needs to be limited because of what some people may think.

I feel at my best when surrounded by people who accept me as just another human being and don’t treat me any differently because of my gender fluidity. But I’m OK with people appreciating me for my girly side.

My fiance, @lauren.is.an.artist, influenced me to be more open about it than anyone else. It was something we would toy around with. But she has always been really supportive of making me feel comfortable in my own skin and with me expressing myself how I want to, just in general.

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