17 hours ago
‘Never be afraid to be loud, transparent and authentic': First in Sheboygan Pride Month series
June is Pride Month. To mark the occasion, the Sheboygan Press connected with the Sheboygan County LGBTQ Alliance to provide a chance for people to share personal stories of Pride. Here is the first in a series.
Hi! We are Kirby & Ember!
We are 'fashionably late' best friends, lovers and soulmates who met on social media in 2022 — finding each other through sharing our personal journeys of confusion and questioning.
Both Kirby and myself were married to men at the time we met — but both knew that we were lacking something when it came to our sexuality and authenticity.
After establishing a long-distance friendship, we met in person — and knew immediately all of the questions we had were not questions at all — and that we had no choice but to chase that authenticity and freedom that we had found within ourselves, hand in hand.
We came out to our families, friends and social media, together. Despite the odds, we chose to chase what felt right and step into who we knew we were all along.
We have been together for almost three years and take a lot of pride in sharing our coming-out journey through our weekly Podcast (fashionablylate) and on social media.
Pride, to us, screams authenticity. It screams, 'IT'S NEVER TOO LATE!' It does not matter how you were raised, how many wrong turns you might have taken or what choices you have made in the past, you can ALWAYS choose to step into a new era of growth and chase who you are deep down.
We have learned that being 'fashionably late' to the game is nothing to be ashamed of — but instead, something to celebrate.
No matter what part of your journey you're at — never be afraid to be loud, transparent and authentic in who you are. Live without regret and chase happiness because life is too short to allow for 'what ifs.'
Kirby and I are proud to be a part of the LGBTQ+ community, and look forward to continuing to share our story, meet new people and support others.
This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Sheboygan stories for Pride Month: Meet Kirby & Ember
