My relationship with religion has always been a core factor of my experiences and perceptions of the world. When I initially came out of the closet to those close to me, my artwork served as a way of processing my own human condition and my first experiences and attempts of love outside the closet.

When I did first come out, my development in romantic relationships or sexual experiences carried a sense of behindness when compared to my straight, cisgendered friends. This term has come to be known as the Second Queer Adolescence and describes how queer people live their “teenage years” twice. The first is through the identities we’re told we should embody, often suppressing our queer identities. The second comes when we are in a place where we can safely and openly be our true selves. This second part can come at different stages of a queer person’s life. Because of that, the timeline of meeting certain developmental “milestones” feels more present compared to our straight, cisgendered peers, who often have the privilege of experiencing them earlier in life.