On Shame, and Being Friend-zoned, and Matroyshka Dolls

This week’s book group hit hard. We dived into Straight Jacket and unpacked the deep-rooted shame that so many LGBTQ+ people carry from childhood. How society teaches us to erase parts of ourselves. How we internalize that bullying. How we become our own worst critics.

From childhood flight to adult fawning, from buried memories to unexpected moments of shame, this discussion stirred up a lot—some of which I’ve only just started to process. But there’s power in talking, in being seen, in reclaiming what was stolen.