Pride Speech 2022

This speech was given at the Pride celebration in Lewiston, Maine in June 2022 by friends Riley Colby and Brax Henley.

Hello! I am Riley (she/her).

And I am Brax (they/them).

We are with the group Equity Buckfield. Buckfield is a very small, very conservative town (between Turner and South Paris) where we both grew up.

That meant going to school for years and years…. and years.. with people who would tease you relentlessly if they knew you were gay. 

Though we both came out as adults, we did not escape the feeling and treatment of being different than our peers. And we did not escape the bullying and the “othering” from them. 

We had friends, we got along with some people, we tried to wear a mask and keep our heads down. But living your life feeling like an imposter is draining and often people can see through the mask no matter how hard you try.

But now we have each other. And we have a strong group of friends that are gay people, trans people,

and just as importantly, our Allies

Unfortunately, in coming out we risk learning the truth about others. We risk losing others.

But we also find our truest friends and family. 

I found you, Brax, and the wonderful people in our Committee and the Allies that I've met through you all.

Queer people don't need fair weather friends,

We need thunder buddies.

Knowing your true, supportive friends and allies can make a big difference for anyone.

Feeling loved and validated can be life saving.

We are older and stronger now. We are tired of being quiet and as adult Trans people we want to share our new found voices with anyone who can relate. 

For kids seeking validation and representation,

For adults wanting to learn.

Even those who don't want to hear us but need to.

Even through shaking voices we will speak up for all of us. 

I think now we are both at the point where we aren’t going to take it anymore. We are proud of who we are.

And every day that we validate ourselves and each other we grow stronger and more firm in who we are.

We deserve rights.

We deserve respect.

We deserve love.

We deserve everything.