We asked our lovely authors what it means to be them to be part of the LGBTQ+ reading/writing community, and we got some wonderful, honest, and moving responses. We’d love to hear what it means to you too!
“It connects me with all the women in past generations in my own family who weren’t able to tell their stories, and it opens the door for so many today who still cannot express who they are in all their glorious diversity.”
Maggie McIntyre
“Being part of the LGBTQ+ writing/reading community gives me a sentiment like the centre of a chocolate fondant, soft and warm. It’s that feeling of belonging.”
Valden Bush
“I came from a country where being queer could land you in jail. Freedom to be myself, freedom to express myself, and to be a part of the like-minded community helped lessen my anxiety and boost my creativity. I’m especially grateful to my writing group for their infinite support and encouragement. It’s a pure joy to read and write sapphic stories.”
Claire Donniere
“To me, being part of this community means that I get to put everything wonderful and everything painful about being queer into words and what echoes back is an “I know. I have felt the same.” It means letting go of boundaries of what we can and can’t talk about. It means learning. Learning about new ways of loving, about new ways of living and recognising that no matter how different I might be from you in so many ways, we are united not only in our struggles, but in our joy. In our creativity. Simply put, it means community. It means getting to read about queer lives I wish I could have lived and about queer lives that are so similar to mine it’s almost frightening. It means getting to channel the deepest parts of me into writing and sharing them with my queer siblings who lift me up.”
Debbie Zimolong
“As a new writer, I love being part of a community which is supportive and understands me. By going on retreats with like-minded women, I have been able to express myself more comfortably and have learned so much about the craft of story writing. Through projects like this, I have been able to express myself and tell my story. I look forward to the journey moving forward.”
Sarah Snow
Watch out for more author thoughts on our beautiful community tomorrow. Saturday 1st July is release day for SapphFic Eclectic Volume Four – a totally free anthology with 22 stories from new, upcoming, and established authors. Don’t miss it!
Hugs,
Robyn and Brey
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