During the march, there were some chants led by people in the crowd. I found myself joining in, but my voice was soft a lot of the time. I still find myself scared at times. Or sure that someone is going to come by and say, "You can't say that! You're going to hell." I'm finding my voice right now. And it's uncomfortable. And it makes me feel angry sometimes. I think anger is a big part of finding out who you are and what you believe in. Changing your beliefs you've held for a long time causes cognitive dissonance. That stress and uncomfortable feeling you get when you hold two or more contradictory beliefs or values at the same time. But this stress is needed to come to your core values. And I believe there is nothing better than finally coming to know who you are, what you believe, and having solid reasons for why you believe it. So many people don't examine their beliefs. I have been lucky through my education, my friends at college and in Chicago, my life in Chicago, and my experiences traveling to get to know many different perspectives. I also can understand some ways of thinking that I used to hold to be true but no longer do. This is a gift. But it can also be super uncomfortable.
It is time to start speaking up. It is my right and my responsibility.
