“Pride, to me, means a way in which people of the LGBTQIA+ community have the freedom and acceptance to explore and be whoever they choose to be. I believe pride month brings forth education and love to the community. It’s important to show our strength in numbers.

 “Everyone’s journey is different. Some might be easy, some hard. However, at the end of the day, the best advice I could give is:  surround yourself with people who love and support you for who you are, and the ones who don’t support you are meaningless.

 “With my platform, I would like to keep educating and spreading awareness about the [LGBTQIA+] community, because what we experience every day is real, and no one deserves to be discredited or told that what they’re doing is wrong. The most important [thing allies can do] is to stay educated, followed by loving and supporting everyone in the community. I’m truly blessed to be in an industry that has been so accepting. I’m excited to move into the future as my true self and no longer live a lie.

“[As the world reopens], I’m excited for life as we used to know it, to resume. It’s crazy how fragile life is and how quickly it can be ripped from you. The pandemic has definitely shifted my focus on what’s really important.”