This is Queer: Beth

In 2011, Beth packed up her belongings and that life she’d known in Long Beach, California, and made her way to Richmond. She as embarking on her adult life, and it was in this community that she embraced being queer.

“I see being queer as being a human trying to figure yourself out. Most people get the privilege to just be what society deemed them to be and happy that way. Queers see themselves as something different. They challenge themselves to be truly authentic.”

For Beth, the best part of being queer is recognizing what she sees as a different kind of beauty in others. She shares that a queer identity encourages her to look deeper into a person. And she also automatically finds herself at ease when she recognizes a person that is also queer life herself.

“I see a person with colorful hair, tattoos, confidence, and an iced coffee — I know I can be myself around them. Our shared experience means I can get to know them on a deeper level.” She also giggly admits that “women just existing in the world and being absolutely mind blowing with everything they can be and do” keeps her smiling.

Beth spent a large portion of herself distancing herself from her queer identity. She attributed her desire to kiss girls as something she was simply doing for male attention.

“Therapy helped me realize my motives, to figure myself out. As I became more comfortable with my sexuality, I became more comfortable and happy with myself. There isn’t really a story but more of a realization that I’ll be coming out to people probably for the rest of my life. I feel happier saying I’m bisexual out loud than keeping it in.”

At 32 years old, Beth has adopted an identity for herself very much inspired by Mary Lambert, a recording artist.

“I saw Mary Lambert call herself a Bear Femme, and that’s about as close to an identity as I’ve gotten.”