Chosen Family Sh!t

This week, we talked about the importance of chosen family. Let’s be honest: our biological families are a mixed bag, at best. Some are positive and supportive, some disowned us and never spoke to us again; most probably fell somewhere in the middle. So how do you fill in the gaps in education, self-worth, skill-building, stress-relief, and entertainment left by the lack of a family? You make one, of course! That’s your chosen family.

This topic is at the heart of my motivation for doing this podcast. What do we need to provide to queer youth and young adults to improve the outcomes many of us take for granted? I’m lucky in that my ‘full-blood brother’ is both my biological family and my chosen family—without him, I wouldn’t have been able to buy my first car and not get completely scammed. I remember my first non-sexual gay friend who just wanted to be in queer spaces, listening to music and laughing with me. My lung capacity was increased the first time I hung out with a long-term, queer couple. My chosen family granted me access to a much greater, richer life. How’s the size of your chosen family? Do you need to fill in some more gaps? Get out there and find your tribe. They exist.