Happy Pride Month!

This happens to be my first post in the Dev community, let me introduce myself.

My name is Kris and I’m a 20 year old developer. I currently live in Denver, CO, am in college for cybersecurity, work at a local mental health nonprofit, and am starting my journey in freelance web development. I love to hike, watch anime, game, and enjoy time with friends. I also happen to be transgender and bisexual.

My identity as a member of the LGBTQ+ community has always been a point of contention. I was raised in an unaccepting family, in Kansas and Missouri, surrounded by casual homophobia and transphobia.

Once I started breaking into the world of tech it was hard because there weren’t many people like me. Most of the people I knew in the field were the stereotypical straight, white man. At first I felt like I wasn’t cut out for development because I didn’t fit the mold. That stigma almost made me stop doing something I am extremely passionate about. Thankfully, I continued and forged my own path.

In recent years, I’ve seen more and more representation of people like me in the world of tech. This trend gives me a lot of hope; I know it will open so many doors for young people to know there is a space for them in this amazing community. I believe the perspective we bring is extremely valuable. We have a culturally educated, unique, and proud perspective. A lot of us have had to deal with hardships and it has made us incredibly resilient. I love being able to be myself and do all the things I’m passionate about.

For all of you allies, during pride month (and always) I urge you to educate yourselves. Talk to you LGBTQ+ friends and family, really listen to what they have to say. Research the history of Pride. Learn about the current inequalities towards LGBTQ+ people. It is so important to proactively look for ways you can help amplify our voices.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Pride month!

Signing off,
Kris