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“You’re up.” Dora gave Alastair’s hand a reassuring squeeze.
He walked to the podium and introduced himself to the crowd. And then, as everyone listened with rapt interest, Alastair told the story that started with his being a little English girl who felt out of place in her body and ended with his becoming the man who was proudly addressing them this day.
“My story will resonate with many of you. Being different brings a lot of challenges. Loneliness. Isolation. Self-hatred. Alienation. Derision. Loss. For some it can lead to substance abuse and self-harm.
“For caregivers and Littles who’ve lived all their lives feeling like our desires were deviant or wrong, to live and love in a place that makes us feel affirmed is the greatest blessing of our lives. But you don’t heal the moment you walk through the doors. We bring baggage. It may be a mental illness. It may be past trauma. It may be body dysmorphia. It may be internalized misogyny. It may be internalized homophobia. But whatever it is, know that Rawhide Ranch isn’t where your story ends, but where it begins.
“When I came here, I thought I’d sorted myself out but it wasn’t until I became a Daddy to my beautiful fiancée, Dora, that I realized I’d brought my own baggage. And that’s okay. It’s all right to need help. And how wonderful is it to live in a loving environment when all you have to do is ask. If you seek anything from therapy to advice on gender affirming care, the visionaries behind this Ranch have made it possible.
“Look around you, to your right and to your left. This is your family. Your tribe. You are lucky to be part of one of the most inclusive communities in the United States. I know. Trust me.”
He returned to his seat to the loudest applause so far.
“That was wonderful,” Dora said with tears in her eyes.
“You are wonderful,” Alastair said. “We are wonderful.”
THE END
