By 
Walking around and listening to the women of this city it is very obvious that being gay in the south is not an easy task. In fact, it seems that most of the women here don’t even tell their families. Women often share that it would hurt them if their family knew they were gay, and if they did, it’s not openly discussed. There are many countries, cities and towns on our little blue planet where we can live as proud lesbian women. We can be respected for our rights and choices as human beings.
Progress is slow, yet what are my fellow lesbians doing to break down barriers and educate their neighbors? Are we all working together to change this beautiful city into a rainbow friendly city or do we settle for fears and insecurities? What are the messages we are sending to our girls who come out of the closet? Are we being responsible with how we pave the way for our future gay women? Are we promoting and encouraging homosexual companies, artists and professionals?
Columbia lesbians should shout their gay pride and fight for equal rights and opportunities. None of us should be afraid of losing our jobs, friends, respect, or chances because we love the ladies (and yes, there are plenty of lovely ladies in this town to love)!
How are we going to build security with our partners, wives or girlfriends if we are scared or, worse, indifferent? It’s hard enough to have a family, a relationship, a job, pay the bills, or raise kids without having to live in a fucking cave or closet! We are a privileged minority in terms of being able to hide our homosexuality, and choose who we reveal ourselves to as well. That doesn’t mean we should hide behind that fact. Fear breeds fear, which means if you’re not proud of who you are, how can your children be proud of the different beautiful family they belong to? It is the differences that make us unique, not our similarities; therefore the lesson must be to embrace our uniqueness, not run from it!
We have Equality Organizations; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Centers; and gay radio stations, among others, that represent the LGBT community, but need support to get the word out and do their job. If you want things to change (and fair enough if you’re happy the way you are!) you have to ask for what you want, need and want!
I am a proud lesbian mom residing in the beautiful city of Columbia, get up and roar with me!
Alex Karydi ~ The lesbian guru