All about True Colors.

The amazing thing about True Colors (hereafter called TC, for shortness's sake) is how accepting it is. I think that TC is the ONLY place where 3,000 people can get together in one place and have it feel like a big family reunion. There were people that I've known for three years, people who I vaguely recall from a workshop or two, and those that I've never seen before.

Since I went with my moms and sister, (as opposed to a school group or GSA*) I got to pretty much just go off on my own. Since J.A. was there, I spent quite a bit of time with his GSA, eating lunch with them, taking workshops, and sitting with them at the closing ceremonies. By the end of the conference, I felt like I was adopted by his GSA. A really nice feeling, since (as an unschooler**) I don't have a GSA of my own.

The workshops overall were great, I took six different ones over the time I spent there.
"Queer Activism and Storytelling", "Crossing The Middle Ground" and "Latin Dancing" the first day, and "Heather Has Two Mommies", "Breaking Binaries", and "Gender Neutral Pronoun Lesson***" on the second day. All were fun, and I met some awesome people at them.

The mini-mall was great, all these vendors with pamphlets on LGBT issues, fun rainbow things, visibility buttons****, t-shirts, ribbons, and all sorts of other stuff, including a scarf that I LOVE. It's rainbow, many different yarns and sooooooo pretty! $10. Cheap, cheap, cheap...

I wish that the whole world was as accepting as TC is. What really stinks is having to come back from such an affirming place and go back to the real world where not everyone is bedecked in rainbows and happy being who they are.

The opening and closing ceremonies for the conference were amazing, and the keynote speakers were inspiring and enlightening.
Among others, we had Scott Turner Schofield, Rich Kiamko, the Infamous Squad, an abridged performance of Zanna Don't, a few musicians, and a drag show. (Spelling is iffy on names, by the way.)

At the end of the second day we had the dance. What an amazing time. You don't even know the difference between a prom for home(and un-)schoolers and one for LGBT kids until you've been to both of those. I have been to both of those.
At the Spring Fling (prom for homeschoolers) you have the kids doing one of a few dances, the macarana, jumping up and down in one place, a conga line, cotton eyed joe, or this swaying-type of dance in which one places ones hands on the partner's shoulders and stands about 2 feet apart and just rocks about in a circle. The last one is our version of a slow dance...to be used only when one has been dating their opposite-gendered partner.
At the LGBT youth dance, you have all sorts of people dancing their hearts out to all sorts of music. Joy radiates from every one of the people there. The kids are outgoing, exited, and so much more free than the kids at the spring fling.
Boys, girls and everyone in between dance with each other in a giddy whirlwind of color. Those people know how to Dance.***** (with a capital D.)
Keeping in mind the fact that most of the kids at the spring fling, I have known for at least a couple of years, and most of the kids at the TC dance I have known for a couple of...hours? It's shocking how much better of a time I had there than at the spring fling.

This is not to say that I did/do not have fun at, enjoy, or look forward to the spring fling. I do, but the difference is astounding.

What the hardest part is, (I think) is adjusting to a world that is NOT TC after being immersed in one that is so open, loving and affirming. The rest of the world seems so drab.

But TC does have events throughout the year that are not conferences, and I made some new friends who I am in touch with through the internet, so all is well.

J.A.'s moms and my moms hit it off, so mayhaps we shall see each other more than once a year...who knows?

Floating on a cloud of rainbows,
Whimsy

Looking for clarification?

* GSA - Gay-Straight Alliance. Usually found in high schools and collages.

** Unschooler - One who unschools, life-learner, like homeschooling, but no curriculum, child-lead education.

***Gender Neutral Pronouns - pronouns that are gender non-specific, often used by genderqueer/gender non-conforming people. Yes, the pronouns do exist. 'Tis true.

**** Visibility buttons - Buttons/pins that have rainbows, or labels (trans, bi, gay, ally, lesbian, queer, etc.) on them.

***** I was given "how to grind it" lessons by J.A. Yeah. I didn't "grind it". XD