FOSSIL PRIDE CAMPAIGN
Alyssa Edwards Fronts Fossil's Pride Benefit Campaign Alyssa Edwards, activist Blair Imani, Pose star Dyllón Burnside, LGBTQ Photographer Steph Grant and activist and author Jacob Tobia,
When I was asked to be one of the faces of Fossil’s 2019 Pride Campaign & to sit down with their production crew in NYC to share my story, my first reaction was…
Wow. Yeah. I HAVE TO SAY NO.
I found myself reverting back to my old ways of blending in and staying silent. I quickly shook that off and reminded myself of the importance of speaking up about the things that matter. So here I am doing just that!
Igniting change looks a lot like saying yes to the things we fear most. As a closeted gay kid raised in a very strict religious environment my biggest fear was not blending in. I was told who to be and what to believe. I exhausted myself striving for absolute perfection and I mastered the art of being whatever anyone needed whenever they needed it.
As time went on my voice sounded a whole lot like everyone else and nothing like me. There I was, an adult, feeling like a shell of a human, desperately wishing to hit the reset button. I had this aching desire to LIVE. To live my truth. I knew there had to be more than being consumed by pleasing others in order to feel loved or worthy. I want you to know: there is hope.
Every single day I choose to be good to myself. I have found my voice and now I will speak…I will SHOUT my truth for the people who cannot shout theirs. I will share our stories so that we have a sense of togetherness, because I need you to know that YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Let us embrace the differences in each other and choose LOVE every damn day. Where there is love, there is hope. Where there is hope, there is another kid who will feel comfortable loving and accepting themselves.
There’s not a wrong way to ignite positive change. The only tragedy is staying still. It can be easy to tell yourself “everyone else is doing so much more than me,” and that thought can paralyze you. Don’t let fear keep you from moving forward. Move at a pace that feels right for where you’re at in life and be good to yourself. You’ve got this! What are you doing to create a positive change in your world? Tell me about it below.
Fossil, thank you from the bottom of my heart for asking me to be part of your pride campaign and for giving me a platform to share my story & the stories of incredible LGBTQ+ individuals. 100% of pride watch proceeds are donated to the Hetrick-Martin Institute - HMI 🌈
Love you all…could not have done this without YOU. XO
#maketimeforgood Snag a watch here.
