There comes a point in life where staying silent no longer serves a purpose.
For far too long, I have watched assumptions, rumors, and narratives circulate about my personal life as though they belonged to the public. They do not.
To be clear: I have no romantic feelings for anyone currently. The rumor mill within certain circles and fan spaces can finally come to an end. My personal relationships are exactly that, personal. Who I vote for, who I spend my time with, and how I choose to navigate my private life are not public property for speculation.
Family means family. Friendship means friendship. Support means support.
Not every meaningful connection carries a hidden agenda behind it. Sometimes people simply show up for one another because they care. Sometimes a guardian, mentor, best friend, or chosen family member stands beside someone because that is what loyalty looks like. Nothing more needs to be added to the story.
My guardian stands stronger than ever beside me on this matter, and I am grateful for the people who have consistently supported me through every season of life. If you find that certain individuals are no longer present, no longer responding, or no longer participating in the noise, perhaps the better question is not where they went, but why they chose to step away in the first place.
I grew up believing in an old-school kind of love. The kind built on trust, commitment, honesty, respect, and consistency. The kind that is earned over time rather than assumed overnight. If love finds me again someday, I hope it arrives with those values attached.
Until then, my heart is resting on the shelf.
I have spent the last four years single, healing, rebuilding, and learning who I am outside of a toxic relationship. That journey has taught me more about self-respect than any rumor ever could. Right now, my focus remains on my personal growth, my goals, my career, my chosen family, and the LGBTQ+ community that has helped shape me into the person I am today.
I refuse to allow toxic dynamics, manipulation, or fear to silence me any longer. I will not apologize for having standards. I will not apologize for wanting healthy love. And I certainly will not apologize for protecting my peace.
Those who have walked beside me through both sunshine and storms already know where I stand. They have seen the struggles, the victories, the healing, and the work that happened when no audience was watching.
At forty years old, I am no longer interested in proving myself to people determined to misunderstand me.
The truth is simple:
My life belongs to me.
My voice belongs to me.
My future belongs to me.
And the people who genuinely love and respect me have never needed a rumor to understand that. ❤️🏳️🌈✨