Coming Out Day: Etke Kom Ejjab Konaan 'Ikōn' Kon Menin

Holly Wrobel, translated by Janerose Ralpho

“Ij tomak bwe jelak kwalok bwebwenato ko ad, mokta nan koj make innem nan bar juon innem nan lalin, ej juon revolutionary act.” —Janet Mock


Ien eo jinontata juon ekar kajjitok ibba ne ij gay kar class 7. Aeet, ejjab juon kajjitok eo eman ak etinno. Ak, jimettan in ri iukkure in pājkōt rekar corner na ilo locker room ilo juon iaan away game ko, im rej kajjitok ne ij gay. Nan rainin, ijjab melele ta eo bwe ren kar letok kajjitok eo nan na. Jejo minute bwe en jinoe game eo elap aurok ibben juon team eo mwe remaron beat i kem. Ikar pok kin menin, ikar uwaak, “Eaab, ij jeraki Blake, āinwōt…” Innem, aelop rekar driwojlak āinwōt k ejjelok men eo.” Kom ar tel nan court en im kure; im jemlok eo ne.


Ikar koman menin ao etale na make, im jekdroon eo jonan ao self-analysis, ijjab lukkin melele ta eo bwe en walok menin. Ikar jab lukkin lomnak elap kake, botab ilowan yio eo, ij kijoor lo ao make lomnak kin menin. Elon k juon ekar pisen e na im ekar nak kake? Ikar k kommane juon vibe ren lomnak rot in? Elon k clue ikar miss mwe enij komman menin an armij jela?


Ikar jab melele kon elon un. Mokta, kom ar kure ilo bwijin kain sport team ilo elon yio, im ejjelok juon co-ed team. Etke rej jelet na jen leddrik ro motta k kom aelop ej bed ilo juon ot team kb juon ot uniform? Kobalok, ij jeraki juon laddrik eo aesop rekar konaan, im ikar aikwij akwelap e bwe en jera ki na. Ilo ien ne, ij kab melele etke armij rej kajjitok e na, KINKE na gay. Ikar lomnak k na kwar juon armij eo “straight” eniwot aelop armij. Ikar lomnak ne ij gay, k inij konaan leddrik, botab ikar jab enjake ao konaan leddrik mae ien ikar jinon konaan leddrik…. Won ar tomak k elikin yio in ao jab kajjitokin sexuality in ao, ekar bok juon likatu eo elap an meletlet ej kattoojojtok ilo college bwe en komman menin ao bar etale mour e ao? Uwaak eo nan kajjitok ej aelop ejelokin na. 


Armij rej kajjitok etke kom, members in LGBTQ+ jukjuk, aikwijin come out jen closet ilo jinon. Jet maron ron an juon ba, “ta rej kommane ilo mour eo aer k eman, botaab ijjab konan jela kake.”


Kin menin, ij ba, “ejjab kon kwe.”


Ej nan armij ro rekar tok iṃaad im rekar kalbuuj, nitbwil, kab ṃōrō kinke rekar bed ilo juon jukjuk bed or rekar lomnak rej bed ie. Ej nan aelop armij ro rej enjake k reoktak jen aelop im rejjab melele ejam endret in. Ej nan leddrik eo teammate ro an rekar corner ki im rekar kajjitokin identity eo ekar nak jadrewot melelein im ekar nak k ej claim ki. Ej nan Matthew Shepherd. Ej nan Harvey Milk. Ej nan Stonewall. Ej nan aelop armij ro rekar tarinae nan kem bwe jen maron bok right ko aelop. Ej nan aelop armij ro jen lal ko jet mwe rej persecuted kon sexuality, im rej mour ilo second class. Ej nan kem. Ej nan ro eniwot kem. 


Kem ekar tok juon ial aiktok ilowaan 100 yio, botab ej lap ot jerbal ejainin tobrak. Elak laplok armij rej peranḷọk nan kwalok im jab jolak aer bwod kin identity eo aer, bōlen emaron lon oktak ilo mour ko an armij. Botaab, ne jenij womanlak im konono kin men kein im won jej iakwe, emaron lon juon ien aelop renij anemkwoj kommane aidrein.


Mae ien enij walok, jejjab maron jab konono kon menin. Aelop yio ilo Oktoba 11 raan, jej celebrate National Coming Out Day, bwe aelop ren maron kenono.

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