Pride Month in the Sanctuary 🌈

My partner and me

For many years, I wasn't sure how I wanted to write about Pride Month so I avoided it. Now I’m ready.

I married my college sweetheart who was a cisgender male in 2002. We lived around the country, had three sons and seemingly had it all. He asked for a divorce in 2017 and it was finalized in 2019. In 2022, I publicly appeared with my first girlfriend. For some people, it seemed like a major life change.

I heard, “You just had some bad experiences with men” and “You can’t tell anyone because it will undo all of the good that you’ve done.” Both were true but not exactly. I’ve had some really good experiences with men and the good I’d done or will continue to do won’t vanish or change, just how people viewed me would. For those who had known me since my younger years, it wasn't exactly a surprise. In fact, one of my closest guy friends responded with, "Well, it's about damn time!!"

I’ve always known I was bisexual and apparently he did too. Because of religion, I just refused to even entertain the idea of having a woman as a partner so I did what was expected and spent my adult life in relationships with the opposite sex. When I finally mustered up the courage to explore it, I was immediately disappointed. I was disappointed that I had waited so long for what felt and was so right because I was told it was wrong.

Most of my closest friends remained and didn’t see me differently or treat me harshly. Yet even with that support, I didn't feel ready to write about Pride Month. I needed time to understand what it meant for me personally rather than simply describing it through the experiences of others.

When many people hear the word pride, they think of arrogance, self-importance, or conceit. But Pride Month represents something entirely different. It is courage. It is self-respect. It is the defiant joy of living authentically despite the shame, stigma, and discrimination that have historically been attached to sexual orientations and identities that fall outside of our society's expectations.

We live in a world where heteronormativity is often presented as the default. We see it reflected in media, marketing, cultural celebrations, social interactions, and even legal systems. Because of that, choosing authenticity can require tremendous bravery.

For me, pride means being able to say: I am proud of choosing to love someone who loves me well regardless of their gender.

I am proud of being in a relationship where I never have to shrink myself. I never have to become smaller, quieter, or less visible to make someone else comfortable. I am accepted fully, loved deeply, and encouraged to be exactly who I am. I didn’t get to choose my family but I do get to choose my person. I’m proud of the beautiful life we are building together and how we are showing up for ourselves, each other and other people in this world.

And while that choice has come with costs, those costs have been worth it.

Some friendships changed. Some opportunities disappeared. Some people became uncomfortable with the reality of me loving someone of the same gender. Those losses were real.

But so is the connection I have found.

So is the peace that comes from living honestly and freely.

So is the freedom that comes from no longer carrying the weight of other people's expectations.

Pride is not about demanding approval. It is about refusing to abandon yourself in order to receive it.

At Asylo Health, this message is especially meaningful because our name carries a purpose.

Asylo means "sanctuary."

A sanctuary is a place where people can exhale. A place where they don't have to perform, hide, explain, or defend who they are. A place where healing can happen because authenticity is welcomed rather than judged. My partner is my safe space and that is something every being deserves.

This Pride Month, we celebrate the courage it takes to live openly, love boldly, and honor your truth.

We are proud to be a safe space for women who identify as members of the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as allies who believe that every person deserves dignity, belonging, and respect.

Whether you are questioning, exploring, healing, growing, or simply looking for a community where you can show up as yourself, you are welcome here.

No masks.

No judgment.

No shrinking.

Just space to breathe, belong, and be.

Because wellness begins where authenticity is safe.

Happy Pride Month from all of us at Asylo Health!

About Asylo Health

At Asylo Health, we create sanctuary-centered wellness experiences that support physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and social well-being through yoga, breathwork, meditation, sound healing, community connection, and holistic wellness education. We believe healing is most powerful when people feel safe enough to be fully themselves.