A Message to My Haters

First, I DID A THING! A very short story, “Home,” will appear on October 31 over on Gus Li’s blog, Fox Hat and Friends‘ Foxtober event.

Today, I just want to send a message to all my haters: 

You may know about me, but you don’t know me, even if you think you’ve observed me. Observing me at work is not a true representation. I’m not me at work, mostly because I know people like you are watching.

Unless I hang out with you outside of work (and no, not at a work-sanctioned event), you know nothing about me. If you haven’t met my husband, petted my dog, ridden in my car, talked to me about my writing, or walked around a festival with me, you don’t know me. You certainly don’t know me well enough to “out” me because you don’t even know what that means.

I’m an ally. I write gay romance. I attend an 18+ Convention for the Dealer/Artist Halls and to see my best friend in the whole world. I support the LGBTQ community. I love my husband, my friends, my family, LGBTQIA+ people, writing, and animals. If you don’t fall into those categories, I don’t have time for you. I know you think I’m stuck up. I don’t fucking care what you think. You’re going to find the people who do know me aren’t as few and far between as you assumed. 

I’m not doing anything wrong, even if it doesn’t fit with your Christian moral values. This is not a dictatorship (yet). Our company values diversity, inclusion, and hard work, work I’m doing well. You have no right to tell me what to do with my free time. You have no right to tell me anything, really. 

Fuck off.