Wednesday Wisdom, Ideas, Inspiration for Women Entrepreneurs, Small Businesses
“I just want to be who I am,” someone said. It has been my sentiment too since becoming bald five years ago. ‘Coming out’ as a bald woman due to alopecia meant letting go of what I thought others thought of me.
With rainbow flags flying everywhere in June to mark Pride Month, reminds me of when my cousin ‘came out’ to our family years ago. Even though Ellen DeGeneres had spoken the words, “I’m gay” publicly, not everyone embraced her or the gay community because she made the announcement. Coming out for many people has taken years, and some don’t ever come out for many reasons.
Tracy Chamberlain Higginbotham
I remember being so worried about what I looked like after losing my hair that crossing my road to get the mail made me run to the mailbox hoping a car wouldn’t see me ‘nude’ (aka bald). They probably didn’t know or care what I looked like, but I did. It mattered to me what others thought – even strangers in a car. So, I can only imagine how difficult it is to come out as an LGBTQIA with so many societal biases.
The person who touched my heart most about “Pride” was a 14-year-old trans girl on a DC subway sitting next to me coming back from the Women’s March in 2017. She was carrying a pride flag and shared her story with me. She was there to speak up for her rights proudly – trans girl’s rights – in hopes it would make it easier for others someday. I told her to keep speaking up and believing in herself. “I will,” she said as she waved and smiled at me jumping off at her stop.
Women TIES members at the Women’s March on DC 2017
Life isn’t always easy. Everyone has a personal story, an issue, a problem, and an insecurity they deal with. It is not up to us to judge others but to care.
Today’s Wednesday Wisdom, during this month dedicated to Pride, is to ask you to be compassionate to all your customers, staff, friends, neighbors, and people you meet who are wearing rainbows this month. If you are a supporter, consider flying a rainbow flag at your door, putting a symbol on your website or social media marketing sites, or offering discounts to the Pride community, to show you support the cause. It might be a nice way to develop a different type of brand image for those looking for a sign.
I must admit I don’t have a rainbow hat to wear over my bald head to show I care about the LGBTQIA community. I try to do that by getting involved in their sporting communities sharing news and treating them with love and compassion, but I think I’ll order one today and wear it more often. Love is love.
Women TIES 