As he walks by,

I let go again,

cause for passers-by we have to be just friends.

I’m asking questions, like it’s casually,

while working out for you

which version of me I can safely be.

And locker tormenting, red scarred skin.

Trying to scrub away graffiti,

trying to scrub away the sin.

When your teachers are your bullies,

and your friends are your bullies too,

it starts to feel like the problem is you.

So I just go blindfolded

to the multitude of lies,

to the one night only corporate sponsored idea of pride.

While I watch my friends and parents’ children

getting harassed on the streets,

but you can buy your rainbow coloured packets of sweets. 

They’ll put you on TV but you’re always a casual friend,

in an advert for a second but you’re in a tinted blurry lens.

And the man on the street looks at her then he looks at me,

as if we’re living in his browser history.

So I won’t go blindfolded

to the multitude of lies,

to the one night only corporate sponsored idea of pride.

Let’s not forget where this all started,

lives lost on our streets,

while they’re selling us rainbow coloured packets of sweets.

I’m laughing it off, I’m looking away,

tears prickling behind my eyes,

while he’s asking me countless, invasive questions about which part of me’s girl and which part of me’s guy.

So I take a deep breath, I think of our future,

and say what I was frightened to say,

and he’s like don’t get triggered, it was banter, anyway.

Anyway.

So be a better ally,

if you think your job is to tolerate and not be part of the fight.

Yeah be a better ally,

if you were silent while the Supreme Court took away our rights.

So be a better ally,

if you’re stood at the parade, and you’re cheering cars funding genocide.

And be a better ally,

if fear like this isn’t something you recognise.

Because 30 years from now, when we look back,

I’m gonna want to say we did everything we could.

So don’t let them take you blindfolded.