Stella, 16, Annapolis, MD
Stella, 16, Annapolis, MD
Stella has always danced to the beat of her own drum. As a child she was animated and always happy; she loved to dance and sing and was first to be in front of a camera. She easily showed kindness to others and looked for the good in every situation. Stella, now 16, has turned into a beautiful young woman. Her resilience is amazing and regardless of all the things she has seen and experienced in life she remains optimistic and refuses to fold.
I absolutely love that Stella makes no apologies for who she is. She lays it out there that when it comes to her you can take her or leave her and there is nothing in between. There is no time for unaccepting people or situations and Stella makes her own safe space for her and her friends. She is the champion of the outcasts and a leader on what she might think is the island of misfit toys. Stella always seeks to help people feel accepted and loved, regardless of their circumstances or their situation. She has an endless amount of love for others. She will be the first to hold a door or to help someone in trouble. With Stella as a friend, you can be sure that you have someone to lean on that will always care.
I have told Stella that the gender she identifies with does not define her. Her sexual orientation does not define her. They are parts of her but
the love that she shares and the kindness in her heart is what defines her. She is strong. She is beautiful. She is resilient. She is amazing and I am so proud that God gave me Stella.
From Stella
My social environment has a lot of biases and stigmas, even in those groups that would be considered a minority. Everyone seems to separate into groups full of people that look and think the same. I think that’s just how people cope with exposure to something that is different than what they’re used to. I’ve always wanted to try to break down as many of those barriers as possible, and show everyone that we really aren’t so different inside.
I can’t change hearts and minds. All I can do is be my true self with the hopes that people can move past their bias once they get to know me. I believe that this project can help do that on a larger scale and help others understand that