Glitter!

As A Metaphor

Psychology will tell us that the natural attraction to shiny things is due to the
subconscious associating them with water, something we can’t live without. How it’s supposed
to represent the promise of something good or adventurous, plus the fact that in some cases it
can be intriguing or distracting. But aside from glitter being used to bring attention to things or
enhance them, it is also used to alter things.

Growing up and trying to figure out who you want to be is hard enough without the
stereotypes of middle school, including the pressure to fit in. I’m sure this was always somewhat
the case, but in this age especially, with the rapid growth and constant use in social media, life
is chaotic yet opportunities are bouncing off the walls. From makeup and sparkles, to the
LGBTQ+ community, to live streaming, everyone is pushing each other's boundaries to think
more outside the box, work bigger, work better, work faster! But alongside daily life and sharing
of all things, social media has brought us something way more groundbreaking, the ability to
have an even bigger voice than ever before. Things spread like wildfire, making online protests
and petitions apparent, accessible, and unavoidable to not acknowledge.

In mid-June 2008, Katy Perry released her first successful studio album ‘​One of the
Boys​’’ including “I Kissed A Girl” as the second track. As she accepted her National Equality
Award at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Gala Dinner in 2017, Katy says how, “..When that
song came out, I knew that I started a conversation that a lot of the world seemed curious
enough to sing along to....” She continues on to tell us her story of how she was raised to hide
who she really felt like she was, and that she turned her music into her ‘glitter’. Later concluding
that “..That little voice inside of you pushing you to discover who you are, is a trusted friend.”

Personally, my ‘glitter’ has always been my choice of fashion. I express myself with
clothes and clashing patterns, jewelry, colorful hair, etc.. It’s how I show my energy and
intensity. I was raised with a ton of love and support, so confidence comes pretty effortless to
me. Most especially because I had idols who were and still are: people like Katy Perry, Lady
Gaga, and Taylor Swift who are all about expression and color. I was in a private school until
3rd grade, so I was about 8 when I was put into a public school. I considered myself to be an
outcast and I liked it that way for a while. Unfortunately, stereotypes run deep in American
society, but it wasn’t until middle school that I thought maybe it’d be better to be like everyone
else.

My mom thought I was crazy when I started asking her for name brand clothes and
changing up my style. All I wanted to be was a ‘popular girl’, and looking back, I think something
just hit me one day, and I decided that that was how I was going to be accepted in this new
‘world’. I had come into this new school so innocent and happy with no judgement, but this was
a complete 180. My ‘glitter’ wasn’t to enhance anymore; it was covering something up. I couldn’t
even tell you how I changed, because it was so gradual over the course of about 3 years.
 Four years after Katy Perry released her ‘One of the Boys’ album (2012), Barack Obama
was the first president to publicly claim in an interview that he supports the idea and act of gay
marriage. This mainstream recognition is what allowed for further progress, including gay
marriage being legalized and the decloration of June as LGBT pride month. Later, in 2017
during the week prior to her Superbowl performance, Lady Gaga said in an interview with FOX
that “I believe in a passion for inclusion. I believe in the spirit of equality and the spirit of this
country as one of love, and compassion, and kindness --- My performance will uphold those
philosophies,” which it certainly did. The music she puts out and the difference she makes in
other people’s lives is part of her ‘glitter’.

Only approximately 4.1% of the U.S. population considers themselves part of this
community, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but to put it in perspective, that’s 13,571,000! With an
obvious growth in this group, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) surveyed about 12,000 teens
ages 13-17 across the country who identified as LGBTQ+. These surveys showed that 95% of
this group not only has trouble sleeping at night, but they experience “heartbreaking levels of
stress, anxiety, rejection, and lack of safety in their schools and communities.”

At the end of August in 2018, I went to Lockn’ Festival in Arrington, VA. It wasn’t
planned, but my uncle & cousins from New York had an extra ticket & invited me to go along.
My mom even let me miss the first whole week of school that year just because she thought the
experience was once in a lifetime. She couldn’t have been more right. The 4-day and 4-night trip
ended up being one of my favorite experiences yet. When I was there, it was estimated that
over 20,000 people attended. Whether they were staying in camp or in a hotel, big families or
groups of friends dancing around in rainbow tutus playing catch with a cantaloupe, everyone
was together. And it was awesome. It was glittery.

Seeing so many different types of people all sharing the same space without a bad
vibration anywhere was the most peaceful thing ever. During the day you could walk around the
little tent shops people had set up, or swing in the hammocks they put up in various groups of
trees. But one of the best things about festivals is the food! You could eat the same thing for
every meal at one and not get tired of it. Musical artists performed all throughout the day with
mosh pits, but at night was when most people relaxed. There’s something about the way the
concert music flows over the valleys surrounding you, that makes you feel very refreshed. The
best band was definitely Dead and Company, and they literally stayed in our hotel, which I still
to this day can’t believe. One band I got into from LOCK’N was Moon Taxi, who I still listen to
now.

I don’t think I realized until later on how much my perspective changed in general after
my trip. Everybody at school sort of labeled me as a little hippie chick after that, which I never
felt was all the way true, but ever since then I’ve definitely tapped into my spiritual journey and
appreciated myself and my life a lot more. Anyone can sit down and align or realign their
chakras, but I believe that I actually take pride in my character and try to be purposeful. I’d say
one of my biggest fears would be being ordinary, or having to work a 9-5 job for the rest of my
life, I actually want to be different and unapologetically myself. My ‘glitter’ is now bringing good
attention to me again, and will hopefully stay like that.