Pride Month 2021
When I think about pride month I think about how so many people are now living in their truth. When I was younger I was taught to not judge people. One of my friends was a part of the LGBTQ+ community. We were like two peas in a pod. When you saw him you saw me and we were together all the time. I’m happy that he was able to live in his truth before passing away. Because laws have changed he was able to legally marry a wonderful man. He taught me so much about living in your truth. When I first became a Doula I was informed about many things in the LGBTQ+ community. Being a Doula is a big part of my identity. I knew some things about the LGBTQ+ community before becoming a Doula but was happy to learn more. One thing I learned was that some birthing persons don’t identify with the terms woman or mother. Instead of saying those terms you can say birthing person. I was also informed to ask each individual what pronouns they would like to use. Listening to different educators and being informed about the community really helped me become a better Doula and helped me better serve clients. As a Doula you want to be informed about the different backgrounds so that you are able to respect every client and have that reciprocated. When serving families that identify as LGBTQ+ it is a pleasure because I am informed and confident on how to help those families advocate for themselves. Being informed helps play a role in how I educate families as well. I love the work that I do because I’m able to serve families and help them have the best birthing experience that they deserve. Love is love and everyone is entitled to love whom they choose to love. Happy Pride Month!!