Welcome to another article of A Beautiful Soul. In this column, we will be sharing coming out stories and what it's like being in the LGBTQ+ community. Maybe it will help you in your own journey.

Today, I would like to share someone's story who has asked to remain anonymous.

I was an adult before I knew I was different. Don't we all know we aren't the "normal" stereotype at some point? Even if it was late, I'm glad I realized and found myself. I was raised by traditional cis-parents. My mother was an ally and my step-father basically followed whatever her view was to avoid conflict in the household. Looking back, that honestly wasn't healthy. His views and little things he said were confusing. Now, I understand why.

Before I go further, I will say I am a bi-demisexual, AFAB person who loves drag. I've tried for the last year to approach the "scene", but it has been very hard. While some welcome the celebration of redefined postmodern feminism, others haven't been so kind. Many have thought I should leave drag to the real queens, that all I'm doing is taking away something that means so much to the gay culture.

I have looked up to people like Dahlila Jasmine, Patty O'Furniture, Trashina Cann, and Coca Dietetica. Ladies who should inspire anyone you can achieve your goals. I feel most comfortable in myself with something once said by Connie Champagne, "I feel like a drag queen trapped in a woman's body." That really hits it home for me. If these ladies can be fired from a show and go back hitting the pavement the next day to be who they want to be, why can't I?

Even though I've had a hard time being accepted, I will not let it ruin my dreams of one day being a Drag Queen. I aspire to even make it to one of the Faux Queen Pageants in San Francisco. If I keep a positive mindset and don't let each door slammed shut in my face get me down, I hope to share with everyone I got my dream!

Just remember this, no matter who you are or what your dreams are, let your gender identity expression flag fly high and proudly. No one should tell you that you can't be who you are. It's something I look in the mirror and tell myself each and every day. It does help a tiny bit.

Thank you so much for sharing your story with us today. I'm sure your journey has been a difficult one as many of us have had a hard road to get where we are. May we all remember her words of hope for a beautiful future for us all. Until next time my beautiful souls, be safe, be yourself, and keep your head held high.

Hello, and welcome once more to our adventure through the acronym! This time around, the letter being thrust into the spotlight is 'Q' and I think I've come up with an absolute doozy of a topic for you all. So take a seat, grab a snack, and join me as we talk about all things... Quidditch!

Now, unfortunately, I do need to start this with a disclaimer. The words and actions of J.K. Rowling regarding trans+ individuals are absolutely harmful and do not reflect the theme of this article or me, the writer, in any way, shape, or form. As a trans+ individual myself, I firmly believe that it's important to separate the art from the artist. That being said, a love for the Harry Potter series and the community the fandom has fostered is a shared connection between all of us, and for that reason I personally believe topics relating to the series have a place in this article and publication, so long as they fit the theme, of course! However, this article is going to focus purely on the real-world variation of the sport of Quidditch, and how it intertwines with the LGBTQIAP+ community, in order to distance it from the work of J.K.R as much as possible.

With that being said, let's delve into the fascinating world of Muggle Quidditch, shall we?

It all began in 2005, with Xander Manshel and Alex Benepe, two college students from Middlebury, Vermont. The two of them had a dream to bring the fictional sport to life, and it seemed as though they weren't alone! By 2007, the sport had grown enough in popularity in the United States and surrounding countries that the first ever Quidditch World Cup was held. This became a tradition that continued every successive year until 2014. However, this wasn't the death of the sport - not by any means! In fact, it had grown worldwide in popularity to the point where a large-scale international competition was held instead, which was an annual event that continued up until the pandemic hit in late 2019. Currently, there are eighteen countries worldwide that have established Quidditch teams and players, and this number is only continuing to grow.

Muggle Quidditch has always had ties to the LGBTQIAP+ community, with one of the founding rules of the sport being the "gender rule". This rule states that out of the six non-Snitch players on a team, there can only be a maximum of four players of the same gender. By the rule's own definition, a player's gender is the gender that they identify with, and has no relation to biological sex or requires any form of medical transition. The gender rule is intended to promote an open and supportive co-ed environment, as well as being a safe place for those outside of the gender binary, as well as ensuring equal opportunity to all players.

Within the United States, there was an additional development in 2013 that was directly related to the gender rule. A branch of the International Quidditch Association (IQA) was created, whose focus was on advocacy and raising awareness of LGBTQIAP+ issues in relation to the sport, as well as promoting gender inclusivity and equality. This branch is known as "Title 9+3/4" and is still active to this day. In light of the events of recent years, the branch was expanded, and the IQA created a Harassment Policy, a BIPOC council, and also released statements condemning the stance taken by Rowling. They also re-enforced their commitment to having Muggle Quidditch be as inclusive and safe as possible for all of their players and volunteers.

Finally, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge another positive step forward in terms of inclusion, though it may not be directly related to the LGBTQIAP+ community. The Australian Quidditch Association has developed a set of rules for wheelchair Quidditch, and is in the process of campaigning for this format to be adopted into the IQA so that it can be utilized worldwide in official international and regional competitions.

I think that just about covers everything for now, though I do hope you look into Muggle Quidditch and the IQA for yourself if you haven't before. Thank you so much for joining us in this continued adventure through the acronym, and I'll see you in the next issue!