Photo by: @tonals.corner

How the f*ck do we even begin to feel at home in our queerness, let alone cultivate queer community when we’re starting to come out and own our sexuality?

When I first came out four years ago (this month!), I felt SO damn confused. And SO damn alone. And, to be honest, I often still struggle to feel connected to my queerness beyond my individual self.

Learning from Kiana and, honestly, just watching them live their life so damn connected to her queerness and authenticity has been so liberating for me — and I knew you would all resonate SO strongly with and learn so much from their energy, her story and their lived experience as a queer, and former non monogamous, person.

If you’re new to all things Healing Is Imperfect, Kiana (she/they) is a Black queer twenty something in love with her partner, her friends and her cat. She is a sex educator, pleasure mentor and sex work advocate. They believe in the past, present and future liberation of all people through fighting anti-Blackness, centering the queer and trans community, and connecting to whatever one considers spiritual. Kiana has learned from and is fueled by pleasure activism. She loves dancing, being by bodies of water, analyzing too many things and quoting their favorite TV shows and movies.

Things she highlights and what we talk about in todays episode:

their journey doing sex work
taking nudes & the safety/fears around sharing our bodies
honoring our lineages through the work we do & the way we show up in the world
the multiple phases of our coming out journeys
how they began to cultivate their local queer community & where you can start with your own journey
going from 5 years of non monogamy to monogamy in their current relationship
the struggle of dating cis men, navigating the patriarchy, gender expression, identity politics and beyond