I SEE YOU BECAUSE I SEE ME IN YOU IMMANI LOVE

I S E E Y O U B E C A U S E I S E E M E I N Y O U

AS WE CELEBRATE THE 2-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF BL AQUE/OUT MAGAZINE THE CONTRIBUTORS WERE ASKED TO PRODUCE SOMETHINGTHAT REFLECTS ON THE MAGAZINE FROM THE YEARS OF ITS EXISTENCE. AS A NEW WRITER FOR THE PUBLICATION, IT GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY (AND TO BE HONEST, GREAT PLEASURE) TO LOOK BACK ON PREVIOUS ISSUES FOR INSPIRATION. ONE COVER PHOTO THAT REALLY GRABBED MY ATTENTION WAS THE MARCH 2021 ISSUE, “BE SEEN” WITH THE COVER MODEL BEING NONE OTHER THAN THE FOUNDER AND EDITOR, TAMARA SANAA LEIGH! THE PHOTO FIRST CAUGHT MY ATTENTION BECAUSE IT WAS OF HER EYE, WITH TWO FINGERS THAT HAD THE WORDS “BE” AND “SEEN” ON THEM. ASIDE FROM THE IMPECCABLY MANICURED PINK NAILS, IT WAS THE CREATIVITY OF THE SHOT THAT GOT ME. THE LAYERS OF MEANING BEHIND THE PHOTO MADE ME WANT TO READ THE ARTICLE AND ISN’T THAT THE IDEA? TO DRAW YOU IN WITH A DRAMATIC IMAGE OR CATCHY PHRASE? BUT THIS PICTURE HAD BOTH. I LOOKED INTO THAT BEAUTIFUL HAZEL EYE WITH ITS TINY GOLDEN FLECKS AND WAS MESMERIZED TRYING TO SEE EVERYTHING THAT EYE WAS SAYING TO ME UNTIL I HAD TO PULL MYSELF AWAY TO ACTUALLY READ THE ARTICLE. THE ARTICLE STARTED OUT AS A PIECE ABOUT TRANS DAY OF VISIBILITY BUT AS YOU READ FURTHER YOU WERE INVITED INTO THE LIFE AND MIND OF THE WRITER. SHE WROTE WITH SUCH TRANSPARENCY AND SUCH SELF-AWARENESS IT SPOKE TO ME. IT WAS LIKE WATCHING A COMING-OF-AGE STORY IN INK. SHE SPOKE OF HER DAYS OF YOUTH AND I SAW HER IN CURLY PONYTAILS, YAWNING IN THAT SCHOOL HALLWAY. SHE SPOKE OF HER GROWTH AS A PERSON, AND I SAW HER IN A BUSINESS SUIT, IN A MEETING, NAVIGATING OFFICE POLITICS. SHE SPOKE OF HER GROWTH AS A PROFESSIONAL, AND I WATCHED AS SHE MIGRATED HER CAREER INTO ACTIVISM AND ADVOCACY. AND AS SHE SPOKE OF HER RELATIONSHIP WITH LOVE AND SELF LOVE, I SAW HER ENGAGED IN A DEEP CONVERSATION WITH HER PARTNER AND THEM LOOKING INTO THOSE HAZEL EYES AND PERHAPS NOT SEEING THE DEPTH OF THEM AND HER REALIZING HOW TO GIVE HERSELF MORE OF WHAT SHE NEEDED TO FEEL LOVE. THE RAWNESS AND VULNERABILITY RESONATED WITH ME BECAUSE I FELT EVERY WORD FROM MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCES AND JOURNEY. IT WAS REFRESHING TO SEE SOMEONE BEAR THEMSELVES FOR THE WORLD TO SEE AND TO WATCH THEM BE UNAPOLOGETICALLY FREE IN THEIR EXPRESSION OF SELF WHILE ENCOURAGING THE READER TO FIND THEMSELVES IN THEIR WORDS. AND THEN TO TOP THINGS OFF THIS TALENTED WRITER BROUGHT THE WHOLE PIECE FULL CIRCLE TO REMIND THE READER OF THE INTENT OF THE PIECE, TRANS DAY OF VISIBILITY, THE EPITOME OF BEING SEEN. BRAVO! THE MAGIC OF WRITING IS THAT IT TAKES THE READER ON A JOURNEY, THE PEAKS AND VALLEYS OF THEIR THOUGHTS, THE SIDE TRIPS DOWN MEMORY LANE, UNTIL YOU FINALLY ARRIVE TO THE OVERALL SUBJECT OF THE PIECE. THE GIFT OF GOOD WRITING ALLOWS YOU TO FEEL NOT ONLY THE AUTHORS EMOTIONS, BUT YOUR OWN. THIS ARTICLE DID THAT, AND I WAS HONORED TO TAKE THAT PARTICULAR JOURNEY WITH SUCH AN INCREDIBLE VISIONARY, ACTIVIST, ADVOCATE, ORATOR, AUTHOR, ARTIST, PHOTOGRAPHER, COMMUNITY ORGANIZER, EDITOR, MOTHER, SISTER, FRIEND, AND BUSINESSPERSON. DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND RELIVE PREVIOUS ISSUES OF BLAQUE/OUT MAGAZINE AND THE BEAUTY THAT IS THE LABOR OF LOVE FOR ITS CONTRIBUTORS, ADVERTISERS, AND THE INCREDIBLE FORCE THAT IS TAMARA SANAA LEIGH. YOU OWE IT TO YOURSELF.

C O N T R I B U T E D B Y : I M M A N I L O V E

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